Rise from the Dark, Step from the Shadow Chapter: Ch 18, a naruto fanfic

Author note:

Kay, I'm back. So... I know it's been a month and I'd be surprised if anyone still cared for this story, but I will finish it even if it takes another six months.(It's probably help if I posted more than once a month ^.^)

I found it interesting to see even when I'm not posting some people stumble across this story, see a little(ok a lot) of Naruto's fluff with Hinata before I had Naruto kill her and just leave. I also thought I never get a good beta(#respectRoanesSteel) or get more than five reviews.

So I am going make one doozy of a chapter. Nine thousand words or bust. (Nine tails hehe)

I'm gonna die trying. :)

Ps: This story is very Au so my Tsukuyomi works differently and also the time-lines are messed with, people arrived in some places earlier and some people have different pasts than what they did in canon Naruto.

Quote: If I was a flock of birds, I'd be a murder. If I spoke my mind, some would say I'm cawing. But I'll have you know, even crows want family.

Recap: I wished for so many things... and I couldn't have any of them. (T'was Kushina who said this)

Chapter: Ch. 18 Clash between the Wind and Lightning

The new chapter:

A few leaves fluttered ominously over my head. I had never been one to enjoy looking at nature. But at this moment, I wish I was as free as those leaves. Able to flutter away and become part of something bigger as I became nutrients for the trees. Even these sparse mountain trees still had leaves to let loose of.

"Pay attention brat. I'm gonna teach you why I'm a kage!" A raged.

A leaf indeed.

I jumped upwards dodging a lightning fast punch from A, his fist skinning my scalp as I back-flipped. His speed had seemed to multiplied upon it's self by a factor of ten! I myself was exhausted having not only having to fight to kage level duo and a women who could easily be a jonin, but use high end techniques and the Kyuubi's blasted chakra.

"I grow tired of your company, A. Raikage or not, I have killed many men of your type of caliber. Orochimaru just to name one."

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHEN I'M DONE, YOU'LL BE A BAG OF BROKEN BONES AND YOU'LL SPILL EVERY LITTLE FACT YOUR STUPID HEAD HOLDS!"

A attempted another quick attack, my lagging body straining to fight on the level of the gods of the ninja world. I was too slow and was blasted backwards. My head slamming against a rock. I struggled to my feet, my vision swimming. Brute strength and speed was my opponent's strengths. His weaknesses that I could discern was that he gets slight tunnel vision when moving at the speeds his body was reaching and his short temper.

I had to use these things against him.

The yondaime Raikage once more unleash another subsonic attack, my muscles unable to properly dodge his powerful strikes. His hammer of an arm was thrust it's perilous way against my sternum and I took flight once more.

"Is this all you have A? I thought that a kage was supposed to be strong? Was I mistaken? Should I ask Samui to return? She was putting up more of a fight then you." I insulted.

Another couple of painful hits launched me around the surroundings, my bones snapping under A's onslaught and reattaching themselves in a frantic pace to heal themselves after the damage wrought by the previous dozens of attacks.

"I'M THE GOD DAMN YONDAIME RAIKAGE, GAKI! FUCKING REMEMBER IT! DON'T DOWN TALK ME! I'M NOT SOME DAMN GENIN LOSER WHO LOST HIS TEAM TO SOME KONOHA SCUM!" A roared, some memories having been brought out by the insults and the worry over his brother B most likely the cause.

"Is that what happened, A? Did your puny little friends get killed by the superior ninja. Did you get to be the poor sap to survive your friends' deaths? I wish I was there to see you become enraged by your inadequacy and weaknesses. I bet the Konoha shinobi laughed when you attempted to kill them."

"SHUT UP! LEAVE TOMO-CHAN AND TSUKUNE OUT OF THIS! THEY ARE IN A BETTER PLACE NOW! SENJI-SENSEI SAID SO!"

"Ah! That's what happened. Your little crush died along with your best friend. Or was he your rival? Doesn't matter. The little whore probably loved this 'Tsukune' huh? Then when she went and died, died knowing she was leaving your jealous heart alive with her 'Tsukune' and then just to spite you, Tsukune died too? Then this 'Senji-Sensei' tried to console you, right? Just perfect. The Raikage is a weak little pissheart in love with a dead bitch!"

The Raikage roared as he littered thousand of more blows on my body, his rage only slightly weakening his power. Due to the Kyuubi, regardless of how weak I was at the moment, my wounds and broken body healing at a faster rate than the Raikage could injure me.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP! TOMO-CHAN AND TSUKUNE WERE BETTER THAN THAT! THEY DIDN'T HATE ME! WE WERE FRIENDS! SENJI-SENSEI ENDED THE SCUM KONOHA SHINOBI WHO HURT THEM! I BURIED THEIR BODIES! I KNOW THAT THEY DIDN'T HATE ME! BESIDES, I HAD B! MY BROTHER WAS STILL THERE AND SENJI-SENSEI!"

"Is that so? Then what did my mutilation of your brother's mind by my genjutsu do? Nothing at all? Hehehe. He will never come back, his mind is broken. Months of torture in the span of seconds by yours truly. You have nothing left. A weak village, no friends or loved ones. You are nothing."

The Raikage suddenly stopped with his attacks, standing stock still. His eyes wide. Words tumbled from his mouth, almost incomprehensible. This god simply standing still, unmoving, muttering to himself, "You are nothing, you are nothing, you are nothing..."

I slowly moved out from under the large muscly man and removed a kunai from my pouch. This wasn't the way that I thought I'd kill the man, but everything is a shinobi's tool, even psychological warfare.

I inched forward and then as fast as my tired body allowed, slashed the blade cleanly through the Raikage's neck. His body fell forward, his life's blood soaking the hard earth. I could see his mouth forming words. I moved my ear closer.

"Tomo-chan, I'm coming. Telling Senji-Sensei and Tsukune that I'm coming. Tell them that I'm... coming..."

The final breath escaped the Raikage's mouth. I bent closer and closed his eyes. Even in my weakened state, I knew to show respect. I ripped a cloth from the Raikage's clothes and tied it over the slit in the man's neck.

Then I moved away to walk. I hadn't even made it a hundred yards away before my body gave out. I collapsed into the thin underbrush that was nearby. My feet still were stuck out and completely able to be seen. But I couldn't move my body. So it would have to do as my camouflage.

I was just about to lose my self to unconsciousness when I heard a sound. Footsteps? I couldn't really tell from where I was.

"Naughty Birdie's song is made..."

A song? Why would someone be singing in this area?

"….by pecking holes in trees..."

Once more the strange lyrics broke the silence and touched my ears.

"...willows, cedars, sycamores..."

The trees and leaves of the fire.

"...and proud oaks reduced to cheese..."

Burned to cinders by my hand.

"...woodland gods, all in a huff..."

A family that isn't.

"...have forever cursed your naughty beak..."

I need not them and they need not me.

"...what it pecks, it poisons now;..."

I... don't poison things do I?

"…..your food, your nest even your young..."

I don't have any of those things.

"…..your friends now all fear you..."

What friends?

"…..But your tears ring clearly through the wood..."

I will never cry again.

"...even as they taint the dew..."

My sadness shouldn't affect anything, when I have nothing.

"...such a sad, sad, little birdy..."

Emotions are trivial, aren't they?

"….Maybe one day this song will lift the curse

and set you free."

But, do I want to be free?

…...The Raikage POV...

I felt rage build within me as B's body fell to the ground. I wasn't going to lose another friend, much less a brother!

"Pay attention brat. I'm gonna teach you why I'm a kage!" I said, cockily.

This little shit was going down. Even if he had some skill, neither I nor B had been fighting seriously and Samui seemed to be holding back against the fucker for some reason.

"I grow tired of your company, A. Raikage or not, I have killed many men of your type of caliber. Orochimaru just to name one."

The little flash look alike just insulted me! I was a kage for a reason, not just some Konoha trash that ran away from their village Orochimaru was. The stupid Sannin was just a relic from a different time who had gone power hungry, not an actual threat.

"YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHEN I'M DONE, YOU'LL BE A BAG OF BROKEN BONES AND YOU'LL SPILL EVERY LITTLE FACT YOUR STUPID HEAD HOLDS!"

I launched forward and punched the little bastard, his body being blasted backwards by my strength. The blond kid's head slammed against a rock when he landed. I hoped very much that it had hurt the little shit. I launched forward again and punished the kid with a punch to the chest sending him flying once more. When the kid landed he spoke.

"Is this all you have A? I thought that a kage was supposed to be strong? Was I mistaken? Should I ask Samui to return? She was putting up more of a fight then you."

I growled at the insults. I felt my anger flare and I unleashed several more powerful combos. Unbidden as I attacked, memories of my old genin team appeared in the forefront of mind. I credited to the worry for my brother.

"I'M THE GOD DAMN YONDAIME RAIKAGE, GAKI! FUCKING REMEMBER IT! DON'T DOWN TALK ME! I'M NOT SOME DAMN GENIN LOSER WHO LOST HIS TEAM TO SOME KONOHA SCUM!"

I barked the insult without thinking. Everything was sort of a red haze now, like I had been hit with a genjutsu but I had used my chakra to rid myself any periodically after seeing what the blond kid could do.

"Is that what happened, A? Did your puny little friends get killed by the superior ninja. Did you get to be the poor sap to survive your friends' deaths? I wish I was there to see you become enraged by your inadequacy and weaknesses. I bet the Konoha shinobi laughed when you attempted to kill them."

More memories came, that of simpler times, the likes of when Tomo-chan and Tsukune were alive and Senji-Sensei was the most powerful ninja I knew. Then darker memories, when Tomo-chan and Tsukune were brutally cut down by the Konoha Shinobi in the second shinobi world war.

"SHUT UP! LEAVE TOMO-CHAN AND TSUKUNE OUT OF THIS! THEY ARE IN A BETTER PLACE NOW! SENJI-SENSEI SAID SO!"

I felt more than noticed the red haze over my mind thicken. My thoughts seemed to slow, only the intense rage I felt for the child... no that was too innocent of a term for my foe, the man I was facing increase.

I released even more of my chakra as I rained thousands of blows on the man I was facing. Every hit seemed to do little as bruises and broken bones that I caused seemed to just fade away. The kid seemed invincible.

You are nothing... you are nothing... you are nothing.

The words seem to resonate within my mind, forcing it back to those horrid moments of Tomo-chan's and Tsukune's deaths. When during the war, we had been captured when Senji-Sensei was fighting some shinobi. Then the masked Konoha Shinobi had tied up myself and Tsukune and each took a turn passing around Tomo-chan. Each man had used her like a dirty little slut who was worth nothing more than to be used as a cum bucket.

Then they slit her throat while holding our eyes open to watch. Her sullied body spasmed as it bled out, the soft blue eyes begging for help for which none would come. Then they did the same to Tsukune, brutally using him just as they had used Tomo-chan. Then like Tomo-chan, his throat was slit too. But before they, the evil men that they were, could deal the same fate to me, Senji-Sensei appeared.

In a battle that seemed to last ages but was nothing more than a few minutes, Senji-Sensei killed every last man and woman there. Nearly two dozen jonin, by himself. But Senji-Sensei was fatally wounded. His last words used to not leave a message for his children or wife, but to console me. I buried their bodies, the whole while promising that Konoha would lose everything and that it's people would burn.

My body felt weak again. I felt like a green genin once more. Those words that the blond kid said had been the very same that the enemy ninja had told Tomo-chan and Tsukune and myself during our capture and torment.

I couldn't move. The movement of the blond kid was lost to me as I wallowed in my memories and misery. The words then began to leave my own mouth, "You are nothing, you are nothing, you are nothing..."

I then felt a sharp pain touch my neck before something wet begin to spill on my neck and chest. But I didn't care, even as my body hit the ground. I could see a white light, and standing in it was Tomo-chan and Tsukune and even Senji-Sensei. They were all there waiting for me, Tomo-chan's small hands beckoning me.

I tried to speak but it was difficult. I finally drew the strength to speak, "Tomo-chan, I'm coming. Telling Senji-Sensei and Tsukune that I'm coming. Tell them that I'm... coming..."

As I said this, I continued to crawl towards them. I would get to seem them again.

…...Naruto's POV once more...

I groggily opened my eyes to a dark room. It reminded myself slightly of a prison cell. Even if I had wanted to spring to my feet, I was too tired. I couldn't even try to see if anyone else was in the room.

"Morning, Sleepyhead! I got snacks!"

What... what was that. I finally coalesced enough strength to turn my head and look at the other person in the room.

"Who are you?" I questioned the albino haired girl.

"You don't remember me?" a frown overtook the girl's expression before returning to a smile, "It's me, your bestest buddy, Shiro!"

Shiro... it sounded familiar, but I couldn't remember the girl at all.

"I'm sorry, Shiro was it? I don't recall knowing you," I answered truthfully.

The girl's facial expression dropped again before rising once more to a smile.

"That's okay! We can still be bestest buddies anyway!"

I suddenly felt tired again and slowly drifted back off into sleep.

…...

It was like this for the next couple of days. I would awake for a few moments, Shiro would converse with me and try to get me to remember her. I would talk some with her and discuss what little I could with her childish mind before once more falling asleep.

This Shiro character was truly crazy though. She seemed bipolar too the max and constantly tried to get to play with her or even just remember her. Or share snacks with her. It was very strange. But I couldn't really judge. For most of my life I had multiple personalities sealed in my body and I even still had one permanent one plus an omnipotent fox demon seductress thing living in my mind.

But if nothing else, the girl was kind and diligent. She wouldn't leave my side half the time I was awake and if she did it was to get more 'snacks' as she called it. The snacks were nothing more than some type of pudding that I didn't remember ever being sold in Konoha.

It was on the day that I was finally strong enough to actually get up and move that the wretched egg showed itself.

…...

I slowly sat up and looked around. Shiro was nowhere in sight. I extended my senses. Nothing. I slowly moved to my clothing across the room and redressed myself. I was leaving this place. I didn't know where I'd go, but this wasn't the place I was going to stay.

Just as I was about to hop out one of the few windows this place had, I heard the door swing open and against my better judgment looked over to the door.

"Where are you going, Naruto? Naruto is not strong enough to leave yet. Too many big meanies out there!" She said as she rushed over to my position. In the process, she dropped the pudding she had in her hand.

"Shiro. I'm not weak and I'm not staying here. Wherever here happens to be. I still have a mission to do and I can't complete it here," I answered.

"But Naruto, you aren't strong enough. You need to stay here where Shiro can protect you!"

Shiro then latched onto one of my hands with the silly mitts she had over her hands. I quickly ripped away my hand and in the process, accidentally removed a mitt.

Shiro suddenly stopped moving.

"The lullaby stopped."

"The what stopped?" I asked.

Then the strangest smile took over Shiro's face. Large and far to fake to be real.

"You're not going anywhere, Naruto. I'm afraid Shiro is far to fond of you from those few meetings between yourself and her as a child."

That was strange. Shiro's voice had completely changed along with her demeanor. Her voice was more silky, and she seemed to move around like a coiled snake.

"You most likely don't remember much of it, Danzo and Itachi did too good of a job on the mental work that even your body's other passengers wouldn't remember it. But you and Shiro were part of a little project called simply, 'Deadmen'. It was based off of an earlier project started by the previous owner of your blade Kusanagi. The project was made to make it where Shinobi and Kunoichi would be able to wield their own blood. Sounds powerful don't it?

To end your little confused state over there, you and Shiro were only two of the dozen of successful cases that were part of this program. The program of course only used the orphans who no one would remember or search for and those children that were powerful and easy to acquire such as yourself. I mean two parents who ignore you and a village that hates you. Quite simple.

During that time that you supposedly trained yourself, or Itachi trained you, were fake memories placed by Danzo and Itachi. In truth you and Shiro were under not only training but many tests. Sadly, while it seems you can no longer wield blood, you are still powerful in the other things taught to you... and it even seems you have Itachi's Sharingan. But just because you are powerful and have a couple victories doesn't make you strong.

If you can beat me, I'll let you go. But if you can't. Well, then it's Shiro's decision and she is very fond of her only and 'bestest' buddy."

Suddenly, Shiro slit small cuts along her arms before unleashing her blood. The blood slowly moved and then coalesced as a glowing orb of blood above her palm. Before I could even blink, the orb turned into several dozen thin slices and flew faster than I could react next to me. The blood blades knocked me around with controlled explosions and before I knew it I was on the ground, losing consciousness.

"It appears you lose. The name's Wretched Egg by the way. I'm your new sensei."

Shiro then blinked and her normal demeanor returned.

"The lullaby is back. Oh... Naruto, you're hurt!"

Then just like that, I was unconscious again.

…...

After that meeting with the Wretched Egg, several followed. Every time I tried to escape, unfailingly the 'lullaby' would stop, and an impromptu lesson would start with the Wretched Egg. To be honest, I enjoyed the meetings. A conversation with someone who truly understood my position in this world and someone powerful who was willing to teach me with only one requirement. Be Shiro's friend.

This requirement would actually prove less a chore and more of something I liked. Shiro was kind, playful, and actually not to bad of a person. I found myself enjoying spending the time I was force too with her. That didn't mean I wouldn't slit her throat if I had too. I just felt less inclined.

But there was some negatives to this boon. I still didn't know where I was. The large facility that Shiro and I shared seem to largely be in ruin as well. I wasn't allowed to even go outside. It also wasn't so peachy for me mentally. The Kyuubi and my Yami were quite pissed when they found out about the brain washing of sorts. So they both went on an exodus through my brain for these memories. They still hadn't found them, but they enjoyed causing me great mental pain as they searched.

Really at this point, I just wanted to leave and go find Minato, so I could kill him. I mean, really what was holding me back. I didn't really care if I survived the battle. I had killed A who was supposed to be Minato's rival in just about everything and just as strong as Minato. It was rather suckish.

…...Tsunade's POV...

The Senju clan compound was in ruins. Not that there had been much left of one considering I had sold most of it sense I was technically the last Senju and I didn't need forty different homes that were built for families ranging form three people to ten people. All that was left at this point was about six or so buildings and a shrine to pray to my ancestors.

But I didn't care. I wanted Naruto back. I needed my little Nawaki. How else could I protect my Dan unless he was safely in my arms.

I needed the release from being without a man for so long. I needed to hold my younger brother and ensure that he would be safe. I had to protect my only son from the dangers of the world and make sure that the Senju would live on by living through his life and his children.

But I first needed to know where he was and to gain more power. So I had spent weeks after he had left tearing apart my compound for every last Senju technique, for every little scrap of power.

My training had the rather bad effect of destroying my clan's last remaining homes but they could be rebuilt. But one good effect was that it helped me follow my Hokage's wish of strengthening up the villages power and defenses.

That's all that seemed to be happening nowadays. Every Shinobi in this village either seemed to be training, sleeping, in the hospital, or on a mission. At this point it was a surprise to see any genin even doing a d-ranked mission. The low ranked missions seemed to be picked up by the dozens by the genin teams and left little for the non-early birds.

It was almost like Konaha was preparing for war. But if nothing else, it was boosting the economy for not only Konoha, but all of fire country. With Konoha's Shinobi becoming so much more powerful and then in turn making more cash flow into Hi no Kuni, everyone's lives were turning for the better. More and more jobs were coming from other countries, especially the smaller ones.

With this mass influx of skill and cash, the other five nations were doing all they could just to maintain their regular cash flow and power. They simply didn't have the extra capital that Konoha had to be able to prepare themselves to match the power Konoha was now building. All in all, war wouldn't be on the horizon for a while. Kumo was still lamenting the loss of two powerful Shinobi the death of their kage and the comatose state in which their strongest jinchuuriki was placed in. Kiri was still embroiled in the throws of civil war and Suna had already been stagnating before Konoha had begun building up their military.

That only left Iwa. Iwa was stuck with a different problem over all. Their economy was fine and their soldiers were strong. Overall, it was probably the only country that could possibly fight Konoha at this point. No, Iwa's problem wasn't weak military or bad economy. It was the leaders, or more specifically the Tsuchikage.

The kage of Iwa was known as "Onoki the Fence-Sitter" for a reason. The man while old was still very much a power house in his own right. But the man had the mentality that his country should be isolated from just about everything. Trade, treaties, and definitely war. Due this complete lack contact with anyone other than itself, Iwa was left fearful of the world and arrogant.

But it also made so that Iwa would never be the one to instigate or start any wars and would help the old kage Onoki dig a hole that he didn't see coming. A sad fate for a sad country.

I shook my head. Politics shouldn't be the forefront of my thoughts. Just Naruto.

…...Narumi's POV...

Left, right, crouch, jump, counterattack, don't overextend, remain aware of the surroundings, back up.

I repeated that mantra as I practiced a new kata my mother had shown me. To my left, her approving eye roved over my perspiring form as I laid waste to invisible enemies. In the weeks that Naruto-kun had left after he had kill Hinata, I had trained. Even when my body collasped I practiced chakra control and when my tenketsu couldn't even emit chakra I simply thought. I tried to sharpen my mind into the blade my brother would want by his side. At this point, I had given up on father ever fixing anything so I would join Naruto-kun's side by being his blade. I would fight for him and do what he wished. Then maybe he would give me his love.

But I needed strength first. So I trained. I had quickly gotten a firm grasp on how to use my mother's chakra chains and now had an extreme excellence in using them. I also learned more on ninjutsu, taijutsu, and kenjutsu. That's where my focus was. To apply master swordsmanship in junction with my chains to be the proverbial shield and spear Naruto-kun needed.

I know what Naruto-kun wanted at this point. He wanted father's death and... and I would help him if he required it. But I needed the power to back up my love and the mentality and fortitude to prove it. I know now that I was childish and stupid, and that was what lead to me ruining what I could have had with my brother.

But I would fix it now. I would train, become able to stand with him, and help the only man that I would ever want to be with accomplish his dreams. I wouldn't let my mistakes keep me down or little words stop me from making myself great. I would become strong enough to join Naruto-kun. Believe it.

…...Mikoto Uchiha POV...

I stared at the red orbs in the mirror. The two red orbs that were my sharingan. The small flecks of black that were the three tomoe that twirled around my eyes like a pinwheel. It was ever so very strange. Even now. Just staring in the mirror and just watching the black dots move in circles around my pupils. If I concentrated, I could even make them move faster until they were nothing more than a black circle surrounding my pupil or make them move so slow it almost looked like they were still.

These eyes were the bane of my family. Of my children Itachi, Sasuke, and Naruto. These pinwheels of despair had ruined so many lives. The lives of enemies and of family alike. If only this cursed bloodline had never existed.

It would have been better. This world, this very world would have been much better had the evil eyes of my clan had never came to be. But there was nothing I could do about these eyes but use them. Use them to change the curse and return my children to me.

I stared more into the mirror. Slowly my eyes morphed from a normal sharingan to the Mangekyo. The unique sharingan pattern that stared back still shocked me. In each eye was a part of a moon. My left eye held the smaller part, a waning sliver to be exact. My right held the waxing oval of a gibbous moon. The two parts seem to call for each other.

Their strangeness still shared a simpatico, a kindred-ness, to be one. But with these powerful eyes, I would bring back that which was mine.

Naruto would return to my loving arms, away from the insane bitch that Tsunade Senju was now and the poor fool Kushina had become. I would protect Naruto in the way that only a warrior mother of the Uchiha could. Through bloodshed and conquest. I may have forever lost Itachi and Sasuke was ever drifting away due to his obsession with avenging Itachi's murder and with his fixation on Narumi, Kushina's daughter.

But Naruto would be returned to me. I need at least one son to be able to love forever.

My plan was simple. With the powerful and only technique that my eyes provided when in this state I would be able to return Naruto to me. But I wouldn't be able to do that in the confines of this city. I would have to leave Konoha. But I would go to Naruto when I left. I would use the power given to me by these eyes and then Naruto would be mine.

This power. It was strange. It was the power to rewind time for any amount of time. But the problem was that even a simple minute of using the jutsu left myself completely bare of chakra. But Naruto had a literal battery of chakra in his stomach. Enough to turn back time to when Naruto was a mere baby.

Then, I would take Naruto, and Itachi, and Sasuke and take them from this place of debauchery. I would take us to a place where we would never be found. I would take them to some small country and then the four of us could live out a comfortable and safe life together, happy.

Yes. That was my plan. I would undo the cruel hand time had dealt to those I love and myself and I would do this with the help of young Naruto. It was for the betterment of his childhood, for Itachi's and Sasuke's, and it was for the world. To save it from the madness that possessed it now.

The war that was coming, the one I could feel in my gut, wouldn't be able to affect my family if my plan worked and my plan would succeed. I had lost simply to much in this world for it not too.

I let the chakra fade and my eyes return to normal. The time would come soon. The time would come.

…... Minato's POV...

I had done it. Konoha was on the up and up. My shinobi were far stronger than any of the other five great villages. Their chunin were my genin, their genin my academy students. My jonin were strong enough to fight a dozen of theirs and win.

But not only were my shinobi stronger, my villages economy had boomed. The preparation had sent the economy rising to heights that Hi no Kuni had never seen before. The jobs were almost just rolling in like food packed in carts being sent in to the city.

Everyone, even the poor, were making at least triple what everyone else in the elemental nations were acquiring. It was so very good, yet I couldn't help but be gloomy. I looked everywhere, watched for the littlest signs of cracks in Konoha's defenses or the catch that would ruin this seemingly golden age for Konoha. But I couldn't find it.

It had to be there. The sheer stress was turning my blond hair gray. A subtle difference, but definitely one that was not good. But I was a Hokage and with the guidance of two Sannin and the Sandaime Hokage, everything would be fine and... maybe Naruto would return seeking what he wants after I have found a good successor.

That would be the best. Then my village could have a better leader than I and my family could find peace. Maybe then Kushina would stop smoking and Narumi would stop crying. Maybe everyone in the village wouldn't hate my child for the beast in his stomach. Maybe things would settle and peace would reign in the elemental nations.

That's what is needed in these times. Just some peace and the advancement of humankind. Then the world can forget about bijus and war.

Then the world could forget.

…...Pein's POV...

The hunt was not going well. The Kyuubi's container had simply disappeared like dust. The two containers that Kumo held were being kept on a tight leash for fear of attack. Iwa had long ago lost their jinchuuriki and the two were nomad hermits of the highest order. Kiri's kage was the jinchuuriki of the Sanbi and was far to hard to get a hold of at the moment and Suna's jinchuuriki was on a shorter leash than Kumo's.

It was simply not going well at all.

The peace that I craved couldn't just be solved by pain. Even if I held all the power in the world, people would still hurt each other. Their fear wasn't going to be the only thing that stopped them from causing more pain. There needed to be understanding of one's place in life, happiness to wash away gloom, and a proper way to watch them all to stop any sort of rebellion.

That's why I followed Madara's crazy ideas. To trap the entire world in a genjutsu by the likes that no one has every seen. It would trap this world in eternal peace. This peace would allow happiness, it would make sure none ever rebel, and it would return those that shouldn't have died like Yahiko.

That's why I followed it. The pain that was caused in the process would be removed by the result. The lesser of two evils to gain the greater of two goods so to say.

That was why I followed it. Not because of some sick to gain revenge or still everyone's ability to think for their-selves. It's just when that very ability is misused by someone, there isn't much of a way to punish him. You kill that man, and another would seek revenge. A cycle of hatred that couldn't be ended. But if you don't punish the man, he will strike again and then those people who seek revenge for the person being hurt would start a cycle.

The cycle of hatred would always be started regardless of the actions taken or not taken to prevent it. But if you remove the ability of someone to be able to misuse it, then how could the cycle start.

You can't kill that which has never existed. A mind bender that I truly believe in. It was ever so fun to discuss it with Konan. To discuss the way we would fix things. The things we would do when everyone was safe and alive. When Yahiko was with us once more.

Then we could live happily. We could do anything, and the peace wouldn't be able to be disturbed because the ability to disturb it would be gone.

Then the world would have no use for pain or... Pein.

…...Naruto's POV...

"Shiro, why do you have so many scars?" I questioned.

"Uhm... OH! I remember Naruto! You see back when we weren't playing or snacking or sleeping or training, those weird people with the animal masks would do tests and try to unlock the blood powers and stuff! But they were big meanies and weren't careful or if they didn't get nice answers they used meanies methods," Shiro answered.

Meanie methods. A strange way to say torture but it works. I had found that not questioning things worked well for me while I was here. Though I still didn't know where here was.

"Eh, Shiro, where are we?"

"Oh, uh, well we are where the meanies sent me after they separated us back in the leaf place! I wanted to play more with you but they said you weren't coming here! The big meanies!" Shiro then proceeded to shove a large amount of pudding into her mouth and comically puffed her cheeks out.

It was strange. Her answers, if I took enough time to listen and carefully analyze them, were actually quite dark. They referenced the torture of having experiments done on her while awake with no anesthesia and some were quite invasive. Apparently I had gone through the same and had at one point been able to wield blood like Shiro's Wretched Egg could.

This ability to wield blood also seem very useful. To make one's blood a powerful weapon had so many uses I couldn't think of them all. If a shinobi was hurt, not only could they stop their blood from leaving their body and weaken them, but they can then use their wounds to their advantage. To surprise an enemy with an attack brought from their enemy's blood was simply extraordinary.

But then my thoughts would return to the pain that Shiro had gone through to gain the alter ego and the powers. For some strange reason, I didn't like the thought of Shiro being hurt. Another strange phenomena was that seeming ghost memories were plaguing me. Small fragmented memories of times I had once shared with Shiro had been popping into my head.

Some were simple, just sharing that ridiculous pudding Shiro loved. Others were more disturbing. Of painful experiments inflicted on us, our screams intermingling to create a cacophonous sound of doom and misery.

I shook my head to rid myself of my thoughts when I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Naruto... do you know what... a hug feels like? I remember sometimes when we were younger and had escaped to go to a park and seeing mommies hugging their kids. Did you ever have a mommy to hug you?"

"Actually... I had a real mother and then the women who gave birth to me. The woman who gave birth to me ignored to the point that I almost didn't exist. But Mikoto-san, she... gave me hugs every once in awhile. It's like... like when a warm breeze blows by and surrounds you. But it's less floaty. You can actually touch it and hold it as hard as you want. But, I almost never hugged back. I felt like I didn't deserve to. Why do you..."

I was suddenly assaulted by Shiro. But not in the combative way. I was very aware of Shiro's warm body hugging mine. Her skin tight suit with the strange red designs on them made her body heat much more acute to my senses in my ragged clothing.

I tentatively raised my arms and encircled Shiro... and that's it. We hugged. Warmth spread through the two of us in the cold cell like room that Shiro called her bedroom. Slowly Shiro started humming.

I struggled to recognize it before it hit me. I began to mumble the words, Shiro's humming

guiding me along.

"Naughty Birdie's song is made..."

The words made it from my mouth to the quiet room other than Shiro's humming.

"...by pecking holes in trees..."

The two of us almost seemed to sway to the soft music.

"...willows, cedars, sycamores..."

I couldn't really believe I was even singing it.

"...and proud oaks reduced to cheese..."

The words rolled off my tongue like I had sung it a thousand times. But I didn't remember this song... or did I? My memories were repressed by some method.

"...woodland gods, all in a huff..."

Slowly, I felt my head begin to pulse with an intense pain.

"...have forever cursed your naughty beak..."

The words wouldn't seem to stop pouring from my mouth has my head felt like it was being bashed repeatedly by a blunt rock. A very blunt rock.

"...what it pecks, it poisons now;..."

Then the memories came.

"...your food, your nest even your young..."

Thousands of hours of my life returned to me in the most painful way. All at once.

"...your friends now all fear you..."

The days when I could wield my blood. Of training. Of Shiro and the Wretched Egg.

"...But your tears ring clearly through the wood..."

Of Experiment after experiment. Of days when my body wouldn't stop aching.

"...even as they taint the dew..."

The only constant being my only friends, Shiro and Itachi.

"...such a sad, sad, little birdy..."

No wonder Itachi had me kill him. The man must have been drowning guilt.

"…...Maybe one day this song will lift the curse

and set you free."

As the song stopped, I fell from the hug gripping my head and screaming. The pain was at an all time high as every memory I had every had taken from me was forcibly returned. I don't remember what happened after wards. I just remember suddenly awaking in Shiro's bed, her arms circling me as she slept peacefully.

Heh, guessed she liked hugs even in her sleep.

…...Yami Naruto's POV...

This had been a game changer. My brother had so many memories to be looked through. If I could return the ability to use our blood as well... so many possibilities. But some credit for the Kyuubi was due.

If she hadn't been here, well, my brother might have never had these memories returned much less survive the returning of them. His brain was literally being fried as it was being regenerated. Kinda like watching an ice cube melt but have the melted water immediately return to being frozen just at the exact same time it was being melted.

Kinda of a bad similarity, but it was what I could think of at the moment.

It was actually very fun to rampage through brother's mind to search for those memories that even myself and Kyuubi were unaware of. To preview older memories in the process. To just completely wreck the place while we overturned ever corner to find these memories. Just total fun!

But Kyuubi was such a sourpuss the whole time. All she did was complain about how horny she was, how much she hated Minato Namikaze, and how much she didn't like not knowing something about her 'mate'.

Kinda of an obsessive bitch. But to each their own. The old vixen had kept brother from fizzing out in the mental area and that's all that counted.

But I was seriously wondering how many more insane chicks he was gonna get to fall for him. There was Tsunade, Mikoto, Kushina, Hinata, Narumi, and now Shiro and maybe her alter ego which was of course the Wretched Egg. So many ladies, not enough sanity for even one of them. Hell, Naruto had even offed Hinata with a Kunai to the heart, hated Kushina and Narumi, placed a seal to repress memories on Mikoto which was quite ironic, became the son of Tsunade and then ran away, and now he had Shiro.

My brother worked very fast. But it was funny. That's all I wanted. Maximum fun through maximum chaos. The whole way to make to truly fun. It was similar to gambling but it wasn't just for money, but sanity, livelihood, and every other damn thing you could think of. Maximum fun! I also got to kill people, help brother, meet pretty chicks, kill people, and help brother! So there wasn't really a downside.

Well, at least not that I could see at the moment. But I was more of a river. I just flow no matter what happens. Unlike my brother. He is more of a pond. A little bit of sun and all the water is gone. A little pollution and the whole thing was now nasty. To much rain it would flood. Very chaotic. I loved it!

Kyuubi was more like an ocean. No matter what happened it always had the same prerogative and never changed. So very boring.

But I digress. The crazy chicks were just coming out of the wood works. If brother got too many more, then I would have to be the sane one just to keep Naruto from going insane. Not very fun.

But like I said. I'm a river, so I'll just flow.

I'll just flow.

…...Kyuubi's POV...

The stupid brat. Wretched Gaki. Why couldn't the kid just off Minato and then help me get off. It was getting ridiculous. Everyone in this damn world seemed to have fucked with the kid and decided he was their solution. Naruto has to kill this, he has to kill that. He needs to love me, he needs to love her. Blah! The kid's mission should to simply kill Minato and then be my mate. In that order.

Well, maybe if he came in here late at night...regardless. It was infuriating. Everybody seemed to have their hooks in him and it kept leading to annoying surprises that I had to fix. Not only that, the kid was a trouble magnet. Every where he goes, s-class ninja coming to break his neck. Very annoying.

Then the brat was always using his stupid special eyeball or my chakra. It's like he never had mastered all five of the elements and also knew several powerful genjutsu styles. Nope, just talking. Some thing that was sorta taijutsu, a couple random jutsu, a rasengan or two, then either Sharingan or my chakra.

Every fight. I could stare at his memories for years and not find one that didn't follow that pattern. But I loved the little brat, even if he never used half the gifts I had given him. The boy was trying and he was still that, a mere boy.

It was slightly unfair of myself to expect so much of the boy... just like everyone else did. Everyone seemed to think the kid invincible. But he was still flesh and blood, Even if he had regeneration that made it nigh impossible for him to die. Still flesh and blood.

So I guess I could cut the kid some slack. But only for a while. Let him enjoy his time with Shiro. A war would be coming soon enough. Even the best soldiers need rest.

…...Naruto's POV...

"So, Shiro, what's up with that lullaby? The one about the woodpecker." I asked.

"Well, back when we were still in leafy place, we had this caretaker who'd chase us down when we went to have fun. She would take us back and to calm us down, she would sing that lullaby. One day Itachi-chi-chi, that weird boring guy who worked with the sciency guy decided he liked the song and used it to make the Wretched Egg take a nap so I could play," Shiro said with a bubbly smile.

Just as I was about to ponder her answer, Shiro smacked me in the face with her mitted hands and yelled in a loud voice, "Tag! You're it!"

Never one to put down tag with Shiro, considering it was a great way to practice speed because the girl was faster than light when she tried, chased after her. I couldn't let her win now could I.

So all through the destroyed prison like complex I ran after the girl. Even with chakra it was difficult to keep up. She had speed and also knew this place intimately. I however lacked the latter. So it was more of follow the leader extreme style.

The whole time Shiro simply laughed and giggled, even as I gained ground. If anything, she laughed harder the closer I got. Just as Shiro was about to pull away, she made the mistake of looking back at me and I pounced. I jumped over ten yards and full body tackled her. The two of us rolled with the impact as we fell.

For a moment, a strange thought entered my head. We must truly be a strange pair to behold.

Then I yelled, "Tag! YOU'RE IT!" and I sprinted away.

For several hours, that's how it continued, an extreme form of tag that sent people flying and broke walls. Physical and mental.

After finally ending the game with myself being the last one tagged. I returned my thoughts to earlier. This lullaby somehow made Shiro's alter ego lose control of the body and allowed Shiro control. But if that was the case, then the song had to be constantly playing and I definitely hadn't been hearing in the time that I had been here with Shiro.

So how was this song reaching Shiro and why did sometimes the song just stopped, especially when I tried to leave. It didn't make very much sense at all. That means when Shiro next sleeps, I need to do some investigating if I ever wish to leave this place.

…...Danzo's POV....

Things were going smoothly. The Hokage had given many boons to me. In return I simply made sure that he remained in power. A very fine deal and it worked well with me. With the Yondaime taking any flack that the world threw at him, I could protect Konoha and increase it's power.

No Uchiha or Hyuuga would ruin this village. I had already created several contingencies in case the two most powerful clans decided they wanted the seat of power. I would then take their bloodlines and use them to make secret soldiers more powerful.

Just the thought of hundreds of completely loyal Sharingan users and Byakugan users. All them wiped clean of stupid emotions that cloud judgment and willing to die for the cause. The perfect imperfect soldiers. It was what Hi no Kuni needed.

Strong, faceless protectors to prove Konoha's might to the other countries. To rise to be the unprecedented rulers of the elemental nations. To become a force in which there would not be another in similar power or fortitude.

This was my dream. To protect the leaves by using the roots. It was simple really. Even as the leaves burn, the roots remain. When the branches have healed once more from the nutrients provided by the roots, the leaves would sprout again. But now the roots could spread instead of constantly bowing to the leaves guidance.

Now the roots and leaves could grow to a tree that could stand strong and tall against force, natural or unnatural. Just small adjustments and little pushes were required to make it head it that direction. In fact it had already started quite well with the militarization of the leaf and the booming economy. More capital means more and better military. A better military means more capital.

It was a beautiful cycle. A cycle that would keep Konoha supreme for something no less than at least a thousand years. The odds were so far in Konoha's favor that only a disaster beyond the powers of the gods to stop were to fall upon Konoha would the train be stopped.

But there was no disasters. The biju were relics being hidden. For once politics were in favor of this militarization and economic growth. The roots were being well fed and the leaves could show for it. Any poisons that were trying to be used by weeds were unable to truly plant themselves.

But I am a shrewd man, I knew better than to be arrogant. So I made plan after plan. Contingency after contingency. I would not let this tree stop blossoming. It would come to full fruition and Hi o Kuni would be able to reap the rewards for thousands of years. It was simply a truth.

Author note: Done! This took from about nine hours of writing. I don't like stopping when I write chapters so I literally didn't leave this computer for nine hours. It was a happy coincidence however that my goal and the amount of time coincided.

Anyway, please review. Even if it's only to say donut. Put anything at all, hell flame my ass to a toast.

Also, nine thousand and eighty nine words. 9089