A/N: *SIGH* I miss you guys. Please read the author's note at the end and enjoy.

Naruto had been moved to a special needs facility on the outside of Konoha. The facility was in the Fire Country, but everybody knew that it was dangerous to house unstable ninja within the village. Sandaime had not wanted to have him moved, but after some convincing from Ibiki, decided that it would be best for a while.

"Maybe the change in scenery will help in the treatment," Ibiki offered. The Hokage just stared at him. Since the deaths of Homura and Koharu, he had been quiet and listless. He spent a lot of his time and resources on Naruto and did not let anyone but Ibiki and a few doctors near him. The rest of the council had deliberated what to do about Homura and Koharu's deaths, but brought the case to an end after they had weighted the issues.

Homura and Koharu had expressed intentional desire to kill one of their own comrades and carelessly planned to put the village in danger by doing so. Sarutobi's decision was the lesser of two evils. They knew that the chances of Kyuubi escaping with Naruto dead were greater than they were when the boy was alive. The two old council members would have faced excommunication had they lived. However, Sarutobi would have to cut his term as Hokage short effective in three months, but other than that faced no punitive discipline.

He had little thought as to whom his successor would be. He knew in his heart that he did not want it to be anybody like Homura or Koharu. That excluded any of the Hyuuga main branch leaders. Only a sad few were even powerful enough to take on the title and it made him wish that he did not do it twice. He had three people in mind, but of course he had to dedicate time to finding them, time that he did not have.

"The Slug Princess or the Toad Sage are very good choices, Hokage-sama. But getting one of them to agree will be next to impossible."

It was true. Jiraiya and Tsunade despised paperwork. One was a perverted drunk and the other was a gambling addicted drunk. Neither of them sounded terrifically promising, but they were strong and wise and there really was nobody else capable of the job. If he didn't chose one of them or his third option, an exceptional ANBU captain he'd had his eye on for months, then Konoha would have no leader. The council were only too eager to appoint someone like Danzou or a Hyuuga and he didn't want that. Naruto would not stand a chance if a Hyuuga were Hokage. Danzou would exploit the boy's curse to crush other countries for his own sick greed and run Konoha into the ground. He had to do something.

"Fine. Get a Chuunin team and one ANBU together to find them both. They can take as long as the time I have left to bring them here. Yuugao will be the escorting ANBU for her medical ninjutsu and skills. Shikamaru Nara, Koga Zantetsu, and one of the Hyuuga chuunin, whichever, will be going. Get them together by tomorrow."

Ibiki bowed and left to collect the group. He wasn't particularly happy to be having to look for a new leader but he didn't want Konoha to be weakened by Sandaime's departure. The last time they went without a leader for five weeks, nations outside of the Fire Country got uppity and tried to start wars. He had gone through three Hokages so far and did not look forward to a forth.

In his wildest dreams he had not expected their experiment with the Uzumaki boy to blow up in their faces to such a large and damaging degree. Two people were dead and the village was about to lose their Hokage. But he didn't hate Naruto. The poor child was the victim if nothing else, and it wasn't as if he allowed it. In fact, Naruto did not like the idea to begin with. Hiruzen felt more than inclined to help the boy, seeing as he was the child on their late Yondaime. Yet, now that everything had gone awry, he could not help but feel bad about it.

Naruto was suffering and he didn't know what to do. He still did not know who was responsible for the failure but Ibiki was already on that. When he found out, it was sad to say that the information would likely not be kept under wraps. He had kept enough of Naruto's life a secret. Someone had to know what it was like for the child.

Someone had to take the blame.

At the moment, the other two Genin of Team Seven were awaiting interrogation and Sarutobi decided he would do something he did not usually do. He would listen from behind the mirrored glass. Ibiki would usually report to him, but this time, he wanted to hear for himself. He wanted to know why Naruto had regressed so suddenly, and who was the person that caused it.

When the interrogation specialist returned from assembling the team for the reconnaissance mission, it would begin.

Iruka sped his pace up when he saw the scarred ANBU with three other people, one of them being his former student, Shikamaru. He had been hoping to catch up to the other man for days, but had not been fortunate enough lately. He wasn't going to miss his chance now.

"Ibiki-sama!" he called, jogging to him. Ibiki looked up and seeing who it was, promptly turned his head and walked off, hoping the other ninja would get the hint. Iruka frowned. He wasn't getting away from him!

"Ibiki-sama!" He called again, running now. Ibiki sighed when he saw the young Chuunin coming.

"Umino-san, to what do I owe this---

"I think you know." Iruka interrupted the man's casual greeting with a wave and a growl. He didn't want to play any games. He had to know who had done it, and he had to know soon.

"I'm busy. And besides, it isn't any business for a Chuunin."

"Cut the bullshit, Ibiki! Who else but me would you---

"What would knowing do for you?" It was the voice he'd asked the question with that made the younger man furious. It was light and calm, almost therapeutic.

Iruka barely suppressed the urge to shout. He wanted to bring great harm to the person who had hurt Naruto. He would not hurt the kids, but Kakashi….it was the Jounin's fault that they got away with the way they treated Naruto. He couldn't very well reveal any plans to hurt a fellow comrade, especially not in the presence of an ANBU, Ibiki Morino no less. So he just stood there with his hands clenched into painful fists at his side and glared at the man.

"Very good," Ibiki conceded. "If the kids want to let you know, that is up to them. I am at no liberty, nor am I obligated to tell you. It is a crucial part of my job to keep things like that between as few people as possible. And by people, I mean ANBU rank and the Hokage. No offense, Umino-san, but….you understand?"

Iruka said nothing, but nodded stiffly. It looked like he was going to have to get the truth out of Sakura or Sasuke. He certainly wasn't going to get it out of their sensei. Ibiki and the trio he had in tow walked off and left the Chuunin even more desperate than he was when he saw them.

Someone was going to pay. But in the mean time, he would just have to be patient.

"I don't think I want to speak with you right now, Kakashi," the Hokage muttered, shuffling a stack of papers on the desk in front of him.

Kakashi shifted from one foot to the other. He had come to tell the Hokage about what had happened on the day that Naruto…lost it, and right then he wanted to swallow his tongue and lose his voice. But he had to do it. He had to. If he didn't, then who would?

"Kakashi, I know that in some fantasies in which I listen to whatever you have to say that no means yes, but in this case, no means no."

"I said something to him." Kakashi blurted.

The Hokage looked up and his wizened eyes narrowed. "What did you say?"

"I said I—

"What did you say to Naruto?!" Sarutobi snapped impatiently. The Jounin moved again to his other foot and sighed.

"I said… There would be a lot less frustration on the team if he just kept quite like Sakura and Sasuke."

The old man stared at him. Kakashi began to feel uncomfortable with the look he was being given and closed his eyes.

"I realize that it wasn't a nice thing to say but I swear I didn't know that would happen!" He tried not to hurry his voice, but he couldn't lie to himself. He was afraid.

Sandaime continued to stare at him for a short moment before he asked, "Have you ever said anything less 'nice' that that?"

What? Kakashi's jaw clenched. Even if he could remember if he had, was it a good idea to just say it?

Yes, he thought to himself. He had to. If the Hokage did something to him it was his own fault.

"I…I don't know. I don't think so…but maybe I did something. Well there was this one time when he said something that caught me off guard---

"And this was?" Sandaime growled patiently. Kakashi didn't like the tone of his voice.

"Well, he said that I was playing favorites and that I didn't care enough to teach him anything because I was too caught up with Sasuke."

"And what did you say?"

Kakashi bowed his head. "I didn't say anything," he whispered. 'I ignored him.'

"Get out."

He turned and left the room without another word.

"Hokage-sama…if I may pose a suggestion…" Inoichi started quietly, looking to the one-sided mirror glass at the blonde child inside.

"That would actually be welcome," the older man muttered wearily. He had been having a hard time figuring out what to do concerning Naruto's condition and would listen to anything that made sense.

"Well, I was thinking that putting more suppression jutsu on him wouldn't do him any good, so, perhaps we should set up a real environment for him that is similar to his sequenced life before…this. If we can find at least four people who care about him, because I mean, there has to be someone, then we can make it so that they are always together. I already have one person in mind. The Hyuuga heiress, Hinata, seems to favor him quite a bit. Iruka Umino is a given as well, however, his duties as a schoolteacher will have to be reduced to provide more attention for the child. If you can think of anyone else…otherwise, we'll have to start small. Another suggestion…perhaps Yuugao Uzuki would be a good choice, though I am not sure how dedicated she can be with her duties as a hunter-nin."

The Hokage put a hand up to silence him, and for a moment Inoichi was concerned that his suggestion was not as welcome as he thought it would be, but the older man spoke. "That doesn't sound like a bad idea at all, but the way you are posing this plan would require that those few people be around him all of the time. Iruka has duties, and as you know, it would be near to impossible to replace him as a schoolteacher, because nobody is as good as he is. As for the Hyuuga girl, that is only provided Hiashi would allow such a thing. You know how he is, and it is not within my capabilities anymore to override head clan decisions and vie for council approval since…"

Out of respect, the Yamanaka cut his leader off. "Well, then we should get started loosening Hiashi-sama up, neh, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi sighed. Hinata was a very good option. Likely the best, but Hiashi was not a nice man, and the Hyuuga hated Naruto with a passion. He didn't know what Inoichi thought he could do, but he would let him do it.

"Fine, but don't say I didn't tell you so. Otherwise, it's better to have her secretly see him before you bring it to Hiashi's attention. I won't be Hokage then, I don't know who will be, and if it isn't anyone I pick, then it isn't going to be good for Naruto." H paused and put a wrinkled hand over his face.

" I wish I could…" he stopped again. What would wishing do? He wished a lot of things, and all of them were impossible.

"And maybe…if this doesn't work….maybe we should just…I mean…I know Kyuubi is too dangerous to let fall into the wrong hands, but isn't this dangerous as well? Perhaps a good thing to do would be to keep him out of Konoha, but have some of the ANBU keep an eye on him. I happily volunteer my services, and I know a few others who will---

"But I can't make that decision anymore. That is out of my hands."

"I know," Inoichi muttered quietly. But if their plan for Sandaime's successor worked, then it would be a person who would not reject the idea of taking Naruto out of the village. After all, it was for the village's safety, and who didn't want that?

"Well then, you can go with the reconnaissance team. Follow up with Ibiki. You're dismissed, I have a ton of paperwork to do."

Inoichi bowed and left, slightly worried about is soon-to-be-former leader. Hopefully, his plan would work.

He felt really bad for not hitting something vital on the way down those stairs. Why couldn't they just let him die? Kyuubi wasn't averse to the idea, hell, he got his freedom when Naruto's life ended. There was no way any of them could have known that, and he would certainly never tell. That meant that they were torturing him.

But why?

What had he done? Every time he asked, he was told to shut up, or hit, or stabbed with a needle harder than necessary. What did the old man get out of keeping him alive? Was he being punished for being what he was? But if they didn't know that Kyuubi would be free when he died, then why not just kill him? Or did they consider it? If so… then he really had better try harder to kill himself. Maybe he would piss off one of the staff, or suffocate himself in the padded walls.

Now there was an idea he had never put to use.

Of course, he couldn't do it because not only was he no longer in a padded room, but he was being watched from the other side of a mirrored glass. How did he know? He could feel their useless pity from his corner. He also knew the old man was out there. It made him angry.

They were watching him as if he were some kind of spectacle and it was fucking rude, damn it! Everyone wanted to watch him suffer. Everyone wanted hurt him. Everyone wanted him to die miserable. Everyone hated him. He hated it. He wanted to watch them suffer. He wanted to hurt them. He wanted them to die.

And just like that, the overwhelming desire to kill entered him and he didn't fight it. He allowed it to push his teeth together until he tasted metal. He didn't close his mind to the gruesome thoughts of tearing that old bastard's throat out. Slowly. He would do it slowly. And make the bastard suffer like him.

He would take his time cutting the old man's arms off and make it so that he couldn't even flail them in agony. The horrible, and in his opinion, vindictive thing they put on him a straightjacket took his fight away from him. He had hoped to do something useful with his legs, but they took that too when he jumped off the stairs. He would take everything from them.

Die.

Die, die, die, die—

"DIE!!!"

He struggled fruitlessly in his binds and spit curses of fire and hatred at them, knowing they could hear him. He told them all the things he would do to them if he could. He told them of how horrible they were. They were liars.

The called him a demon.

They called him a devil.

They called him a bastard.

Their favorite thing to call him was 'monster'.

But that couldn't be true.

Because what they were saying was lies.

He wasn't the monster.

They were.

Lies.

He screamed as hard and as loud as he could, though he knew that to his audience it sounded nothing more than a whispered yell. Hot tears of incensed hatred gushed out his eyes and blood from his grinding teeth slid down his lip and dripped off his chin. The anguished screaming went on for several long minutes, and even after he could no longer make a sound, he pushed his lungs to wheeze and burn painfully.

Hopefully he could do some damage.

His throat felt like he was swallowing hot coals when he pushed his abused voicebox past its limit, but he didn't care. He only wished he hurt something vital. He had nothing important to say. He just wanted to tighten his fingers around a strong neck and squeeze until the satisfying feeling of flesh sinking into crushed bone brought about the last labored breaths.

Anyone.

He would kill anyone. Even himself. All he needed was another chance. He wouldn't fail.

Old man.

Those people…the pink-haired girl, the dark-haired boy, the silver-haired man…he would give anything for the chance to make them suffer. Anything to kill them. He didn't even know who they were.

Not important.

Let them watch.

But they'd better be careful.

One slip.

One mistake.

One bit of misguided pity and it would all be over for them.

Now killing himself wasn't his top priority. He wanted to kill anyone he saw. He would not go to hell alone.

More than enough invitations to go around.

How would he do it?

After some thinking, he realized that the main reason the old fart was making him to suffer was to force him back into the world to suffer more, to punish him. The only way to get back out there was to want to go.

Or act like it.

Maybe the screaming episode wasn't so conducive, but he'd managed before. How had he done it again? He didn't even know. He was confident that he was a good actor. He could be. He could be anything.

Anything to get what he wanted. Anything to get out.

Be a good boy, Naruto, he told himself. Be good and good things will come to you. He didn't stop the slow grin from spreading across his bloody lips. He put his head down so they wouldn't see. It was his secret. No one else's. His plan.

Now the question was: Could it work?

Only one way to find out.

TBC.

If anyone lost interest in this story, or simply got tired of waiting for an update, I don't blame you. I can't apologize sincerely enough. Life caught up to me and I've just been so busy. No excuse is good enough, I know. But still, I come with the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy it. I don't know when I'll update again. I'll be more busy now than ever. School sucks. Meh, oh well. But if I decide to discontinue this fic for a while, I promise I will let you know in advance. Again, I'm sorry it took so long, but here it is.

Ja'ne.