Chains of the Broken

by KyuubiGoku

How long can you strike an animal before it strikes back? How long can you remain blissful of the hate inside its heart? What must you feel when your actions come back to haunt you? What happens when you break the one who was to protect you? You will find out. You are not safe. No one is safe. By their decisions, he is free. He is out and his mother, is not happy.

3. Chapter 3

KG: Alright everyone I guess I'm back. Life has been treating me rather poorly, but I managed to craft this in my lesser than usual downtime.

Naruto: There you are! Why do you always run from me?

KG: N-Naruto come on man. You wouldn't be entertained if you killed me!

Naruto: But KG screams like such a girl. It's fun dattebayo. Kaa-chan thinks so too! Let's play some more KG!

KG: Cease and desist!

Naruto:…

KG: Huh?

Music of the Month: Dead Inside by Skillet

Quote: "THE EDGE, there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over," by Hunter S. Thompson.

---

People generally come to the belief that their Anbu are perfect. They could execute perfect commands, unleash jutsu with perfect, deadly accuracy, and they could even kill perfectly. They were, in every sense, the perfect shinobi. Most tended to stop believing the reality that Anbu were human and that they made mistakes. Everyone held the Anbu in such a high position of authority and respect, but few ever realized what that authority and respect entailed. So much darkness, evil, hatred, and loneliness accompanied the job. Strong shinobi, worthy citizens of their village, were pushed so far to the edge of their lives and their minds. Many haunted by the memories of the slaughters that they had done and would even continue to do. Why was it that the Anbu had no rest? It was because that was their penance, their punishment for the lives that they took. The damage to their psyche was their cost for the power, authority, and respect that they received. However many questioned if it was ever worth it.

Tsubaki's steps trudged through the village in the dead of night. Her feet echoed across the dirt almost heavily and disdainfully. Tsubaki always figured that her life was merely based on two things, orders and the completion of those orders. For her nothing else truly mattered in her life. Those who didn't follow orders were merely pathetic children too scared to get their hands dirty. Tsubaki never felt that way. Even now her hands were stained with the blood of countless people that she had slaughtered on the orders of her Hokage. Traitors, former allies, and even people that she had never known personally. For Tsubaki, work was everything, anything other than that was irrelevant and inconsequential. Tsubaki cared for nothing that was not a job. Maybe that's why Mizuki broke up with her, he told her that she always took her damn job too seriously. Tsubaki couldn't agree more. And yet…how far had she truly fallen? How had Tsubaki, one of the Anbu's most ironclad members, allowed this to happen? She wasn't sure.

"Moon, moon, in the sky, we have your fear of things that fly. Take the blood and drink, but be careful, too much and you will sink. Hehehehe," Tsubaki's frown somewhat deepened before her grip found more strength than before and swiftly tightened its hold over what she was holding. The noise of droplets assaulted her ears, taunting her, tormenting her, reminding Tsubaki of her mistake as well as her stupidity. Whatever work or progress there was, was now destroyed. All in a single day. However, Tsubaki was sure that whatever progress this was that she was thinking of then it wasn't all that much. The droplets stained the ground behind her like a trail. It was the long thread that connected to her life and her mistake.

"Dango, Danzo, Danganzo, play with me more. Anbu-niichans, Anbu-neechans, play with me more. Ne, Anbu-neechan, more Anbu-chans are coming to play right? Naruto had fun, that he did dattebayo," Tsubaki forced her legs to keep on moving, not having them the pleasure of stopping. She couldn't until she got him home. However Tsubaki took her eyes off the street and looked down at Naruto in her arms. Everywhere his body was stained by blood. His shirt had tiny burn marks stretched across it in combination with the dripped spots of blood. The blood ran from his forehead down across his eyes, his cheeks, and his mouth, which he used to lap at in occasion. Underneath the layer of his nails was blood, on his pants there was blood. No where on his young, insane body was there no a place of blood. Even his hair was sprayed with blood. His body reeked of the scent. No doubt the ninken of the Inuzuka compound would have alerted the entire compound of given enough time.

"Shhh Naruto-kun. No more Anbu for today. We are going home," Tsubaki said with a certain amount of weight and steel in her voice. Naruto merely smiled widely, but he didn't respond as Tsubaki dragged him away through the streets of Konoha. She couldn't rush this time. Naruto was too excited still. His eyes stood high and dilated, his fingers twitched at various intervals, he was too dangerous right now and Tsubaki couldn't perform the paralysis technique over him again since she knew that he would react violently to her when he work up having felt the stimuli of pain in association to her and to his unconsciousness. Tsubaki couldn't have that.

It took no more than another ten minutes for Tsubaki to reach the apartment complex and open the main entrance door. The 'landlord' Anbu looked up from his desk and frowned. "You're late," he called before he noticed Tsubaki stare murderously at him. Her eyes told the Anbu all that he needed to know. Her posture was set to kill, her eyes firm, and yet…the look of emotion on her face was nigh undetectable except for the look of those eyes. The Anbu's frown deepened as Tsubaki made her way over to him. "You knew this would happen didn't you?" Tsubaki asked steely. The Anbu narrowed his eyes.

"Clarify Tsubaki," he promptly replied with his arms folded. If Tsubaki…wasn't Tsubaki then she surely would have scoffed, but she had better professionalism than that, but professionalism meant virtually nothing here. "I'm clarifying about this!" Tsubaki said revealing Naruto's bloodied form the Anbu landlord. However as Tsubaki had expected, he didn't look none the more concerned nor none the more worried. His eyes roamed Naruto's form for a little longer. He took into account the wideness of Naruto's eyes and the high trembling of his body. The Anbu then looked up at Tsubaki.

"What about it?" he asked. Tsubaki slowly blinked and hid her utter surprise of her comrades. "We just had one of Hokage-sama's council, the most dangerous person on his council, actually put him in training room with the Foundation, and you dare answer me with a question? Look at him right now! How is this supposed to protect Konoha?!" Tsubaki asked pointing towards Naruto's form, his shivering, gleeful form. The Anbu closed his eyes for a second before opening them back up.

"I am unsure of how Uzumaki-san will protect Konoha, but he cannot be awarded the safety of an innocent childhood. Things are expected of him and it is his duty to perform those things as Konoha's guardian," The Anbu replied. Tsubaki looked down as Naruto seemed to be interested in the both of them. His smile widened to the extend where Tsubaki could see his white teeth. How had only those been blood-free? Tsubaki didn't take the time to contemplate before looking forward.

"You would expect us to put our trust and faith in a broken child? A broken child that this village has caused? This is the most foolish, asinine, pathetic thing I have ever heard of! If you would like to know, he slaughtered them all. Look at his body, despite the burns and scorch marks on his body there is not a single wound on his body. All the blood that you see before you is the blood of those he murdered. He didn't throw a single kunai nor a single shuriken, he was surrounded by nearly Chunin-level candidates and came out of it all without a single scratch. What does that tell you?" Tsubaki asked warningly. The landlord merely closed his eyes and went back to his desk without a single word before sitting down.

"Anbu Kizuna was always about the mission, she didn't care how dirty she got her hands to get the job done. Kizuna was always about completing her duties towards the Hokage and towards the village. Konoha is counting on you Tsubaki. We are counting on you to be the handler of the Kyuubi jinchuuriki. Keep him calm when he needs to be calm and unstable when he needs to be unstable. Nothing more, nothing less. This is your duty Tsubaki and you will NOT go back on it. Understood?" the Anbu asked coldly. Tsubaki stared at him for a moment. That's right. It was merely the mission. All Tsubaki had to care about was the mission. If the mission failed then chaos ensued. Tsubaki wasn't a saint and she would never try to be. This wasn't her place. She was merely the Hokage's tool, to be used as he saw fit. That's what all shinobi were. The ones who thought different were just the pathetic idealists hoping not to face the cold reality of the world.

"None," Tsubaki responded. Her eyes lost their heat before she turned around and walked up the stairs with Naruto in her arms without another word. The landlord watched her leave, but his eyes fell onto Naruto, the blond was smiling, but the landlord let a shiver run down his spine at the sadistic, murderous, violent, agonizing, painful, all-around inhuman glare in Naruto's eyes. The blonde seemed to lock on his form like a hawk to a drifting snake. The landlord glared at the blonde. Their eyes met and quickly the landlord wished that they hadn't as he watched Naruto open his mouth. His tongue rolled out of the side and licked the upper portion of his lips before moving down to the bottom portion making sure to flick across his rather large canine sized parts of his teeth. Gone were his blue eyes and in place were thick, red slitted ones. The Anbu frowned, but beyond his knowledge Kushina had been looking at him. Slowly, but surely had she been coming down from her high of spending quality time with her son and their play with all the other shinobi enough to look at the landlord. He knew that they were hurting her son and he didn't care. Kushina grinned and outwardly, Naruto's grin followed as well. "Dear harmful spy, the world looks left, the world looks right. I will break your wings before you can fly," Kushina spoke with a wide smile however there was no warmth to be found in her eyes.

Tsubaki led Naruto into the bathroom of his room. Quickly stripping him of his clothes and placing him in the hot water of the tub, she watched as the blood slowly began to make itself disappear from his body and his hair, like it had almost never been there. However Tsubaki always understood. For even the most expert shinobi, once you've killed, no matter how many times you try to wash it off, the blood never comes off your hands. Still Tsubaki wondered if that was the case with Naruto. Looking at him, she saw no hints of remorse in his eyes, no hints of depression or sympathy. Even with his insane smile, she saw no happiness in his eyes. The only ever time his eyes seemed to light up was when he spoke of his 'Kaa-chan.' Taking a washcloth, Tsubaki began to work of cleaning over Naruto's body.

"Ne Handler-oneechan," Naruto called. Tsubaki just got to Naruto's legs before she looked up to see Naruto looking at her. His eyes focused upon her features. She tried to put up her best fake smile if it was even worth anything, but she doubted that he bought it. "Why do I fight with Anbu-niichans and nee-chans, but I don't fight with the other kids?" Naruto asked. Tsubaki allowed a small sigh to escape her lips before offering her best answer.

"Because you are a very unique boy Naruto-kun. The others wouldn't be fun with you at all," Tsubaki replied. She watched Naruto's expression turn sour if but for a moment before it quickly righted itself and the smile came back creepily filling Tsubaki with unprecedented amounts of worry, but she just as quickly shook it off.

"I did a good job, right Handler-oneechan?" Naruto asked. Tsubaki widened her eyes. Curse this indecisiveness. This was merely an assignment. This was going to end eventually. She would NOT grow attached to the mission. Complications arose when one got attached to the mission. Case in point, Sakumo Hatake, for failing to complete the mission, in return saving his comrades, he was ostracized until he committed suicide. Tsubaki didn't think bad of him, but she truly thought he was a fool. Nothing came before the mission and nothing came after. So…why did it hurt? Why did it make her clench her teeth and ball her fists every time, every damn time, she looked in Naruto's eyes? "Yes Naruto-kun, you…did a good job," Tsubaki hesitantly congratulated. She didn't receive a response and Tsubaki was hoping that she wouldn't get one in all honesty.

Finally finished, Tsubaki wrapped up the long day with fixing Naruto's dinner. No conversation was made between handler and handlee. Tsubaki was treated to the laughter from Naruto every once in a while based off some joke that he claimed his 'Kaa-chan' told him, but Tsubaki all together ignored it. Soon the dinner was finished as well. Tsubaki diligently washed the dishes while Naruto watched the Tv screen. Tsubaki frowned. It was indeed her duty to protect Konoha. She realized this. She never had a doubt that it was, but how was she supposed to put her trust into a child? Yes, what he had done was impressive, but for Tsubaki it was also scary. Some of those Foundation members actually begged for their lives before Naruto wrapped them in chains and proceeded to scorch them all with fire, drown them with water, electrocute them with lightning, bury them ten feet under with earth, or cut them to pieces with wind. Tsubaki could only admit that she had never seen such glee and heartless brutality within an individual, but for every kill, Tsubaki only watched as Naruto's eyes grew wider and wider until…

Tsubaki quickly blinked herself awake. She was still washing the dishes or rather she was supposed to. She had stopped long ago. By now the water was most likely seeping into her fingers wrinkling them. Tsubaki turned to face Naruto and she noticed that his curious eyes seemed targeted towards her. "Something wrong Naruto-kun?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto looked at her for a second before she watched him turn back towards the Tv screen. Tsubaki didn't have the time to think about his reaction as she settled for finishing the dishes.

Exactly two hours of free time for Naruto and Tsubaki passed by before Tsubaki switched off the Tv. "Time for your medication Naruto-kun," Tsubaki replied. Naruto swiftly nodded and Tsubaki watched him swallow the pill down his throat before nodding in agreement as well. "Well then, time for bed Naruto-kun. I will come get you in the morning," Tsubaki said. Naruto continued not to say a word, just smiling complacently. For Tsubaki it was actually a little unnerving. Pushing Naruto into his room, and outfitting his clothes, Tsubaki placed him in bed. As Tsubaki turned out the light, Naruto opened his eyes.

"Sochi, would you be a dear and…let me out?" Kushina asked. Naruto's smile cracked across his face almost painfully as he stared at the ceiling in the dark. "I love you Kaa-chan," Naruto called slowly raising his handsign into the air. A large puff of smoke came before a body flopped on his ten-year old body. Naruto looked up and noticed a pair of violet eyes looking down at him lovingly.

"Kaa-chan loves you too, baby. Never forget that," Kushina said before planting a kiss to her son's forehead. Naruto grinned widely while Kushina stuck out her tongue playfully. Naruto snickered before Kushina hopped to her feet gracefully. Naruto flung the covers off his body. Kushina proceeded to the window and opened it. In a flash before Naruto's eyes she was gone with the wind leaving Naruto to merely take in the scenery of the village. So many potential playmates. So much potential jam-filled dango. So much…potential flies caught within the spider's web. Naruto's fingers itched in eagerness. Today had been the most exhilarating day of his life and hopefully tomorrow would be even better. It had better be or Naruto would not be entertained. Uzumaki Naruto craved entertainment.

-Apartment entrance-

The Anbu landlord gave a small yawn as he flipped through the pages of a book he was reading. That's what it looked like on the surface. Underneath it all, he was actually pinging his chakra at various intervals in search of anyone attempting to come within range of the apartment complex. The sounds of a storm started to brew outside. He could hear the heavy rain fall down across the window as he continued his duties. As a sound of reverberating thunder crashed across the sky, the dim light that was lit for his reading convenience flickered slightly. The Anbu paid it no mind. "It will be time to change the shift soon." he thought to himself. He really wouldn't mind it at all actually. He had been tired ever since Tsubaki came through the door with their mission in her arms. Though the landlord didn't show it, he had been surprised by Tsubaki's news of the blonde's exploits. Not a single scratch was on his person, just the blood of his opponents. It really was a marvel, but not always an unheard of one. There had been records of genin, chunin, and even jonin going into battle without catching so much as a scratch and killing opponents that far exceeded them, but those records were so small that they could be counted on a person's ten fingers.

He hadn't let Tsubaki in on it, but the landlord wondered if this was indeed right as well. He couldn't just blindly accept this person to help a mentally unstable young boy to become the protector of Konoha. He would never take a given situation seriously enough to do so. How was Konoha supposed to rely on someone like that? But it wasn't his place to question the orders of his Hokage either so he just did as he was told. However he couldn't believe it. How had things gone so wrong? How had the Yondaime's legacy gotten so…damaged? He didn't understand. Even with the report given of the incident he still didn't understand. He couldn't forget the look in Naruto's eyes just before Tsubaki took him up the stairs. It was a look that told him that he knew what they were talking about and he was pleasurably pleased.

The landlord blinked himself out of his stupor as the rolling sounds of thunder and rain assaulted his ear drums. Each drip of rain masking whatever other sounds there were outside had been lost on him. He pinged his chakra once more and felt nothing for the twentieth time tonight. Truly this was getting stressful. However suddenly, a louder than normal crash of thunder came from outside effectively knocking out the lights. That was strange, the circuit breaker shouldn't have been so effected by the lightning if they had installed it correctly. The Anbu frowned before a sigh escaped his lips. "I really don't have time for this," The Anbu said to himself as he stood to his feet. He pushed his chair back into the desk before he took a right down the hall. The landlord never noticed a pair of violet-colored eyes watching his every move. In time, a small smile painfully creaked itself into existence in the shadows.

Walking down into the basement, the landlord opened the circuit breaker box. Taking a flashlight and turning it on, he peered inside. It was then that he knew something was wrong. The switch for the lights to the building had been turned off…manually. The lightning hadn't knocked out the power like he had thought. If the lightning hadn't done it, then what did? The landlord tensed, quickly lowering his chakra down into almost nothingness. He tried to find any presence around the apartment complex, but he got nothing but darkness. Naruto was up in his room yet for some strange reason he was wide awake and…looking in this direction. He wasn't looking at the floor or anything, well yes he was technically, but his eyes seemed to be more focused upon the Anbu himself. The Anbu shivered when he saw Naruto wave to him with a wide grin on his face. His lips moved. The Anbu read them perfectly. "Good…bye, An….bu….nii….chan," the landlord pronounced before he heard dark, twisted, broken laughter. The laughter of a female woman that he didn't recognized. Quickly the Anbu frowned taking his best stance.

"Rain, Rain, go away, come again another day. Boom, boom, boom, the thunder crashes down, there is an Anbu that looks like a clown. One to the left, one to the right, squeeze his neck and snap it tight. Kaa-chan loves her sweetie dattebane. Kaa-chan will protect Sochi from everyone dattebane," The Anbu frowned before he fell to his knees from unknown pressure. The room had been flooded in an overbearing KI of anger, murder, and depression. "Halt!" The Anbu ordered as best he could. He gasped in surprise. This was the woman, he was sure of it. This was the woman that the Hokage had told everyone all of the Anbu to be on the lookout for across the village. Tsubaki had warned that she had nearly been killed by someone called 'Kaa-chan.' The Anbu had no doubt that this was that person. His voice had been shaky. No words were spoken. The woman fell silent. The only sound were her soft steps across the floor.

Seeing his chance, the landlord got to his feet in one swift motion and charged at the woman, his sword at the ready. He appeared upon her within an instant before swinging the sword downward. A clash of metal assaulted his ears. He noticed that his sword was trapped within a tight grip by a white chain. Raising an eyebrow, the Anbu jumped back and sought to reevaluate his strategy. However Kushina didn't give him the time as the Anbu heard the sickening cracks of her neck muscles as Kushina tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Would you like to play with me Anbu-san?" the redhead asked. Before the landlord could even respond, a chain wrapped itself around his neck. The Anbu choked on the metal before the chain slowly began to raise him into the air. The Anbu winced as Kushina held her hand higher and higher, the chain complying with her wishes as it took its captive nearly towards the ceiling.

"You won't get away with this!" the landlord growled out. "Protect protect my baby. Kaa-chan will protect her baby," Kushina explained. She looked up at the male and watched him squirm for breath, his feet suddenly sporadic as they kicked at their open air while his hands words furiously trying to rid himself of the chain slowly constricting around his neck. Despite his predicament and his pain, he heard the sounds of humming coming from Kushina. It was almost like a light-hearted song slowly being twisted and shaped into a deadly swirl of anger, and madness, and insanity. With a squinted eye, the Anbu watched as Kushina summoned three more chains, however at the end of these three chains were sharp, razor-like edges just made for piercing. The storm outside flashed illuminating the room as well as the landlord's captor. He gasped as he knew her instantly. He immediately stared into the eyes. The broken, dark, angry, distorted, disturbed, depraved, insane eyes of the Yondaime Hokage's wife, and they looked…just like the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's eyes. Kushina's smile widened.

"I love him. He loves me. Sochi is the only one I see. Anbu-chan here is full of spite, but he will be the one to die tonight. Hehehehehehahahaha," Kushina laughed as she hunched over, her beautiful red hair sprawled over her face and to the ground mimicking a large trail of blood that the Anbu felt like he had seen so many times in his life from his dying opponents. The laughter was sickening as well as maddening. Never had the Anbu expected one of the Anbu Headquarters' most famous operatives to be so…so….destroyed. The Anbu would cover his ears if he held the power. Even now he could feel his chakra being sapped away like a straw sucking through a cup. "Ku…shina….sa…ma, stop this please! Think of your…late husband!" The Anbu urged. Slowly all forms of laughter stopped. The Anbu watched as the amusement in Kushina's features quickly dissipated only to be returned with insane rage and maddening anger.

"He was wrong. I was wrong. We were wrong. Trust, gone. Sochi, hurt. Nothing before my Sochi matters dattebane! Everyone hurts him! Kaa-chan will not let anyone hurt him anymore!" The Anbu gasped as Kushina's hands clenched at her head painfully. The Anbu frowned. "Naruto Uzumaki is the protector of the village. We need him!" The Anbu called out to her. He noticed the grip on chain around his neck tighten making his body clench.

"It's alright sochi. Momma will protect you. Always Kaa-chan will protect you. Mina-kun, stay in Shinigami-chan's stomach forever. Kaa-chan will be with sochi dattebane. KAA-CHAN WILL BE WITH SOCHI!" Kushina suddenly shouted as the chains surrounding her form blew forward. The life in the landlord Anbu's eyes faded as five sharp chains stabbed themselves through his chest and out his back. His blood dripped to the chains while the lightning flashed through the sky. Kushina smiled.

Naruto chuckled in his bed with he rocked his body back and forth. His eyes were wide at the wall. He had heard everything through his connection to his mother. He heard the Anbu speak as well as his mother's proclamation which only served to steel his resolve. "No one will hurt Kaa-chan dattebayo," Naruto replied to himself. His fingers twitched and flexed irregularly.

Meanwhile, Kushina's chains dispelled as the Anbu's body dropped to the ground. The rest of his blood spilled upon the ground of the basement as Kushina snickered. Spinning on her heel, the Habanero Uzumaki disappeared up with a handsign and swiftly appeared at her son's side. Sensually, Kushina slipped her arms around her son's form and pulled him into her embrace. For but a second the eyes of the broken were gone and replaced with utter warm, but it was all too fast and missed as the insanity took over once again. Kushina vanished out of sight. "But Naruto wants to play doctor. Let him play doctor. You're not the proctor, you're the…cadaver!" Naruto said with a demented and psychotic grin as his blue eyes flashed to red in a brief instant. Such sweet, delicious jam tonight.

-Next Morning-

Tsubaki and six other Anbu stood before the Hokage. The Anbu formerly known as Kizuna had subbed herself out with a clone to attend to Naruto while she attended the investigation. "How did this happen?" Hiruzen asked holding up a file in front of everyone. On the file were the words 'Deceased' as everyone looked at what remained of the Anbu landlord. His name had been Hatao Gin. None of the Anbu uttered a word for a moment, but Hiruzen was in a bad mood today and he didn't have time for softness or steadiness. "Explain to me what happened!" Sarutobi ordered and the Anbu straightened up almost instantly. Tsubaki included.

"We are unsure Hokage-sama. All we know is that Gin-san most likely went into the basement to check the circuit breaker since it was open. We theorize that he went down there because of the storm, but as to why he was found the way that he was, we do not know," The head anbu of the operation responded. Hiruzen intertwined his hands and sighed grimly. How had this happened? Just how had this come to pass? Hiruzen knew that his age had to be catching up with him now. He looked just so tired. Glancing upwards he looked at Tsubaki, whose face gave very little away.

"How is Naruto-kun?" Sarutobi asked. Tsubaki took a deep breath before speaking. "All seems to be fine with him, Hokage-sama. He doesn't seem out of the ordinary…..well, ordinary for a mentally unstable person. I just gave him his medication so he's in school right now. However Hokage-sama I do not believe that having Danzo-sama as Naruto's teacher will benefit. I gave you the results of that session. I do not believe we can afford that again," Tsubaki replied. Sarutobi happily agreed in the form of a nod. He had truly believed that as well. Danzo had just been a theory that Sarutobi had hoped would work. Well, obviously it didn't.

"What if it was this 'Kaa-chan' person?" another Anbu, a female just like Kizuna, asked. Everyone quickly tensed up being reminded of that. Tsubaki clenched her hands in frustration. It wasn't outside the realm of possibility. After all even Tsubaki had been snuck up upon by the woman. It wasn't so farfetched to think that she couldn't have snuck up on Hatao, but the only reason was why? What motive would she have had in killing the landlord of the building? It just didn't make any sense.

"Kaa-chan will protect her baby." Those words echoed through the recesses of Tsubaki's mind. Perhaps this woman was a distressed mother. A former high-ranked kunoichi and she saw it as her duty to protect children who were oppressed or…being oppressed something like that. This woman had to have had a psychiatric disorder or a high-level of stress deficiency. It seemed like she was tailor-made to the things surrounding Uzumaki Naruto, but how far did that her fangs sink into the things surrounding that life? Tsubaki wasn't sure and she knew that she wasn't going to be getting much sleep until she figured it out.

"Something on your mind Tsubaki?" Tsubaki stared forward to see her former fellow Anbu and Hokage looking at her with surprising interest. Seeing that the proverbial kunai was in her hand at the moment, Tsubaki decided to strike. "The only thing that I do understand is that Naruto knows this person, or at least has some knowledge of their existence. He's brought up 'Kaa-chan' several times in this week alone. I sees it as his goal and pleasure to make sure that she isn't hurt as well. They seem to feed off of each other's goals. Maybe she provides him with safety, and he provides her with the assurance of a happy son being taken care of by a loving mother. This is only my guess," Tsubaki contemplated. She watched as the other Anbu fell silent, one even placing a finger to their chin in thought.

"It would make sense. The adoption rate back during the Kyuubi incident had nearly tripled since parents lost their children and sought to have another in their lives. The Orphanage had never seen such a good day," A male Anbu reported next. Tsubaki swiftly nodded. Conversation flew back and forth, but Tsubaki managed to stay with it all. In truth, Tsubaki hadn't know about all of the technical stuff during the Kyuubi incident. Konoha was merely on a shortage of money and supplies. She had too many missions to take to be concerned with everyone else. The village was the only thing that mattered. "Perhaps the best course of action would be to change the location?" the female mask-covered Anbu asked.

"No!" everyone jumped as they turned to Tsubaki in relative surprise of her stern outburst. It wasn't uncommon, but for the normally cold and anti-social Anbu, it was still a shock nonetheless. "That's not going to work. Whoever we're investigating they will understand what is going on here. It's obvious she has more information on Konoha as a whole then we do on her. Remember that, like the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, she is unstable and we don't know what she's going to do if she finds out that Naruto's not at the same spot that he was when she left him. We have to tread carefully," Tsubaki emphasized. Everyone quickly began to see the grimness of the situation. However no one needed to think about it much anymore as Hiruzen stood to his feet.

"Tsubaki, continue to monitor Naruto-kun. You are his handler as well as his protector. I am counting on you for this mission. We will keep Naruto-kun where he is for the time being, but I want regular patrols throughout the village from now on. Something is going on here and I pray that this will pass soon enough," Sarutobi explained. The Anbu in the room quickly nodded. Tsubaki was ready to leave as well, but a hand from the Hokage stopped her. Tsubaki stayed where she was. She expected the elderly man to speak immediately, but he only resumed signing documents. Tsubaki's ears took into account the constant ticking of the clock's hands behind her.

Tsubaki didn't know how much time had passed, but it seemed that enough of it did to annoy her greatly. She was more than ready to speak about the current predicament, but the sounds of the doorknob opening had stopped her entirely. With the presence behind the door, Tsubaki frowned. This was not what she needed right now. Tsubaki watched the door open to reveal Shimura Danzo. Neither said anything to each other. After all, no words needed to be spoken about what happened yesterday. Both were there so it wasn't worth making some pathetic accusation against the other. Bickering was saved for personal affairs and was not to be presented before the Hokage. "You're a little late," Sarutobi proclaimed.

"There were important matters thatI could not leave attended. I'm a very busy person Hiruzen," Danzo remarked. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment. If the Hokage didn't have a problem with the way of talk from Danzo then it was of no purpose to her. "Well then I'll make this brief then. Danzo you sent me the report of Naruto-kun from yesterday. Danzo I fear that your method may have damaged Naruto-kun even more than before," Sarutobi quickly spoke. Tsubaki sent a tiny glare towards the council member. Danzo's stance was relaxed, calm, focused. He hadn't been riled up at all, but she would have been surprised if he were.

"The Kyuubi jinchuuriki is not a child to be coddled. It is far too late for that. The best course of action is to keep pushing him to his madness. It is grim and unfortunate that he will not survive into his later years from the stress, but it is for the benefit of Konoha that he sacrifice himself. Even now the numbers were computed were astronomical. He faced off and slaughter a good number of my agents without receiving a scratch. The mark of a true shinobi Hiruzen. This is also without the Kyuubi's interference. Yes, the reason he is this way is no doubt Konoha's fault. I am sure that our village, on record, is the first ti ever successfully break its jinchuuriki of its sanity. How the seal is even still in place I am unsure, but one of my shinobi put his data into the computer. His data is rather interesting. I'll run it by you later," Danzo proclaimed. Hiruzen nodded grimly. Minato, Kushina, please forgive him for this turn of events, Sarutobi didn't want this, but now that it was here there was literally nothing he could do about it.

"I would recommend Uzumaki Naruto to the Torture and Interrogation Department, but the boy is far too much unstable for that type of delicate work. I also fear that even if we try to bring him back or restructure his sanity then it will mean the death of the person doing it who will have to witness everything that went on with him. I am sure not even Inoichi Yamanaka would be able to complete the task," Danzo answered once more.

"It would seem that the best place to put the Kyuubi jinchuuriki would have to be the front lines or the higher than normal mission for genin students. However the problem would be team placement. No jonin is going to take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, especially not with the state he's in. Plus having me be some sort of co-sensei to the team would imbalance it. If you are willing Hokage-sama then as his handler then I should be the only one on his team as well," Tsubaki replied in relative monotone. Sarutobi and Danzo looked at her for a second before the Sandaime leaned forward.

"Tsubaki, here is what I want you to do. This will require some time, but if this works out then it will be to Konoha's benefit. If it does not then, I fear the worst," Hiruzen spoke. Tsubaki slowly nodded while Danzo's small frown turn upwards when Sarutobi told the two all of the details. As he told them this, Tsubaki's hands clenched harder and harder, but she never uttered a single word of complaint. In time, Danzo left the room. Tsubaki still stood there.

"Kizuna, do you believe what I am doing here is right?" Tsubaki held up her head in surprise only to see the Hokage's back to her. He was looking out the window and at the village. No doubt his face was etched with depression, uncertainty, fear, and anguish. Tsubaki opened her mouth and spoke her words. "It is the mission Hokage-sama. I will do what you ask," Tsubaki said before fading out of the room. It was quiet for a time. However small droplets appeared on the floor next to the Sandaime's feet.

A number of weeks passed since the murder of Hayato Gin, the apartment's landlord. The Anbu that resided in the building worked twice as hard to cover the ground and not have a repeat performance of that time. Along with this came a regular scheduled patrol of chunin and even jonin shinobi in the hopes of catching the murderer of the Anbu, but for all those weeks nothing had been found. No anomalies had been reported, everything had just been peaceful. For civilians and even some genin there was not a care in the world sans the missions in the outside world. However for those chunin and above, there was a feel of anxiety knowing that there was a killer within Konoha's walls. Everyone knew one thing also. This all gravitated towards the Kyuubi jinchuuriki.

Speaking of Naruto, the blonde was his normal self, well his version of normal anyway. Tsubaki had continued, to the best of her ability, to handle Naruto and his urges. It was rather odd. Some days he was so playful and yet there were others where just his look alone spelled the massacre of probably the entire village if he were allowed to do so. On and on he spoke of his 'Kaa-chan' which only served to create more anxiety within the Anbu surrounding the building who were just wondering if the blond was in communication with this woman, but they had no evidence. How could they trust the word of the insane? Nonetheless, Naruto had kept to his word, most of the time, and stayed out of trouble. Naruto never interacted with the kids in the academy nor did he take their ninjutsu, genjutsu, or taijutsu courses. No, he merely kept going to Shimura Danzo, over and over again, each passing day. For his hard work, the blond was rewarded with his stipulation, ramen. Sure he was thrown curves such vegetables and a salad on the spare occasion, but Naruto was entertained and for the Anbu that was all they needed for the day to go by without worrying if Naruto would kill anyone. He had been treated as something valuable to Tsubaki and the Anbu. There hadn't been a single attempt on his life since he was taken from the Ward. And yet, within those weeks, Tsubaki couldn't stop her foreboding feeling. Something was wrong. Something was deathly wrong.

Tsubaki dressed Naruto after his bath, she then fixed his breakfast then proceeded to help him eat. "Naruto-kun, we're not going to the Academy today," Tsubaki spoke as she brushed Naruto's hair. She looked over the blonde's shoulder for his reaction. His eyes opened in a strained manner and the heavy psychotic grin on his face worried her. With a quick ping of her chakra, Tsubaki scanned the interior and exterior of the house. She felt nothing abnormal. "Maybe this is just the Kyuubi jinchuuriki being himself." Tsubaki figured before shaking her head. She finished brushing the blonde's hair.

"No more Anbu-niichans? No more Anbu-neechans?" Naruto asked staring forward rather innocently. Tsubaki stopped brushing his hair for just a moment before continuing. "No more today Naruto-kun. No Naruto-kun you are going to be coming with me to the Hokage Mansion. We're going to see Hokage-sama," Tsubaki replied. Naruto didn't offer any visible reaction that he had heard her words. Kushina however was a different story. The redhead Uzumaki female currently stared at her reflection in the water. Kushina stuck her tongue out at herself in amusement as she watched her reflection return the sentiment.

"You might look like me, but Sochi only has one Kaa-chan dattebane!" Kushina spoke. In the reflective pools of water, her eyes turned red for just a second. Kushina slowly licked her lips. "Sochi needs only one Kaa-chan!" Kushina exclaimed. The amusement slowly left her face before she raised her fists into the air. With a sudden loud shout, Kushina bashed them into the water forcing the water to splash highly in the air.

"Sochi only needs me. Sochi only needs me. Sochi needs no one, but me!" Kushina repeated to herself over and over. She rocked herself back and forth quickly finding her mirth as she chuckled. "Anbu-chan, Anbu-chan, you wear a mask and you appear kind, but Naruto-chan knows to put you in a bind!" Kushina snickered. Kushina looked at the ripples of water that began to calm down from her former outburst. As she stare into the liquid, Kushina's face took on unbridled joy and unconfined amusement. Somehow, someway, the water mocked her as she noticed a person with bright blonde hair and blue eyes staring at her with a somewhat normal smile. Kushina looked at the image as her smile got bigger, but if one looked closely, specifically her eyes, they would have seen no joy or amusement, but only madness and murderous intent.

"Your fault. It's all your fault, dattebane!" Kushina shouted suddenly. Slowly and surely her body coated itself in red chakra. With one of her fists cocked back she bashed it into the water once again destroying the image and pushing the water upwards in a large splash.

Outside, Naruto was faring no better. Tsubaki watched as his face contorted into a violent rage. The chakra emitting from his body was slowly raising. Tsubaki could feel its maliciousness. "Naruto-kun?" Tsubaki asked with narrowed eyes. Swiftly Tsubaki was performing handsigns for a paralysis technique and put the blond back to bed. Naruto turned around to her. With a sharp laugh his now red eyes glared into her form. "Kaa-chan wants blood Handler-oneechan," Naruto replied sinisterly. Tsubaki could already see the signs of the chains protruding from his backside.

"Naruto-kun calm down. What's the matter? Why does Kaa-chan want blood?" Tsubaki asked. Naruto's hands trailed the edges of his face. He brushed them against his whisker marks before they rested at his temples. "Watch the life go away. Such delicious dango. So much, too much! Make it stop! Make it stop! He wants more, but he can't have it! She has more, but she doesn't want it! Leave it alone! It's all a lie. It's all just a damnable lie dattebayo!" Naruto murmured. Tsubaki watched as Naruto looked at her, his eyes dazed yet somehow still dilated.

"Naruto-kun!" Tsubaki called as she grabbed the unstable blonde's shoulders. She quickly touched his forehead with her index finger and took a deep breath. "Kai," Tsubaki uttered. Swiftly Naruto dropped to his knees without a second thought. He slowly began to fall forward before Tsubaki caught him and pulled him into her embrace. She gently carried him in her arms as she made her way out of the door. The words that followed out of her mouth, she had no idea, would haunt her for many nights, many days, and many years.

"Alright Naruto-kun, Konoha will give you blood," Tsubaki replied before she vanished via shunshin. A few well-placed flash steps across a couple of rooftops, and then, upon exiting the village, a few more well-placed dashed across the trees and Tsubaki dropped to the ground in a swift manner. Before her stood a tall, almost intimidating facility. The large black ironclad structure of the buildings blended in with the trees almost like a perfect dimensional shape. This was the Torture and Interrogation department and right next to it was Konoha's Maximum Security Prison. On its outside stood Danzo. The man looking just as foreboding as usual. Danzo took a glance at Naruto's shivering form. Even his eyes seemed to be shivering as they twitched at various times. It was like Naruto was literally trying to suck the warmth out of Tsubaki's body in order to get some kind of heat to help his shivering.

"Has something happened to him?" Danzo asked. Tsubaki looked down at her handlee in his quivering form. Naruto just clung to her body tightly. He muttered the word 'death' over and over. No doubt Naruto could sense the malicious intent that made itself apparent within the prison raising his reaction towards the sudden stimuli. Tsubaki couldn't help, but feel that they were about to make a mistake. "I am unsure. I believe that he is reacting to the intent within the prison, but I can't say for sure. In any case, your presence here greatly unnerves him so I will have to ask that you keep your distance Danzo-sama," Tsubaki said as she opened the door and took Naruto inside. Danzo watched her with a narrowed eye before firmly walking into the building right along with her.

-Academy-

Iruka sighed for the umpteenth time. Uzumaki Naruto had failed to show up. Honestly Iruka felt like he shouldn't have been surprised. Strange things always revolved around Naruto. Every time Iruka had been teaching he had sometimes thought to how the students were faring. For some of his lessons some students looked bored, well a majority looked bored, but others like interested. Uzumaki Naruto…Iruka wasn't sure about. The blond always had that terribly strange, heart-clenching smile on his face. Ever since the taijutsu incident back during the blonde's first day at the academy all the students had been wary of him, and Iruka somehow felt that it was all in good reason. Every question Iruka asked Naruto was met with a smile, a terrible joke, or sometimes a…threatening glare? Iruka hadn't been able to pierce it together. Naruto was even more of a reclusive person that Aburame Shino and the two might as well have been exact opposites.

Iruka had contemplated that the jonin, Tsubaki, who had been taking care of him, had taken him as she seemed to be very responsible in claiming that Naruto had no reasons to ditch school. However Iruka could tell that the mood in the classroom was a lot lighter with Naruto gone. It was rather said, but that was the reality of the situation. Nonetheless, Iruka was a man concerned about his students, even one as odd as Uzumaki Naruto. "Sensei, wake up!" Iruka blinked himself out of his stupor. He noticed that he had stopped in the middle of his lecture. The piece of chalk that he had been holding had long since stopped writing.

"Huh?" Was the chunin's most intelligent response. A good number of the students laughed at the expense of their teacher much to Iruka's embarrassment. The chunin rubbed the back of his head and followed up with a cough into his hands for attention. "Has anyone seen Naruto-san today?" Soon all laughter stopped as students turned their eyes to where the blond was usually seated, that same side of the desks in the corner next to the windows.

"Who cares about that freak?!" came a shout. Some other students gasped, but didn't respond. Kiba snorted as he folded his arms. He truly despised his blonde classmate. Why did he get all the free passes to Ninjutsu, Taijutsu and Genjutsu? Why did he get to go home early? The guy couldn't be special or anything.

In his seat, Uchiha Sasuke frowned before sending a almost missed glare towards the seat where Naruto usually sat. It was like the last Uchiha actually cared about what happened to him. Granted he wouldn't have minded having what the blond had in terms of getting out of all this nonsense that the Academy called training. He wasn't going to get better, but he had to. Uchiha Sasuke was an avenger. His whole family had been murdered and he had been left alone to avenger their deaths by his accursed brother, Uchiha Itachi. Uzumaki Naruto utterly irritated him. Always cracking his jokes, smiling without a damn care in the world, and messing around. The guy had no idea how harsh life could be. Sasuke wouldn't say that he felt anything other than apathy to the blonde, even if he wished to destroy that never ending smile on his face. However he never could since the blond always had some reason from that jonin woman Tsubaki to always skip out on the shinobi aspects of the classes.

Shikamaru and Shino exchanged looks with each other and nodded. Both easily understood that something was utterly wrong. The other kids might have been blind to it, but the two clan heirs understood. Uzumaki Naruto was dangerous, very much so. For Shino, ever since he was 'treated' to the display of Naruto ripping his messenger insect apart from its wings all the way down to its limbs, he had been cautious of the blond. For Shikamaru, the blond was an unbreakable puzzle. Shikamaru, despite his laziness, had always thought himself to be a good judge of people given his immense intelligence. Shikamaru had a way of reading people, but he could never completely read Uzumaki Naruto. That was one thing he was unable to decipher yet like the most difficult challenge, Shikamaru, begrudgingly, wanted to solve.

Anyone else wasn't about to bother with the blond least of all Yamanaka Ino, Haruno Sakura, or Chouji Akimichi. The three would rather have stayed as far away from the blond as possible. Never mind that he seemed to be an imbecile, but he was just downright creepy.

Seeing their reactions, Iruka lowered his head grimly. He knew that he wasn't much better. "Right well, I'll be paying a stop to his house at a later date to see if I can't discover anything. Now then, on with the lesson," Iruka said much to the class' dismay. Iruka couldn't stop the tiny grin that appeared on his face. Sometimes teaching just felt so good.

-Prison-

It was truly the last place that anyone really wanted to be in and yet it was one of the most filled places within Hi no Kuni. Any crime committed within mankind's history books had been added to this prison by at least one person. One person to fit every other type of crime that filled the record books. Truly only the most hardened shinobi ever chose to guard this place. The constant screams of anguish and torment resounded throughout the halls on a daily basis. Men and women, some deemed to monikers such as 'Demon of such and such' or 'Killer of this and that.' Screams, curses, and profanities littered the halls. However today was a different day. Today was a day that many criminals often looked forward to. Especially those on death row.

"Hey stop pushing me you shinobi bastard! I'm walking already!" one male voice shouted as a jonin shoved the man forward. Those criminals on death row had always had one opportunity. On the day of their execution, they always had matches. If they were able to win then they got away free only with a chakra suppression seal created by the sannin, Jiraiya himself. Call it a sick twisted game by some of the Konoha superiors in watching their criminals fight for their lives, but the world wasn't so kind as to merely let criminals go away free. They would fight for their lives to gain back that life that they abused. That freedom that they took for granted.

"Hey this isn't any way you treat a lady you dumbass! I'll kill you!" came the cry of a female this time as a female jonin pushed her forward. "Stop talking and continue walking, you criminal piece of trash," the female jonin snorted.

It was a very short walk, but ten shinobi took an individual ten prisoners into a large, well lit room. On the walls of the room were various shinobi gear and weapons. Explosive tags, kunai, shuriken, Fuma shuriken, swords, mesh armor, all of it littered the walls. The prisoners were actually in relative awe. Each took notice that the ropes binding their arms and legs had been cut letting them free. Their shinobi guards disappeared. "Oi, what is this shit?!" one of them hollered.

"It should honestly be quite simple what this is. This is your execution for your heinous actions against Konoha," the male and female criminals looked up to see Danzo staring at them all coldly. Some of them shrunk back from his intense gaze while others merely looked on unfazed and unconcerned. "Maybe if you tree fuckers stopped fucking your trees then you wouldn't have so many enemies!" someone else cried out letting a roar of laughter reverberate throughout the sounds of the chamber of the inmates. Some of the jonin guards frowned. One especially started to draw a kunai from his pouch, but he stopped when he noticed Danzo looking at him sternly. The jonin sucked his teeth before pocketing the weapon back.

"However, Konoha is the strongest nation for a reason. It is because we make the decisions that other shinobi villages are incapable of making. While there is light within Konoha's walls, there is also darkness and that darkness will judge all of you. As followed by the Nidaime Hokage of Konoha, inmates are granted one last chance at their free lives by fighting any one person that Konoha picks. If you manage to defeat or even kill that person then you are allowed to walk normally we would do this one by one to be fair, but I don't have the time to waste on you ignorant masses. So the one who defeats the challenge will go free," Danzo said. Silence came through the crowd of inmates. Each looked to each other in relative silence.

"Bullshit!" one of the inmates shouted. The others looked on as well in disbelief. Was this some kind of sick joke to get them to be complacent just before their deaths? No one was buying it at all. "This is your decision if you choose not to engage. Know that you will die even if you reject the offer. Konoha is merely giving you the opportunity to bet your lives in the small hope that you get away. You can either refuse and die, or you can bet your life on the small chance of winning. All the tools around you are at your disposal. I suggest that you pick wisely," Danzo said before he walked away. Most of the inmates watched him leave.

"He's got to be fucking us right? There is no way their going to let us go is there?" a dark-haired woman asked. One criminal narrowed his eyes and folded his arms. The criminal's expression turned joyous, a face of almost sadistic pleasure coming across his features. The man's fingers actually trembled excitedly. "At this point I really couldn't give two flying shits right now. If they're letting me get the fuck out of this prison in exchange for killing their so called 'challenge' then I'll make sure the bastard never gets up again. I'll chop into tiny pieces and flush those pieces down into the sewers. Keh!" he answered her before moving over to the wall to select his weapons. The woman moved to do the same.

Inside a one-sided see-through window, Danzo stood surrounded by various shinobi. One of those shinobi only looked at the elder's back with disdain and utter disapproval. The man wore a large trench coat over his large body. A bandana was wrapped around his head preventing anyone from taking notice of the countless scars that laid underneath from his many unfavorable years as a Konoha shinobi. Never in his career as a shinobi had he thought that Konoha would go through with this. Kami was he happy that his second-in-command was out on a mission at the moment. she would never forgive this if she caught wind of it. He knew the reason that this was necessary. Like a good number of other shinobi, he had been informed upon Uzumaki Naruto's release from the Ward. Why would the higher-ups see fit to bring him here?

"You have something to say, Morino Ibiki?" Danzo asked bringing the Head of the Torture and Interrogation Department, headed within the Intelligence Division, out of his thoughts. Ibiki actually had a lot to say, but he knew that what he wanted to say was out of line and no doubt would be called upon if he did utter his words. No doubt he would have to speak with the Hokage personally after this. He hadn't signed up for this. He hadn't been the head of the Torture and Interrogation Department, and the Head Warden of Konoha's Security Prison, to be doing this.

"No, Danzo-sama," Ibiki replied disdainfully. It was a type of disdain that Danzo instantly picked up on, but didn't comment. He didn't care. If it was for the good and benefit of Konoha then what was one child's psyche? The shinobi world was cruel and unforgiving, in order to keep Konoha at the top then sacrifices had to be made. Danzo stepped forward and pressed a small button. "Tsubaki, bring him in!" Danzo ordered the sounds coming through a speaker.

Tsubaki held Naruto in her arms in front of a door. There was no going back now. Tsubaki glanced to the blond. Tsubaki was honestly surprised. Whatever effect the medication usually had on him was nonexistent here. Naruto actually seemed to be clawing at the hem of his clothing, and why not? He could feel the sheer intention to murder, maim, and slaughter all behind the door. It was a sudden wave of cruel intentions washing over his ten-year old body. Kushina really wasn't faring much better. "So much blood sochi. So much blood for my sochi dattebane. Do not worry Naruto. Kaa-chan will provide for you. Kaa-chan loves you Sochi. Kill them. Kill them all sochi!" Kushina trembled excitedly. She could feel the red, shiny liquid in her body pumping rapidly into her beating heart. Open then door. Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Open the door!

Tsubaki frowned. This wasn't her mission. She had been charged to handle Naruto. How could she handle him if he were going to be delving deeper and deeper into his sanity until…he became worse than he already was? No, this was the mission! All that mattered was the mission! Without the mission there was no order and no order led to chaos. Tsubaki couldn't help releasing a sigh. "No one's gonna blame you if you don't want to do this Naruto-kun. No one's gonna thank you if you do this," Tsubaki replied rather with a whisper. Naruto heard her, but didn't say anything. His attention was too far gone to relish on the words that she had spoken to him.

Shaking her head, Tsubaki pushed the door open and gently placed Naruto on the ground. Immediately Tsubaki wished that she hadn't. She could see Naruto's grin quickly, almost instantly, turn into a downward frown. "Flies, flies everywhere. Flies, flies death beware. It comes for you in the night. It comes for you in the day. Your wings will be torn, your limbs will be cut. Your lives are the things that I will play," Naruto murmured as he walked forward. Tsubaki wasn't sure she saw it or imagined it, but she thought she saw Naruto's nails actually lengthen. Tsubaki closed the door and decided to return to the main room. Suddenly Tsubaki stopped. The feeling of dread had returned, more suffocating than ever. Tsubaki turned back to the door.

The death row criminals turned their heads as they noticed a young blond kid, that couldn't have been older than twelve, enter the stadium. Some raised their eyebrows at hime while others frowned. A few were actually concerned once they looked at his eyes. So full of unadulterated madness and dementia in them was enough to actually force one man to scream. The other criminals turned back to him in enough to see him shove a kunai into his heart before he hunched over dead. "A child? We have to fight a child?! I knew this was some kind of damn joke!" one of the inmates shouted. With a kick, he sent the dead body crashing into the iron wall next to him.

"Mmm he's kinda cute," a woman said licking her bottom lip. The Konoha shinobi in the room observed the interactions going on, albeit reluctantly. Danzo merely kept his gaze over the entire ordeal without letting any emotion show over his features. "Danzo-sama, are you…sure this is the only way?" a shinobi asked.

"Would you like to be down there yourself? You're more than welcome to take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's place," Danzo replied without taking his eyes from the center. All he got was silence for a response and what he assumed was the shinobi shying away in shame. Of course no one wanted to go down there with a bunch of deranged criminals, much less fight them. "Anyone else feel the need to go down there and take the Kyuubi jinchuuriki's place?" Danzo asked. No one said anything, all he got was silence. Ibiki bit his lower lip enough to make it bleed. Inside his coat pockets, his hands where trembling terribly, but he didn't speak.

Danzo, in the meantime, snorted. Pathetic wimps, the lot of them were. It was obvious that none of them knew what it meant to be a shinobi. If Danzo had his way not one of these people, probably save for the head of the Interrogation Department, would be a shinobi, but it wasn't his call to make. "Then I expect all of you to remember your place and let me observe if Konoha's judgement is appropriate," Danzo said. He only got silence which he indeed appreciated as he continued to watch.

In the arena, one guy chuckled. "Heh if Konoha's got this kid's death wish then I don't give a fuck. I'll murder the damn brat!" a separate individual said before he got a raised hand. "Now hold on, let me try something. I've always had a thing for younger guys," the dark-haired woman said before she slowly made her way towards Naruto. The Konoha shinobi watched the scene. Tsubaki had just entered the room and watched in silence as well. The feeling of dread had never left her.

As the woman appeared in front of Naruto, she bet down to keep themselves at eye-level. "Oi, you gonna fuck the brat?! Hurry it up!" one of them shouted. The woman tried her best to tune out the other distractions. "You have nice hair," she commented. Naruto looked into her eyes and once he saw them, his smile returned.

"You look so cute. But you know, Madam-san is a very busy woman. She was falsely accused by the people of this village and she wishes to get out. The only way she can do that is if she roughs you up a little. It breaks my heart to hurt such a cutie like yourself, but I have no choice. You understand don't you? Don't worry, once you're healed up, I will pay you a visit. We can have so much fun. Just you and me" she said as she raised her hands into the air and gently caressed Naruto's whiskered cheek. Naruto's smile lessened.

"Kuso, this was a mistake after all! We've got to get him out of there!" Someone instantly called. Sure the Kyuubi jinchuuriki wasn't very well liked in Konoha, and sure a good number of the shinobi in the room thought he might have been better off dead, but throwing him to the wolves, or at least a room full of dangerous criminals, psychopaths, rapists, terrorists, and thieves was a little too much for anyone's humane somehow felt that urge also hitting the back of her head repeatedly annoying her, but she stayed her hand. It wasn't her place. "Move from this room and you will forfeit your life," Was all Danzo said as he continued watching.

"Danzo-sama, with all due respect, how can you be so…," all talking stopped instantly. A sound rang over the prison. How was it that it was so small yet so clear? Everyone widened their eyes in surprise. Words were lost in people's throats. They couldn't have said anything even if they tried. Danzo's hand clenched at his cane. It was…merciless.

Kushina had been angry, mad, rather dare she say livid if she didn't find it funny like the word 'liquid.' She put her filthy, disgusting, cold, slimy, pathetic hands on her son. Her son had trembled greatly from her touch. No one touched her son that did not entertain her! No one touched her sochi, except for her! "Get off him. Don't touch him. LET GO OF MY SOCHI DATTEBANE!" Kushina cried hysterically. She thrashed her body around in the murky water violently. Kushina bashed her body against the walls surrounding her in a frantic matter. Her red eyes glowed with anger as she grabbed the strains of her hair. Quickly Kushina's body fired in bright red chakra covering her body.

"Kaa-chan will protect Sochi. Kaa-chan will protect Sochi. Kaa-chan will protect…," Kushina repeated over and over. On the outside everyone gasped. Naruto felt something drip onto his cheek, but he didn't focus completely on it. No, his face was contorted into glee at what was in front of him. The woman had wide eyes as a white chain appeared in the front of her skull and out the back end. The criminals and Konoha shinobi were stunned into silence. The woman had no idea what happened.

"….Oi, did that brat just…," one of the inmates spoke. Naruto raised his hand and swiftly the chain started to obey his commands. Naruto swiped his hand upwards. The chain exploded into the air in an upheaval breaking the woman's skull open as she dropped to the ground, her blond staining the floor and Naruto's shoes as a result. "Hehehehahaha, did you see her face Kaa-chan?" Naruto asked with laughter. Kushina chuckled darkly. The sight of the woman's blood running along the chains slowly sated her.

"Hai Sochi, that was the best part dattebane! But looks we have more playmates. Play with them sochi! Let's see if they want to play too!" Kushina replied. Naruto swiftly nodded before looking. The chain, like it was sentient, flicked the blood off it's body before it continued circling around Naruto's body, rather…sensually. Naruto raised one foot and stepped over the female corpse without a second thought.

"Ne, nii-chans, nee-chans, wanna play with me? Let's have fun, dattebayo!" Naruto replied. The inmates shivered. This kid, did this kid just realize that he had killed a former leader of one of the nation's largest prostitution rings? And why was he laughing? Something was wrong. No scratch that, everything was wrong. Some took a step back. Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Ehh, we're not going to play? No, play with me and Kaa-chan. Play with me and Kaa-chan!" Naruto shouted angrily.

"Kuso, fuck this! That kid is dead!" one person said wrapping a kunai with an explosion tag. He then precisely threw it aiming it for the blonde's skull. Ibiki swallowed the lump in his throat as a resounding explosion stretched through the chamber. The place where Naruto stood was covered in smoke. The man who threw the kunai took a step back in relief. In fact everyone did. However that only proved to be a mistake. Without warning a whet chain blasted in almost unseen speed. everyone gasped as the chain pierced itself into the man's stomach region and forcefully expunged itself through the back. The chain the proceeded to wrap the man from head to two just like a snake before lifting him into the air. Demented laughter filled the room, it's brokenness driving even those deemed to be inhumane towards the true precipice of darkness, lunacy, and instability.

"Hey get me down from here! Argh!" The man shouted. Some were actually more than ready to help him before they saw the chain ignite in gloriously hot orange flames. They covered the man's body. His deafening screams came outward for everyone to hear, but none could move to help him. "Get it off! Get it off! Help me! Put it out! It burns!" He shrieked over and over as people watched the gruesome scene unfold. After the laughter came a chilling voice.

"Rensa Maisō: Kasō( Chain Burial: Inferno)," the voice uttered. Three more chains bursted from the smoke and wrapped around the burning man's frame. Over and over they wrapped his arms, hands, legs and neck until…the retracted. The snapping of bones was apparent before the man was pulled apart in two his blood washing over his former inmates. Everyone widened their eyes. Some even raised their hands to their faces in disbelief. It was falling like rain. It fell like…there was a storm outside.

The smoke cleared and everyone noticed Naruto was covered by a small wall that comprised itself of at least ten or so more chains in length. "Kill them sochi," where the only words that Kushina uttered. A dark red chakra tail appeared from her backside while her hair began to wave itself in the air. Kushina hissed.

The chains released their protective barrier from around Naruto's body. Naruto snickered as his body school left and right. "You tried to hurt Kaa-chan. No one hurts Kaa-chan!" Naruto bellowed. "Kuso, kill this damn brat!" one person ordered and one by one men and women were brought out of their stupors. Soon a rain of kunai came flying towards Naruto's person. Kushina looked at the onslaught with a frown. She placed her will over the chains. Five chains rose into the air. Spinning around rapidly they clashed with the kunai knocking each away with deadly precision sending them to various points in the room. However no one relented, some just continued throwing whatever they could get their damn hands on, but the chains blocked them all keeping them at a certain reach from their prize. Naruto and Kushina just laughed hysterically at the entire thing.

"Kuso, can't one hit this damn brat?!" asked one of the inmates. They couldn't keep throwing shit at him. They would run out eventually. They would all have to think of something. Nonetheless….Naruto and Kushina got another one swiftly snapping her neck and dropping her to the ground before she could even blink. One chain coated itself in lightning chakra before dashing forward slamming itself the head of various death row inmates sending them to the ground instantly.

"We've got to do something!" a woman cried before she rolled to the side and away from the incoming chains. So much malice. For Naruto there was so much malice and so much blood. It was too much, it was so much. So fun. So good. It couldn't end here!

"Stand aside. Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu( Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)," one criminal shouted and with an exhale blasted a large fireball in Naruto's direction. Naruto watched the incoming fire before chains blasted from the ground and bashed into the fire. The criminal widened his eyes as he noticed his flames getting smaller and smaller. If a Hyuuga were there, they would have noticed the chakra being drained from the fire by the chains reducing it into nothingness. Naruto and Kushina merely looked amused.

"Kaa-chan wants something more exciting!" Naruto replied. Everyone stood surprised at the action. Naruto merely cackled rather painfully as he arched back, his maddening laughter a taunt to what everyone's intentions were. Just him. They just had to beat him and they were free, so…why was it looking hopeless?

In the upper room, one shinobi quickly hunched over and wretched into a bucket. Other merely turned away. Ibiki? He wasn't faring so well. The man merely tried to tough it out, but even he wasn't emotionless entirely. This could not be what Konoha was about? There was no 'Will of Fire' here. There was no peace or fairness here. There was nothing, but…madness. And the worst of it, both Tsubaki and Danzo merely stood there watching without a damn care in the world. Ibiki grounded his nails into his skin through his fists. He would remember this.

"No! No! please! Save me! Save me! I don't want to die!"one man shouted as a chain wrapped around his leg. He clung desperately with his arms to one of his fellow inmates. "Let me go you fucker. Get off me!" the fellow inmate shouted as he kicked the man in the face. The chains aggressively pulled at his body. One wrapped around his neck and the others wrapped around his shoulder.

"Please, no! Please don't leave me!" He cried in tears before he was pulled away. Being raised into the air. He hovered over the field while Naruto closed his palm. Kushina maneuvered the chains as they pulled the man's legs apart tearing them as his body fell to the ground. Crying the man whimpered. Naruto titled his head to the side. "Nii-chan broke, dattebayo," Naruto spoke. A single chain hovered over the man's forehead before it launched itself down with enough force to crush his skull. Naruto smiled widely. Kushina cooed.

"Be happy sochi," Kushina replied. The expression in her broken features was easy to distinguish as merriment watching her son so happy and free. In response to his happiness and joy, Kushina was happy as well. This was her purpose, all of it. Nothing else mattered, not even Minato Namikaze. He was probably having a fun time within the belly of the Shinigami. Don't worry Minato, Kushina was keeping their….no, her son safe. That's right, he was her son, no one else's. "I will always care for you Sochi. After all, you're mine," Kushina said with a wide smile.

Blood. There was blood everywhere. Limbs scattered about left and right. Ever for a place as high up as the one-sided see-through window there were blood stains. How? How could a lone child be capable of this? How had Konoha created this…this….insanity? Yes, this had to be Konoha's punishment. "Enough," Ibiki murmured. It would have to live with this mistake, this result of its past. Why did this come to past? Surely the boy's parents were turning in their graves. One lone criminal remained. "N-No, please. Spare me. Have mercy!" He pleaded as he dropped his weapon to the ground with a clash. He wanted nothing anymore. He just wanted to go back to his cell. He just wanted to get away from this.

"Nii-chan please play more with Kaa-chan. She's lonely. She wants to play," Naruto said innocently. The chains slithered tauntingly towards the cowering man. His face contorted in fear and depression. So fast. The visions of his life were going by so fast. He couldn't handle them all. He could see where he made so many errors in his life. With his wife, his two kids, and with his murders. He had been in the wrong. He had been in the wrong for so long. Alright, he understood it now! He was sorry! He wouldn't do things like those anymore! Please, Kami-sama just…done let him go this way.

Even now the chains clanked across the floor mockingly. Naruto flicked his tongue around his lips before settling it back inside his mouth. As Naruto's impending form got bigger and bigger, the pressure of his chakra was overwhelming. So much anger, unstable rage, sorrow, depression, hatred, aggression, and pleasure all wrapped in one expression.

After a few more steps, Naruto stood before the quivering man. Leaning forward, Naruto grabbed the man by his face and pulled him so close their eyes might as well have been touching. "Can you feel it? It's here for you. It wants you. She's coming for you Nii-chan. Spider, spider on the wall, you love to eat your flies, now rest for the fly will no longer be tall. Hehehehehahaahaha!" Naruto laughed in his victim's face. The blonde's trembling might as well have been sporadic now. The man whimpered helplessly as Kushina's chains slowly came in for the final kill.

"Naruto-kun, game over! You win!" Naruto stopped the chains just inches from the man's face. "Win? Handler-oneechan, it was just getting fun! Look he's so cold. I just wanted to heat him up!" Naruto said energetically as he turned around to see Tsubaki right behind him.

"That's enough Naruto-kun. The game is over. We can go home now," Tsubaki replied. Naruto seemed utterly displeased for a split second before the smile overtook his features once again. The chains slowly disappeared as shinobi and kunoichi alike came on the scene. Ibiki appeared out of the door and walked over the death row inmate. He had never seen a more pathetic display. The man was curled up into a ball shivering, quivering, trembling, stuttering, overall a mess of the former criminal that he once was. "Put a blanket on him and take him away. Grant him his papers and in a week let him go free," Ibiki said staring down at the man.

"But sir, he's in line for execution," one of the officers reported. "Don't argue with me! Just do as your told!" Ibiki growled out fiercely. The jonin quickly gave him a salute before he helped the weeping man to his feet. As he stood to his feet everyone noticed the wet spot on the floor. No one commented, it wouldn't have been right. The jonin took the inmate away, down one of the halls, never to be seen again. Ibiki watched them both until they disappeared. His mind was racing. Turning around, Ibiki noticed Tsubaki talking with Naruto about something as she wiped the blood off his face with a towel. He walked over to them.

"A lot of that was unnecessary Uzumaki," Ibiki replied, his hands in his pockets. Naruto turned to him before he blinked his bright, broken eyes. A lotta ice! A lotta cream! A lotta ice cream, dattebayo!" Naruto replied with his arms open out wide. Ibiki frowned. He couldn't look at this. It was too much. He just…couldn't be in this type of presence. One would think that when you were the Head of the Interrogation department then you specialized in getting this result, breaking a person down until they told you what you wanted to know, but this was so much worse. This was merely being broken down for the sake of being broken, there was no purpose here other than pain.

"Is he hurt?" Ibiki asked. Tsubaki closed her eyes for just a brief second. "No I do believe that he is well for the most part," Tsubaki replied. Ibiki slowly nodded in understanding.

Suddenly, even more so without warning, Ibiki punched Tsubaki across the face. Some of the jonin who were cleaning up the room gasped as Tsubaki fell to the floor with a heavy thud. Ibiki looked at her. Silence was the only thing present in the air. Naruto laughed slightly to himself while Tsubaki picked herself up. Danzo had just seen the action out of the corner of his eye. An intriguing development.

Okay that had not been one of Tsubaki's finest moments. Morino Ibiki had always been someone who could hide his intention rather well, even from the most talented Anbu. Tsubaki hadn't even sensed the attack coming until it came into contact with her face knocking her to the ground. As expected of the head of the Interrogation department. He had a mean left hook. Tsubaki leaned up and rubbed her cheek. A drip of blood flowed from her bottom lip. Tsubaki wiped it off before looking up to see Ibiki looking down at her with a look that she seldom recognized. There was utter disdain and disapproval in his eyes.

"Never set foot in my department again. So help me if it's not an order from Hokage-sama then I will kill the instant your intentions are confirmed. Now get out!" Ibiki replied icily. Tsubaki frowned. This had been…unexpected. Tsubaki hadn't been expecting such a violent reaction from the usually stoic Morino Ibiki. Tsubaki had slowly picked herself up. "I do not remember the times where I had to acquiesce to your orders, Morino Ibiki," Tsubaki said. She heard the sound of footsteps. Looking forward she noticed Ibiki was immediately at eye level with her.

"I am not a saint. I will never profess to be one. The things I have done have been bad and they are things I will take with me to my grave. However I have never broken someone down to…that. Look at him. Look at him!" Ibiki urged. Tsubaki took a deep breath before glancing over to Naruto's person. Ibiki followed her eyes. Both noticed Naruto looking at the disembodied limbs splattered across the floor. His pupils actually trembled excitedly in his eye sockets. The blood on his hands seemed to further stimulate his senses. The entire room smelled of death and decay.

"Decay? De-candy!" Naruto quickly shouted at nothing in particular. He quickly fell back in laughter of his own joke which his mother followed in as well. Tsubaki turned back to Ibiki. "This is the mission. The only that that matters is the mission. I do not care about your thoughts of me, but Hokage-sama has trusted me with this and I will get it done. No matter the cost," Tsubaki replied. Ibiki quickly frowned before he grabbed Tsubaki's jonin vest and pulled her close.

"Then let me tell you something right now. You had better walk carefully around me. I will kill you if you set foot in my department again. Konoha has no need for things worse than scum," Ibiki replied. Tsubaki's eyes flared for a second in some type of anger, but it didn't stop as Ibiki leaned close to her ears. He imparted words not heard to the anyone else. However Tsubaki balled her fists once Ibiki backed away.

"Now take him and get out of here. I have to clean this place up," Ibiki commented. He walked away leaving Tsubaki in the middle of the room. Tsubaki looked at the ground in anger. Quickly taking a glance back to the person she was supposed to be handling, Tsubaki widened her eyes. Naruto leaned over and poked one of the corpses.

"I broke nii-chan, Handler-oneechan. Kaa-chan, we played too hard with him dattebayo," Naruto said. Tsubaki clenched her fists. What was she doing? Tsubaki didn't know anymore. With a small sigh, Tsubaki grabbed Naruto's body into her arms. "Let's go home Naruto-kun. You need a bath," Tsubaki replied. Naruto giggled in response. Kushina on the other hand was a different story. The redhead walked up and down the walls of the mindscape. Her eyes dilated and fill. What could give a mother more pleasure than protecting her son? Nothing.

"Tick tock, tick tock, the clock winds down. There is a child with a lasting frown….," Naruto spoke. Kushina sniggered as she looked at the ceiling. "Keep him safe. Keep him near. I've got something for you to fear," Kushina finished before she jumped from her spot and fell into the water below. Her body slowly vanished into nothingness.

---

KG: And I guess I'm done. There had been a study by some german scientist that insanity was more than just a matter of perspective. He had theorized that it could be controlled and manipulated to a certain situation. He thought that if say a person, who reacts to the different situations, with the same stimuli then he figured that it was actually a way of increasing the brain capacity of a person by selecting and deselecting memories and or thoughts. It was actually overly complicated, but that is the gist of it.

KG: Something to be said, yes Tsubaki is that way. It's not…entirely her fault that she is the way she is as I wrote her out. Originally I had planned on Naruto taking a mission out of the village, but that wouldn't have made much sense to me just yet. Certain things need establishing before doing anything else.

Naruto: KG, why did you stop?

KG: Ah sorry Naruto. So apparently the best way to calm a mentally unstable jinchuuriki is…an ear massage.

Naruto: ZZzzzz.

KG: Wow, just yesterday this little guy had me hanging over a vat of boiling oil. This is what my life has come to. Ugh.

KG: In any case, a shout out to some people with good insane quotes I could use. It was fun.

KG: In any case, that's all guys. Stay Breezy, protect what's important to you, review, and SEND ME CREAM SODA!

Naruto: I'll kill you KG if you don't stop shouting.

KG: Also RESPECT THE DAMN CREAM!

Naruto: I warned you.