Lord Shodaime, the Red Fox

by Uzuken

Read as Naruto Uzumaki changes his destiny from the neglected son and paves his own path.

3. Chapter 3

One and Half Year Later

Having taken care of his two enemies, Naruto jumped from the tree branch he was standing on and landed beside his team. The odds were not in their favor today. Regardless, Naruto was going to even them. "Shadow Clone Jutsu" he yelled as he formed 12 clones to back up his team. Each of his clones pulled out their tantos and the battle commenced.

Parrying a blow aimed for his head, Naruto pushed a kunai into the belly of another enemy. Seeing the enemy go pale as his sword went limp in seeing his friend's guts on the ground, Naruto took the opportunity to relieve his distracted enemy of his head. With that, the last enemy still fighting went down. However, seeing three enemies trying to get away, Naruto quickly made hand signs and yelled "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough". Right then, a large gust of wind cut down the remaining enemies, making their mission to end the rebellion in Rice Country a success.

As Naruto jumped from tree branch to tree branch, the only thing he could think about is that Danzo would be pleased with another successfully completed mission. But this mission was different, he thought to himself. Danzo trusted him with leadership of Team 12 and Naruto made sure that the team completed their mission as efficiently and quickly possible. Entering Konoha through one of Root's secret entrances, he led his team through the dark hallways that made up one of the Root's underground bases as he took off his kitsune (fox) mask. He knew Danzo would likely give him a commendation tomorrow, and what could be more important than serving Danzo, he asked himself rhetorically.

Kurama was becoming increasingly worried as the months wore on. Naruto was losing more and more of his emotions and pretty soon, he would likely become just another emotionless Root agent whose only purpose in life is serving that one-eyed fool with delusions of grandeur. If that was the case then Kurama would never be able to leave the seal and would have to resign himself to becoming part of the Shinigami. Kurama had to do something and something soon. But he could only be awake for a couple of hours in the week and that's not nearly enough time to reverse the barrage of mind control and propaganda. Originally, he wanted to be the only one to have an emotional connection with Naruto, but with Danzo in the picture he couldn't do that. Really, the only thing that he could do is stop the seals that Danzo keeps reapplying liberally throughout Naruto's body by overloading them with demonic chakra. Some seals were to stop any discussion of Root's and Danzo's secrets while others were plain mind-control seals. However, they would disappear after Kurama awoke. But Kurama knew not to underestimate the effects of verbal and situational propaganda and the effects can be clearly seen in his container. What the Kyuubi needed was somebody to connect with Naruto emotionally. Somebody loyal to the Kyuubi only. Kurama grinned as he remembered that that old fox he gave some of his chakra to so he could protect his pack. Now where did he meet him? Ah, yes the mountain range in the northwest. What do they call that place now? Now he remembered. Rock Country where Iwakagure is located. All he had to do now is wait for a mission request there and implore Naruto to take it. Accepting the plan as sound, Kurama went back to sleep.

Six Months Later

Danzo was pleased with his investment in the ROOT operative Kitsune (Naruto). The kid was natural learner and took up the shinobi arts like glue to paper. Danzo was especially pleased in Naruto's aptitude to infiltration and other covert shinobi arts. In the simulations, he always got the highest marks. His leadership skills were noteworthy as well as he consistently led his teams to success. But what really impressed Danzo is Naruto's aptitude for ninjutsu. He has dual affinities in wind and water, which is impressive by itself, but what was really amazing is the kid's ability to practically learn jutsus in his sleep. He already mastered most of the wind jutsus that Danzo knows and he was only now starting him on water jutsus. Even more excellent is that his Uzumaki DNA means he has extraordinarily large chakra reserves. Danzo estimates that his reserves are at least low jounin now at this young age. The kid was quickly becoming his most useful tool, second only to Itachi Uchiha. And he hadn't even trained Naruto in using his bijuu's chakra yet. But soon, Naruto would be the perfect tool and would carry out his plans for him. If only those damn secrecy and mind control seals would stick. Regardless, the kid was slowly growing an emotional attachment to him and completing his missions perfectly. Danzo would just have make an effort keep Naruto out of the loop of any sensitive material. If that is price for a perfect tool, then so be it, he thought to himself as he went through the missions that needed to be completed today.

"Kitsune, you will lead a team to the Land of Hot Water and assassinate a lower noble by the name of Kinshi Obiware and his bodyguards. You will make his death look like the work of wandering bandits. His death will allow us to expand Root's and Konoha's presence farther west. Tora, you will lead a mission to the Land of Earth to investigate reports from our spies that they have expanded their ninja program. You will make sure your presence is not discovered and if it is, kill all witnesses and erase all evidence of your existence. Begin preparations now. Both teams will leave tomorrow morning" commanded Danzo.

Hearing a chorus of "Hai, Danzo-sama", Danzo left to go to his office, he had plans to make.

As Naruto was walking back his room to get ready for the mission tomorrow, he heard rumblings inside his mindscape.

"What is it now, Kurama?" Naruto asked a little irked.

"You should be a little more appreciative, kit. I did keep awake for all those hours and help you with your chakra control and manipulation" said Kurama.

"Whatever, what is it that you need. You don't usually come out just to start a conversation" Naruto said.

"You need to live a little, kit. I swear this this place is getting rid of any personality you have left. Don't you ever talk just for the sake of talking?" Kurama asked. "Wait, don't answer that" Kurama corrected himself. "Anyway, I really think you should take that mission to Iwa" Kurama suggested.

"What would the difference. A mission is a mission. Regardless, Danzo doesn't like requests. He says it shows you have likes, dislikes, emotions, etc. which is unbecoming of a shinobi" Naruto replied.

"Don't listen to everything he says, kit. Everyone has emotions and it doesn't make you any worse of a shinobi for having them" Kurama tried to explain, but seeing Naruto keep his blank look instead said "just do it. There's something that will make you a lot stronger" Kurama suggestively implied.

"Really? What is it?" Naruto asked.

"Something that will give you an edge over others" Kurama replied.

"Why won't you tell me what it is. What are you hiding?" Naruto asked.

"Just do it, kit You'll thank me later" Kurama said.

Thinking over it, Naruto didn't want to disappoint Danzo by asking for something, showing that he still had emotions. But he did want to get stronger and Kurama that this would give him an edge over others. Naruto decided that since he completed so many missions successfully, he could ask for this one thing.

Turning around to go to Danzo's office, he said "alright, but if Danzo gets angry it's your fault."

"Keep in mind that you have to keep me a secret. So tell him, you haven't been to Rock Country yet and want to see how it is or something" Kurama instructed.

"Alright, alright" Naruto said as he opened the door handle to Danzo's office. "Can I ask you for something, Danzo-sama?" Naruto asked respectfully.

"Sure, what do you need, Kitsune" Danzo asked.

"I wanted to lead to lead the mission to Rock Country. I've been to a few countries, but have never traveled to one of the Big Five" Naruto asked cautiously.

Danzo thought over the request. Naruto rarely asked for something and completed all tasks assigned to him without question so this was unusual. But this also shows that the mind control and propaganda weren't completely effective on him. He would have to up the ante later though. Regardless, a purely observation mission to Iwa might do Naruto some good. And when he returns, Danzo could make sure that Naruto's remaining emotions are straightened out for good.

"Alright, you and Tora will switch missions. If that is all, you are dismissed" Danzo said.

"Hai, Danzo-sama" Naruto replied as he left.

One Week Later

Making their way through the mountainous and rough terrain was not as easy as Naruto thought it would be. The hot summer son bearing on them as they tried to navigate through the arid and rocky country while avoiding Iwa patrols took more energy than they planned for and had to make pit stops more and more often as time went on. By the time they reached the secluded area that housed secretive Iwa training grounds, about a week passed since they started their journey. Looking around, they found that Iwa was still using the same training methods that were in the old reports. Suspiciously, they had the same number of recruits as previous years. This was the complete opposite of what they read about in the spy's reports Danzo gave them for this mission.

"This seems very suspicious. Iwa likely has another location where their training other recruits in their more secretive program. I will scout out ahead while you guys stay here and make camp. I want you to make notes on anything you find here. We will meet up in two weeks at the rendezvous. If I'm more than two days late, assume I've been captured and report to Danzo immediately" Naruto said.

"Hai Taichou-sama" his two teammates replied in unison.

As Naruto made his way west of the training grounds, he thought of Kurama's odd request. He told him to leave his team and ask them to meet back up in two week's time. And then to travel west of the Iwa training grounds to where several mountains meet up in the harsh interior of Rock Country. Naruto only hoped his teammates didn't get suspicious of his activities. It is unlike a Root captain to leave his teammates to go on a solo mission. Then again, what is he worrying about. His teammates are like robots, they probably couldn't think for themselves if they tried. He just hoped that he was going in the right direction and that Kurama woke up soon. He really didn't like being behind enemy territory alone. Right now, he was only chunin level in strength, even with his jounin chakra reserves, and if an Iwa patrol found him alone, it would probably be the end for him.

One day later

As Naruto neared the area that Kurama indicated, Naruto became amazed by the terrain: mountain after mountain as far as the eye could see. When he squinted, he could make the outline of three mountains that seemed to come together and make some kind of odd pattern. It must be where Kurama said to go. Naruto braced himself for a long and rough journey of climbing and descending from multiple mountains to reach the landmark.

As these thoughts swiveled through Naruto's head, it was then that Kurama decided to wake up.

'I guess the little young one made it, but he's actually thinking of climbing dozens of mountains to reach the point? He must be more naive than I thought he was' Kurama said to himself.

"Kit, you actually think that you can climb all those mountains without enough food and water" Kurama asked,

"Ah, you're awake. You're right, I should go scavenge for some supplies" Naruto said.

"That's not what I meant. You would never be able to get all the way there even if you packed all the supplies in the world. The area is much larger than you think because of the angle and distance you're looking at it from. Besides, the Iwa sun and rocky sand as well as the large amount of magnetic flux in the area create powerful mirages that imitate the effects of the most powerful genjutsu" explained Kurama.

"And since it's not a chakra technique, you can't dispel it" realized Naruto. "What am I supposed to do?" asked Naruto. "Why did you even me bring me here if it's impossible to cross this impenetrable wasteland" Naruto complained.

"Calm down, kit. I brought you here because this is a place I would come to rest. It's also the place I met an old fox struggling to care for his litter. It was during the old clan war days of constant fighting and hunger so desperate humans would hunt his kind for food. Without any chakra, they were powerless against the humans. So I gave them a small portion of my power to see what they would do with it. With any luck, they may still be there" answered the Kyuubi.

"But how do I get there with the mirage in place" asked Naruto.

"Follow my chakra signature. Even after so many years, it should still be prominent in the area. It should lead you to the area. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to catch up with some rest" Kurama said as he dozed off to sleep.

"Wait, stop. I can't feel your chakra anywhere" Naruto said. However, realizing that Kurama was not going to answer him, he got up from where he was gazing at the mountains and began walking through one of the many valleys that dotted the landscape. Naruto walked aimlessly for hours through the rocky scenery until he felt familiar chakra to his left. Following it, he started feeling it getting stronger. As Naruto kept walking, he came upon a large mountain. However, the chakra signature only got stronger near it. Realizing, he needed to climb it, he began circulating chakra through his hands and feet. But once he reached the mountain, instead of being able to climb it, he instead phased through it. 'What is going on' he thought to himself as he tried to get up from falling on the floor. 'I could have sworn that mountain looked solid' he thought perplexed. However, before he could think about this further, he had to quickly dodge a fireball that dissipated right where he was a few moments ago. As he tried to get his bearings straight he heard the most captivating tone of music his life. When he tried to get closer to the source of the music, he found he couldn't move his body at all. To his horror, he couldn't flare his chakra either. Right then, he heard a loud booming voice.

"What are you doing here" the voice demanded as a human-sized, grey canine came into view. Naruto just called him canine because his large and pointy ears indicated he was a fox, however, his large body and molars indicated he was some kind of wolf.

"I-I am herre bec-because Kurama sent me" Naruto tried to say without stuttering.

"Do not play me for a fool. Kurama would never associate with humans. Let alone a whimpering young brat" said the canine dismissively.

Naruto cursed his luck. Kurama was asleep and he had to convince angry old wolf-fox-dog thing of who he is. But he couldn't do that since he couldn't move because of some genjutsu the canine put on him through that musical tone he heard. Come to think of it, Naruto never heard of a music-based genjutsu before. Regardless, it doesn't change the fact that he couldn't get out it by flaring his chakra alone. It must be a powerful, multilayered genjutsu. Naruto always had a difficult time with genjutsu, but after much studying and practice, he could dispel most average to high level genjutsu. He didn't think more would be required because it is such a rare art with few if any shinobi of a village specializing in it. The only really powerful genjutsu practitioners in the shinobi world are the Kurama and Uchiha, but they're both on Konoha's side so Naruto never thought deep study in the subject was ever required. However, seeing the effects of this old canine's jutsu, Naruto could only stare, too paralyzed to do much of anything. Then, he remembered that Kurama still had access to some of his chakra. Although it was really only enough to keep his form in this plane, he could flare some of Kurama's chakra and then that would be proof enough of his words to this old dog, Naruto thought determined.

"Kurama, wake up already! I'm kind of in a bind here" said Naruto loudly in his head. Not hearing anything from his the Kyuubi, Naruto kept shouting in his head.

"Who are you talking to, kid. How many people you got. Hurry up and answer. I don't got all day" demanded the old canine

"What do you want, kit. I was having a nice dream of destroying Konoha" said the Kyuubi.

"I need you to flare your chakra to get me out of this genjutsu" said Naruto quickly.

"I sleep for little bit and you already get yourself in trouble" Kurama said disappointed as he flared his demonic chakra. At that same moment, Naruto was covered in a small layer of demonic chakra that immediately dissipated because of Kurama's low reserves. But it did its job and ended the paralysis genjutsu placed on Naruto.

"Wh-What are you? How do you have Kurama's chakra?" asked the old canine.

"I told you that Kurama sent me here. I'm the container for the Nine-tailed fox, Kurama" explained Naruto.

Seeing that the young one was not lying, the old canine quickly said "forgive me for my insolence, but I had to make sure you weren't an intruder." "If I may ask, why did you come all the way here. I haven't seen Kurama in ages" asked the old canine.

"Kurama sent me here, saying you could make me stronger" said Naruto.

"Yes, young one, you indeed need to get stronger. You couldn't even get out of one of my weaker genjutsu" said the old canine. "What is your name" he asked.

"Naruto" he said.

"No family or clan name?" asked the old canine.

"I'm an orphan so I don't know" said Naruto.

Pulling out a scroll from thin air the old canine said "Very well, call me Watanabi. Right your name in blood on this scroll. It's the summoning contract of the Fox Clan. Long have we waited for a worthy summoner" he added.

Naruto was stunned. Summoning contracts are notoriously rare and well guarded village treasures. Even doing a general summoning to try your luck in getting one very rarely ends in success. Most who try it are devoured by whatever creatures live in the summoning realm they are transported to. Biting his thumb and spelling out the kanji for Naruto on the scroll, he was taken aback by a puff of smoke as a medium-sized white and blue fox appeared.

"Hey, pops. What's going on? Why'd you summon me" said the fox that just appeared.

Look around you, Takahashi. You were summoned by that young pup over there" said Watanabi.

"Him! Why'd you give our summons to that puny kid" said the now identified Takahashi.

"Show more respect. He's the container of the Nine-tailed fox" said Watanabi.

"Really? The Nine-tailed fox" said Takahashi excitedly. "Hey, what's your name, kid"

Having stared at the entire exchange with the same stoic demeanor, he finally replied, saying "I'm Naruto."

"You don't have much of a personality do you?" said Takahashi. "Alright, if you're going to get a proper partner, I need to know your strengths and weaknesses" he added.

"I'm pretty average with taijutsu and genjutsu, but I excel at ninjutsu and weapons usage, especially my tanto" replied Naruto.

"Which elements can you do?" Takahashi asked.

"I have very strong affinities to both wind and water, although I only recently started learning jutsus with my water element. I know a lot of wind jutsus though" Naruto explained.

"Ah, a wind user eh. Those are really rare west of Suna" Takahashi said. "Well, let's see who would be a good partner. Hmmm. We would need someone with a strong fire affinity so you guys could do powerful combinations. Also, we would need someone that's good at genjutsu and taijutsu. But they would also have to be young so you guys could grow together. Ahh, there's like no one with those qualifications. Wait, Suzuki might work. He's only one years old and is already good at genjutsu and has a strong fire affinity. He would have to work on his taijutsu though. Oh well, can't get them all, right?" Takahashi added. Seeing that he wouldn't get an answer, he said "I asked you if you want Suzuki as a partner."

"Oh, sorry. Yes, I would be honored" said Naruto respectfully.

'What is up with this kid' thought Takahashi. "Okay. I want you to bite your finger again and do a summoning jutsu like you did last time. But this time, think of a small, red fox named Suzuki" said Takahashi.

When Naruto did as the white-blue fox instructed, a small, red fox with black stripes on its back appeared in a puff of smoke.

"Eep. Wh-Where am I. Takahashi-niisan, is that you?" squeaked out the little fox.

"Yeah it's me. We summoned you here because we found you a partner. You'll be working with Naruto over there" said Takahashi.

"What! Really? Everyone's gonna be so jealous. I'm like the first person to have a partner" exclaimed Suzuki in an excited manner.

"Alright. Stop jumping up and down and go greet your summoner already" said a frustrated Takahashi.

"Oh. He he. I'm Suzuki. What's your name?" asked Suzuki sheepishly.

Naruto was seriously getting tired of introducing himself, and the antics of these foxes wasn't helping. "I'm Naruto" he replied.

"Cool. Nice to meet you" replied Suzuki.

It was right then that Watanabi chose to speak up again. "Since everyone is introduced, let's explain how this is going to work. Suzuki shall be your primary summons, but you should call upon all of us at one time or another. We haven't seen battle in many years and many of us are itching for some fights. You should also train with Suzuki to get a feel for your partner and his fighting style and come up with some combination jutsu's as well as team tactics. But since you came to us to get stronger, I think Takahashi should be more than happy to help you with your water element since he has good mastery over water. I shall help you with your genjutsu since your so weak in that area. We can't teach you our taijutsu styles since your two-legged but we can help you develop your own" explained Watanabi.

"Sorry, but I'm actually on a mission right now. I can only be here for two weeks" said Naruto dejectedly. He was actually really excited about the training program Watanabi described.

"If that's the case then, we only have enough time for you to get acquainted with Suzuki and maybe for Takahashi to teach you a few water jutsu. You'll have to rely on Suzuki for genjutsu for now. When you get back to your village we can pick up your training" replied Watanabi.

"I'm sorry, but Kurama wants to keep our association a secret for now so I might not be able to train back home" Naruto said as his eyes became despondent.

"That's alright. The Fox Clan specializes in the more covert shinobi arts. Trust me, you'll be able to study under us without anyone noticing" said Watanabi's gruff voice confidently.

"What do mean the more covert shinobi arts?" asked Naruto.

"What he means is that we specialize in tracking, infiltration, concealment, and genjutsu" replied Takahashi.

"We'll be able to teach you inside your village without anyone noticing" said Watanabi.

"Then can you guys help me with my mission. I'm supposed to track Iwa's new training regimen and take notes on how many new recruits they have and what they're learning. I can't do that if I'm training with you guys" asked Naruto.

"Don't worry about that. We have you covered. We'll send Takito. He's free right?" asked Takahashi.

"You know he just came from a mission. He's not going to be happy if you send him again. Honestly, I don't know why you like messing with him so much" said Watanabi frustratingly.

"It's just that he blows up every time he gets a new mission. I can't help myself" Takahashi tried to explain.

Two Weeks Later

When Naruto found his teammates at the rendezvous, they made quick haste back to Konoha to inform Danzo of their findings. Naruto was quite pleased with how his training progressed with the foxes. He learned two new water jutsus from Takahashi. He found that his partner, Suzuki, was really weak with ninjutsu. Although their combinations were pretty powerful, Suzuki only had reserves to do two or three of them in a battle. Even though Takahashi explained that Suzuki will grow his chakra reserves as he grows up, Naruto was still a little disappointed. But that might just be because he has unnaturally large reserves and unlike him, Suzuki is not a freak of nature. But Naruto really admired Suzuki for his genjutsu skills. He didn't notice the two bells tied to Suzuki's neck because they were hidden by a powerful genjutsu. When Suzuki activates the bells, he uses the sound waves to cast powerful genjutsus that Naruto couldn't get out of. Suzuki's taijutsu relied on taking advantage of the time it takes an opponent to get out of the genjutsu, which can be effective on many opponents since sound waves travel to many opponents at once. Naruto really wished that he had more time to hash out his problems with powerful genjutsus. Needless to say, Naruto had more respect for the underappreciated art by the end of the two weeks.

One Year Later

As Naruto jumped from tree branch to tree branch, he thought about how his life changed because of the fox summons. He now knew a plethora of water jutsus he could use and although he still needed a source of water to do them, his mastery of the water element was getting better. He could now adequately dispel high level or multilayered genjutsu and his taijutsu, while still not the best, was getting better. Naruto now estimated his skills as at least jounin level and if he got help from his Fox Summons, particularly Suzuki, he could take down most high-level opponents. As these thoughts went through Naruto's head, he missed the fact that they crossed into Rice's borders.

"Taichou-sama, we have entered Rice Country. Shouldn't we check our perimeter and make camp" asked the alligator masked operative Wani.

Mentally berating himself for his absent mindedness, Naruto replied, "Yes, we should. Make camp at that clearing, while I check our perimeter and make traps" said Naruto.

The Next Day

Naruto made a point to keep alert for the rest mission, especially since they split up and were going solo for the next few days. Danzo gave them the mission to observe Rice and make notes on the notes on the movements of the resistance movement in the country. They are especially supposed to gain intelligence on the new leader of the rebels that has cutting supply lines for the Rice Damiao. As Naruto discretely observed the country, he began to see why the people here would rebel. The country really is in poor straights. All of the towns that Naruto visited had only poor, run-down buildings, with many of the buildings looking like they went through previous battles. The stores are poorly stocked, a result of the bad harvest that Naruto noticed as he made his way through Rice's fields. Most of the inhabitants of the country are malnourished and wearing worn clothing. The shinobi that Naruto could observe look better fed and clothed, but the gleam in their eyes speak of sorrow and hopelessness.

"You should help them" suggested Kurama.

"Why would I do that? You know that these humans don't deserve any sympathy" said Naruto incredulously.

Kurama mentally sighed. He had to get Naruto out of this idea that all humans are bad. While it was his fault that Naruto thought that way, but back then it served a purpose, now it was preventing Naruto from making any human attachments at all. What's even worse is that Naruto was becoming more and more obedient to Danzo. The irony was not lost on Kurama considering that Danzo is human. However, Danzo gives Naruto's life purpose and meaning. Moreover, Danzo's constant propaganda doesn't help. If Kurama couldn't get Naruto out of Danzo's thumb, his own plan for freedom might be in jeopardy. He, however, could see Naruto's personality and emotions as a success. Kurama noticed that every time that Naruto interacts with his fox summons, his mood instantly brightens as he starts showing a little of his real self. Now all the Kyuubi has to do is provide Naruto with a new purpose in life. And protecting these humans in this backward country might just be it.

"These humans are different from those we have seen in Konoha and I'm not talking about their poverty. Look more closely" said Kurama.

Naruto squinted his eyes to try and see what Kurama was talking about. He couldn't really see anything different. They're suffering from extreme poverty, that much was obvious. Maybe Kurama wasn't talking about their material conditions. Possibly, their behaviours? They're doing the same things that he saw Konoha's civilians do, Naruto thought as he saw them going about various jobs and activities. Then, Naruto saw it. Kurama meant how they interacted with each other. In Konoha, people generally ignored each other in the street and no one paid each other any mind. But here, people actively greeted each other and asked each other how they have been. Then, Naruto noticed another difference. In Konoha, prices were labeled outside of any products and even someone was only a few ryos short, they wouldn't be allowed to buy it. But here, people actively bartered for goods and most left with something. However, what really caught Naruto's eye is the treatment of orphans. Most of the orphans constantly left the run-down building they lived in and ventured into the market district of the city. There, the shop owners would give each of them something even though their stores are barely stocked as it is. Naruto wondered what made them so determined to survive and help each out in the face of poor odds. Certainly, he would have given a long time ago if it wasn't for Kurama and Danzo.

"You're wondering why these people try so hard. Go and ask them. But take off that mask and headwear" said Kurama.

'It's like Kurama's reading my mind. I might have to put up more mental barriers later' he thought to himself as he took off his fox mask and his headwear that hid his long flowing, dark red hair.

Shaking his head to get his hair settled correctly, he walked through one of the streets of Rice's Capital. He saw kids pointed fingers at him while the adults looked at him curiously. However, Naruto was a little surprised to see that the people here didn't look at him with hate and disgust in their eyes. He knew that they didn't know he held the Kyuubi, but this was the first time he walked in another country without his mask and a small part of him always feared that he was despised everywhere. As he walked, a little girl with bright, orange hair attempted to snatch his ninja pouch where he kept most of his ninja tools. Before she could, however, he grabbed her hand and held it up.

"L-Let me go!" she yelled.

"Your the one trying to steal my stuff" Naruto said.

"Let my cousin go" yelled a young man with blue hair.

Naruto looked at the man. By his clothing and his demeanor, Naruto concluded that he is a shinobi and considering that he didn't any want trouble, he let the girl go. "Sorry, this girl was trying to steal from me" Naruto explained.

"No I wasn't it. And he's an intruder, Arashi. You should take him to Damiao-sama" she said while rubbing her wrists.

"Yes, I have to ask what your doing in this country. This place isn't safe, especially for someone as young as you. There are Konoha shinobi running around and they're ruthless" the blue-haired man now identified as Arashi explained.

"Oh, I was just traveling. I have to wonder though, this country is falling apart. Why stay?" Naruto asked.

"You haven't heard? Where have you been for the past five years?" said Arashi incredulously.

"You shouldn't talk to him, Arashi. He might be a spy for the Damiao" said the orange-haired girl fearfully.

"Oh, don't worry Sasami. I haven't seen any of the Damiao's men this young or anyone with red hair for that matter. Since you're obviously clueless, I'll fill you in on this country's history. My cousin and I are from the Fuuma clan. We used to be a renowned ninja clan that specialized in the use of our powerful ninja tools. The Fuma clan, along with the Shiin clan, historically protected the Damiao and the people of Rice. Then, the peaceful Sandaime of Konohagakure died and the cursed Yondaime took power. Konoha forced our small country to sell our rice and other crops at low prices to them while many of us starve. Our economy, largely dependant on agriculture, dropped significantly, putting most of us into poverty. Worse, Konoha forced us to sell many of our clan secrets including our coveted Fuuma shuriken. Our once proud Fuuma clan was reduced into becoming vassals by our greedy Damiao and his samurai who went along with Konoha's policies without even trying to fight back. They get most of the benefits of the economy while the rest of us starve" explained Arashi.

"Your a ninja clan. Why don't you just leave" Naruto asked.

"This is our home; we can't just leave it. Besides, we have always protected the people of Rice and will continue to do so until the last of dies" said Arashi confidently.

"But why. You'll die. Even now, Konoha is sending more and more shinobi to end the rebellion" said Naruto not understanding what drove these shinobi.

"Haven't you see the state of our people. Even though we might be hungry and tired, we won't give up until the last of us is buried in the ground. Konoha can send as many shinobi it wants, as long as even a few of us live, our determination will be carried on" Arashi said optimistically.

Naruto kept being surprised by these people. He realized that even though he might be physically stronger than most people in Rice, they were stronger than him in drive and determination, things he sorely lacked. He couldn't just leave these people to their fate, but what could he do? And could he really go against Konoha. Against Danzo?

"This is why I said you should help these people" Kurama said. "Those filthy Konoha people think they can step over everybody and get away with it. Their insolence disgusts me" he added.

"Yeah, but what could I do. I'm just a single kid. The Damiao is bound to have hundreds of samurai and even a few Konoha shinobi guarding him" replied Naruto.

"If you summon half the fox clan here, about 40 members, with the rebels help you could take out most of the loyal Rice shinobi and the samurai. You could take out the few Konoha shinobi the Damiao has with him" explained Kurama.

"Arashi-san, I may be able to help if you can get the rebels to stage an attack at midnight" said Naruto.

"Tonight? That's too little time to organize everybody. And you would need an army kid to beat the Damiao's forces . Besides, how do we know we can trust you" asked Arashi.

"I have my ways. And if you can trust me or not, let's just say seeing the plight of your people, makes me remember how I used to be. You'll just have to have faith when I say you can trust me" Naruto said as he left in shunshin of wind.

Naruto entered the rendezvous point, having put his mask and headwear back on. When he got there, he was met with his two teammates, alligator-masked Wani and racoon-masked Tanuki.

"Report" said Naruto in a commanding voice that came out just a little to childish.

"We haven't noted any rebel movements today. They seem to be in hiding. Hopefully, we'll have better luck tomorrow, Taichou-sama" they said while kneeling.

"So you both failed in your objectives" Naruto said. Seeing that he wasn't going to get a response, he cut off the head of a kneeling Tanuki and before he could cut off the head of his other teammate, Wani jumped back reflexively.

"What are you doing, Kitsune. This is not in the mission parameters" said Wani.

"You both failed and as your taichou, I have the authority to execute you" Naruto said as he finished the hand signs for his jutsu. "Wind Release: Wind Explosion" Naruto shouted as a ball of unstable wind hurled towards his teammate.

Seeing the jutsu getting closer, Wani finished his own hand signs and shouted back "Water Release: Water Encampment Wall." The defensive jutsu slowed Naruto's down considerably, but still left some damage as Wani had to jump back a couple of times before he got his bearings straight. Quickly looking around, Wani tried desperately to find his wayward teammate. He knew it wasn't a good idea to give him a chance to fire off jutsus considering his large reserves augmented his power. He needed to get him close to have a chance.

Suddenly, Wani heard "Wind Release: Gale Wolf." Before he could react, a wolf made of of wind chakra began to claw and chew at him. Wani screamed as he tried to get the chakra creature off of him. Once the wind died down, Wani couldn't enjoy the peace as a tanto was now sticking out of his chest. Before he could scream out, he was already dead.

Burning the bodies of his teammates, who now couldn't report his betrayal to Danzo, he erased all evidence of his presence in the area. Now all he had to is wait for the rebels to organize themselves and attack the palace, he thought to himself.

Midnight

Once it was midnight, Naruto observed that there were quite a few rebels, over a hundred in all. By their demeanor and weapons, they didn't look to be more than chunin-level in strength. Walking closer to the group and taking off his mask and headwear, he noticed Arashi near the front. He had to give the man perks for bravery.

"I see you came and brought your friends" said Naruto.

"Yes, I have, but I could only convince less than half the rebels" Arashi said a little dejected.

"That will be enough for what I have planned" Naruto said and right then he finished hand signs for one of favorite jutsu. "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu" he shouted as a fifty Naruto's appeared in thin air.

"Wow, that many clones and their solid" said an amazed Arashi as murmurs of amazement and approval went through the group of rebels.

Naruto, however, was grew tired and pale as most of his chakra was siphoned off to his clones. 'Only fifty', he thought to himself. 'I really need to work on increasing my reserves' Naruto promised himself.

"Okay. I want twenty of your men, Arashi. They'll be coming with me as we attack the front of the palace. I want you to lead the rest of your men to attack the back of the palace ten minutes later when chaos breaks out" Naruto explained.

"But if your attacking the front, your going to need more men. The Damiao has most of the samurai stationed there, five hundred in all and we don't even know how many Konoha shinobi are there for protection either" Arashi tried to explain.

"Don't worry about that. I've got that covered. Just make sure your men discreetly kill any shinobi or otherwise that try to escape." Naruto said. Truth is, Naruto already summoned the fox clan members he wanted part of the offensive, and they are hidden via genjutsu in strategic locations.

The battle was quick and decisive. The samurai and loyal Rice shinobi didn't expect the rebels to attack in this organized and quick way tonight so they were cut down easily by Naruto's summons and clones and the rebels. After dispelling his shadow clones, Naruto and his partner Suzuki killed the couple of Root shinobi guarding the Damiao. Making his way to the Damiao, Naruto cut off his head much to the fanfare of the cheering crowds of rebels.

Seeing his red fox help him take down the Damiao's men and Konoha shinobi, the rebels began shouting "Red Fox, Red Fox, Red Fox!" Arashi came up to Naruto and said "Thank you, you saved our country and my clan. Truly, we are in your debt."

"You don't have to thank me. I was touched by your people's determination. Without it, I would never have helped you" Naruto said.

"Still, you are the hero of this country. What do we call you?" Arashi asked.

Thinking about it, Naruto concluded that he couldn't give his real name since he was still a Konoha shinobi. "Call me the Red Fox" he finally replied.

"Then to Red Fox-sama, Hero of Rice" Arashi yelled as the crowds cheered the same phrase.

"Alright, I have to go home now since I already helped you guys" said Naruto.

"Wait, you can't leave. We need a strong leader or we'll surely fall. You have to lead this country. You have to lead us" pleaded Arashi.

"Don't worry. I plan to return, but until then I appoint you Arashi as leader of Rice. In my absence, make sure no one enters Rice or leaves it. Information about what happened here tonight shouldn't leave this room. Especially make sure that no one learns how I look. And whatever you do, don't try to change the treaty the Damiao signed with Konoha" explained Naruto.

"Wait, what. But that's the reason we fought today. To be free of Konoha" said Arashi.

"We can eventually change the treaty. But if we rip it up right now, all we'll do is earn Konoha's wrath" Naruto said.

"Don't worry. I'll do my best to ensure Rice's safety until you return" Arashi promised confidently.

As Naruto left Rice to go back to Konoha, he told a dozen or so fox summons to stay in Rice and guard the place. He especially didn't want information of who saved Rice to reach Danzo.

One Day Later

"So what you're telling me is that you and your team entered Rice right after a rebellion occurred. And the new leader immediately sent shinobi after your team who were ambushed and all killed while you only survived because of the Kyuubi's chakra healing you?" asked Danzo frustratingly.

"Hai Danzo-sama. The perpetrators seemed to be using some kind of time stopping techniques" Naruto said.

Danzo just became even more frustrated. Who was this new leader who took over Rice? Was he a new threat to Konoha? There's no word of Rice changing the favorable treaties with Konoha. What is he up to, Danzo thought to himself. Yes, he would send a few teams to scout out the Fire-Rice border and maybe get a look at what's happening in the country.

Two Weeks Later

Naruto had some break time after mission after mission that Danzo put him through. He was never allowed to complain, but if he could he would certainly yell at Danzo for making him work so much. But Naruto could hardly blame him since he lost many of his shinobi in scouting missions to Rice, courtesy of Naruto's summons. He almost lost his composure and laughed when Danzo told him that his fourth team to Rice didn't come back at all. When Naruto told him that the enemy was using some kind of time-stopping techniques, he knew Danzo would waste valuable assets trying to find out what those techniques are and who uses them. Naruto wasn't completely lying, the fox's sound-based genjutsu acts as a sort of time-stopper because to one caught it in it, it seems his opponent's movements are going much faster. But Naruto couldn't just chuckle at Danzo's expense. He had a country to protect now and to properly to protect Rice, he had to gain proper intelligence about Danzo and Konoha in general. That's why he was going to use his break time to sneak into Danzo's office and library to find more about Danzo's and Konoha's secrets. Naruto created two shadow clones. He gave the first shadow clone just enough chakra that it wouldn't automatically dispel if someone hit it. He then had the second shadow clone use the Perfect Henge Technique to transform into a fly that would dispel to alert the real Naruto if there was trouble or if he was found out. Naruto learned many covert infiltration techniques from the old fox Watanabi including the Perfect Henge. These techniques allowed the fox clan to travel far and wide and learn many human chakra techniques. However, Perfect Henge required demonic fox chakra. Since the Fox Clan's chakra originated from Kurama they can use it as effectively as Naruto. As he left his room inside the base, he used the Perfect Henge Technique to transform into Danzo himself. Walking through the halls of the base, Naruto erased the memory of anyone who saw him using the Fox Clan's Memory Muddle Technique. It allows him to confuse and jumble someone's short term memory in this case so they don't remember that saw Danzo walking through the base or at least think they were only imagining it. Opening the door to Danzo's office and personal library, Naruto began to go through scroll after scroll. Naruto stopped sifting through scrolls when he came upon a scroll that had his name on it. Quickly reading it, Naruto was stunned when he read the results of his bloodwork. He is the son of Kushina Uzumaki and Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. He took a step back as he tried to process this information. 'This is crazy. I can't be the Yondaime's son. He's the Golden Hokage and I'm just the demon brat, hated and reviled. This is impossible. If it were true, I would be the Golden Prince, just like Menma Namikaze' he thought. Then it hit Naruto like a brick wall. He was the abandoned child, used as the sacrifice a jinchuuriki is while his brother was loved and happy. He was tossed aside to live in the obscurity of ANBU while his brother was groomed to become the next Hokage to perpetuate Konoha's tyrannic rule over the world. 'No' Naruto thought, 'I will be second to none.' He would take over Konoha and bring a new order to the world. Then, there can finally be peace, he said to himself as he continued looking over scrolls pertaining to Konoha's power structure and Danzo's plans to take power.

Minato Namikaze was having another bad day as the paperwork in his office grew by the hour. It was all because of the power struggle between the Uchiha and Hyuuga, the two largest and most powerful clans in Konoha. Minato couldn't believe it, but he actually wished council meetings would become boring again. Nowadays, the Uchiha and Hyuuga factions were openly threatening each other and more than once, he had to order his ANBU to break up these heated exchanges before they spiraled into actual battles. They fought over everything: money, power, land, businesses, etc. Almost every issue brought before the council would end with the Hyuuga on one side and the Uchiha on the other. If Minato knew that marrying Mikoto would cause such strife in the village, he might have rethought the marriage proposal. On second thought, no he wouldn't. These days, he couldn't be happier he thought. He treasured every moment he had with her and he knew she dearly loved him back. Their daughter Narumi is turning three in a few days and Minato couldn't be more proud. She has his golden-yellow hair but Mikoto's deep, black eyes. However, what made Minato always smile was her mature attitude as she was always getting her nine year old brother Menma out of trouble. Yes, Minato wouldn't trade her or her mother for the world. He just had to find a solution to pacify those two power-hungry clans.

"Hey, gaki. I see your still enjoying all the paperwork" said an amused Jiraiya.

Hearing his sensei's voice broke Minato out of his thoughts. "Ah, it's nice to see you sensei. Where have you been. You've been gone for two weeks, and no one has heard from you" Minato replied.

"Yeah, before we get to that, you should know that the Hyuuga accepted the marriage contract between Menma Uzumaki Namikaze and Hinata Hyuuga" Jiraiya replied.

"Whew. I'm glad. I just hope that will be enough to pacify Hiashi. He can be a real stick sometimes" Minato replied.

"You don't seem too concerned that essentially forcing your son into a marriage he has no idea about. You didn't even leave in a clause where he can get out if he doesn't love Hyuuga heiress" said a concerned Jiraiya.

"I know you see Menma as a grandson, but we have to think about the village on this one. I've been hearing rumours of some of the Main House elders of the Hyuuga planning some kind rebellion to force the village to give more concessions to them. I had to make sure to end any thoughts of rebellion before they become cemented and putting a clause like that would make them think we're not being honest" Minato explained.

"Alright, I just hope they actually fall in love. If Menma falls for another girl, it could be disastrous" Jiraiya replied.

"I know that. That's why going to have them be together as much as possible from now on" Minato said. He just wished that Hinata becomes Menma's Mikoto. From what Minato saw of the girl the few he met her, she is bit shy, but a good girl.

"What are you going to do about the Uchiha." asked Jiraiya.

"Honestly, I don't know. I've given them everything they could want. I've allowed them to join the regular forces, instead of just the Military Police. I've reduced the Uchiha's tensions and suspicions with the other clans by debunking the theory that they had anything to do with Kyuubi attack or that they Kyuubi was controlled by a Sharingan-based genjutsu. I've given them more land and businesses. And through my marriage with Mikoto and daughter Narumi, the Uchiha have become preeminent in Konoha and the Land of Fire. I didn't even ask for any concessions from the Uchiha that the other clans were demanding like providing secret jutsus for the Konoha Archive Library because the Uchiha have copied so many techniques of other clans with their all-seeing Sharingan. I seriously don't know what else I can do for them. I just don't understand Fugaku. What is he playing at?" explained Minato.

"He may just be jealous about you marrying his wife. It was humiliating for him and since he's Head of the Uchiha Clan and the Uchiha Military Police, he might just be giving you a headache on purpose" suggested Jiraiya.

"I hope your right, Jiraiya. Regardless, I'm going to take a harder line with the Uchiha from now on. If the carrot doesn't work, then the only thing left is the stick. Since the most of the Uchiha clan supports me and Mikoto, hopefully Fugaku will change course or be replaced" Minato replied.

"That's a good plan. But there is one more thing you should know, the Land of Rice went through a coup d'etat" Jiraiya said.

"What! When did this happen" exclaimed Minato.

"Two weeks ago" answered Jiraiya.

"And you waited that long to tell me about it" Minato said incredulously.

"I had to make sure it was true. They didn't change any policies or treaties towards us, but when my contacts in the region stopped reporting to me, I knew something was up. I've been investigating the Rice border for the past few weeks. At first I couldn't find anything, but when I went inside I was attacked with powerful sound-based genjutsu cast by invisible things. I'm not sure they were even human. I had to make a quick retreat before I could observe the country" Jiraiya explained.

"Their invisible? And they're not human?" asked Minato disbelievingly. This sounded too much like a horror movie he watched with his family a few months ago.

"It might have been powerful genjutsu to make themselves invisible, though. I don't know. I didn't think I would encounter such powerful genjutsu outside the Kurama or Uchiha clans. And they certainly didn't fight like they walked on two feet" Jiraiya clarified.

"Do you think they're a threat? Should I send a couple of squads of Konoha shinobi to restore the royal family of Rice" asked Minato.

"I don't think that would be a good idea. We have no idea of the kind of defense they have right now so we might just be sending Konoha shinobi to their deaths unnecessarily. They probably killed off the entire royal family and most of the nobles by now. Anybody left would be too far from the royal line to matter and if there's no one legitimate enough to take the throne, it could throw Rice into endless civil wars and destabilize the wider region. Besides, we're not officially supposed to be in the country that's why we had Root protect the Damiao. If other countries get wind of cracks in the Southern Alliance, it could jeopardize our entire foreign policy" Jiraiya explained in detail.

"Yeah you're right. But I still want you to keep trying to get information about the country, its defenses, and the ruling clique" Minato said.

"Consider it taken care of" Jiraiya said confidently. "But tonight, how about we get a few drinks and hit the bar. Maybe meet a few ladies" he suggested slyly.

"I'm married and have kids, Jiraiya. What do you think Mikoto is going to say if I come home past midnight" Minato asked.

"Oh loosen up. This job's going to get you faster than you realize. You need some time to relax. Just tonight, come with me to the bar. You can't deny your poor, old sensei now can you" said Jiraiya.

"Alright, just for tonight" Minato said as he got up to leave. Jiraiya was right; he couldn't deny his sensei who did so much for him. He was just an orphan from a no name clan, but he made him his apprentice, taught him his most secretive and powerful techniques, and put him on the path to becoming Hokage. But as Minato locked the door to his office, he just knew he was going to regret this in the morning.

Fugaku Uchiha couldn't be more excited. He was finally finishing up his plans to seize control of Konoha. Ever since that fool Minato took power, he has been giving the Uchiha more and more rights and now they had enough influence to stage an open rebellion. Ever since the Uchiha were allowed to join the regular forces, many of his clansmen quickly rose to positions of power through their prowess in the ninja arts. Now they would use this influence by holding vital buildings in Konoha hostage until their demands are met including more land and most of the businesses west of the Uchiha compound as well as more power and rights in the Konoha Council. He would now show that brat Minato who's really in charge of Konoha. And he would show Mikoto just how big of a mistake she made when she chose to divorce him for that brat of a hokage. Fugaku sincerely loved Mikoto and had two wonderful sons because of her: Itachi, a clan prodigy, and Sasuke, who is not far behind. He always knew that Mikoto didn't love him as much as he loved her, but he always thought they shared a special connection. But apparently, their entire marriage was a lie since immediately after Kushina's death, she threw herself to Minato. Fugaku just couldn't come up with an answer for her baffling behavior. Was he, the Uchiha Clan Head and Commander of the Military Police Force, that much inferior to the supposed Golden Hokage that she would rather be Minato's second than his first. Ever since the day Mikoto abruptly ended their marriage, he gained the power to seek his revenge: the legendary Mangekyou sharingan. With this power, even Minato's Hiraishin will become useless to his Susano'o since kunais can't get through the chakra armour. As Fugaku kept thinking about his power, he couldn't help but get even more excited. The only thing that lowered Fugaku's good mood is thinking about his wayward son, Itachi. He should have never sent him to Root. The only reason he did it was because back then the Uchiha clan was severely ostracized in the village and it was good to have an ally like Danzo. But ever since Itachi joined, he has become more and more emotionless and his love for the clan was slowly replaced with love for the village. He just knew that the accusations that his son had anything to do with Shisui Uchiha's death were wrong. Fugaku only hoped that Itachi made the right choice and chose his clan and his father in the end. With his prodigy son at his side and the Mangekyou, no one would be able to stop him. Yes, soon, everyone will speak his name in fear and awe.

Three Weeks Later

Minato was furious. He just got wind that the Fugaku was planning a rebellion even though he gave him concession after concession without asking for anything in return. Even more frustratingly, it was Danzo that brought him this information and that old warhawk just had to rub it in by reminding him that it was his policies that reversed Nidaime Hokage's laws that isolated the Uchiha, allowed them to infiltrate every sect of Konoha's forces. The only saving grace in the whole mess is that only about twenty shinobi joined Fugaku with the vast majority of the Uchiha Clan supporting Mikoto and him. If hundreds of Uchiha clansmen decided to openly rebel, Konoha would be plunged into a disastrous civil war that would likely start a Fourth Great Shinobi War. However, twenty highly trained Uchiha clansmen can still do a lot of damage and hold key areas hostage, putting the village into a standstill. Minato knew he would have deal with this quietly and swiftly. But first, he would have to consult with Mikoto. He couldn't have this incident hurt his relationship with his beloved wife. After a couple more minutes of contemplation, Minato heard a knock on his door as Mikoto entered the room.

"You called for me, Minato? You know you don't have to send those ANBU to have a chat with me" Mikoto said playfully.

"I'm sorry for calling you like that Mikoto-chan, but this is important" Minato said.

"What could it possibly be" Mikoto asked worriedly.

"Fugaku is leading a rebellion with twenty of his clansmen. They plan to hold key areas of the village hostage" Minato said.

"What? What are you going to do?" asked an anxious Mikoto.

"I'm going to have to end the rebellion with my ANBU. You know we have been having negotiation after negotiation with him and now he's planning this" Minato said with a hint of finality.

Mikoto couldn't imagine Fugaku dead. She always knew that he loved her even though he never showed it and spent almost no time with her or the boys. Even though she thought that he got over the divorce, she knew this rebellion must be driven by jealous rage and deep down, she didn't want to be the cause of her former husband's death.

"Can you try again, Minato. For me. I just don't want to see so many of my clansmen die" answered Mikoto.

Minato knew the time for talking was over and the time for action was now. But he couldn't disappoint his Mikoto. 'What to do? What to do? Ah, that's it. All I have to do is order Danzo's Root forces to stop the rebellion. Then, I could explain to Mikoto that Danzo went against orders and killed the perpetrators of the rebellion. Then he could accuse Danzo of killing prominent Uchiha clan members to harvest their eyes. This would allow him to execute Danzo and kill the Root forces involved in the incident. With this plan, he could get the Root forces, which have been so helpful in underhanded and morally ambiguous missions, under his thumb and Mikoto could get justice for Fugaku. Everyone would win' he thought to himself.

'Alright, Mikoto-chan. For you, I'll try negotiation one more time" Minato said lovingly.

Mikoto was so happy and proud that she had such an understanding husband that she went and hugged Minato tightly. This just made her love Minato that much more.

One Day Later

"You call for me, Hokage-sama" said Danzo neutrally.

"Yes, I want you to use your Root forces to quash the Fugaku's rebellion. When you are done, report to me the details of the mission. Failure is not an option" said Minato coolly.

Danzo thought about this order. It was certainly unusual. A Hokage would want to use his own ANBU forces to keep control of this situation. 'Unless, Minato wants to use this as an excuse to finally get rid of me' Danzo thought. Well, Danzo's been playing this game since this brat's parents were in diapers. 'All I have to do is have Kitsune lead the mission to end the rebellion. Minato can't execute the Kyuubi jinchuuriki and will be forced to sweep this under the rug' Danzo thought to himself strategically.

"Hai, I understand" Danzo replied as he got up to leave.

As Danzo left his office, Minato knew that this went too smoothly. Danzo didn't even complain or anything. 'What you are planning, Danzo' Minato thought to himself.

Later That Day

As Naruto walked into Danzo's office, he knew something big was up. The entire base was in chaos all day.

"You called for me, Danzo-sama" Naruto said kneeling.

"Yes, you are to lead a mission vital to village security. Make no mistake, this is the most important mission you have ever been involved in. Failure is not an option. Do you accept" asked, more like demanded, Danzo.

"Hai, Danzo-sama" said Naruto immediately.

"Then you are to lead a mission to stop the rebellion of twenty Uchiha clansmen led by the Head of the Uchiha Clan, Fugaku Uchiha. Read this scroll. It contains the the mission specifics and parameters. This information comes directly from our operative Karasu: Itachi Uchiha. The rebellion begins tomorrow at daybreak. Assemble your teams and be ready to stop the rebellion before it begins" Danzo ordered.

"Hai Danzo-sama" Naruto said as he disappeared in a shunshin of wind.

The Next Day

Naruto was nervous but also excited. Today, he would stop the Uchiha revolt to take over the village. He already divided his Root ANBU into five teams of ten team-members each to protect the five areas the Uchiha were going to attack today. Since Fugaku only had twenty shinobi to command, he knew fifty shinobi, almost a third of Root's forces, was a bit overkill. But he also knew that it never pays to underestimate highly trained Uchiha clansmen whose battle prowess is legendary. He knew that the ultimate challenge was going to be taking down Fugaku and his men who were attacking the the essential water processing plant in the north side of the village. Fugaku was an Elite Jounin before becoming the Uchiha Clan Head and it was not going to be easy fighting him, especially without his summons since they would be fighting inside the village and Naruto couldn't have anyone know about his summons just yet. That's why he gave specific orders to the crow-masked operative Karasu, aka Itachi, to have his team quickly dispatch their opponents so he could help him take Fugaku. Naruto just hoped all this preparation is enough.

As Naruto and his nine teammates hid in the trees close to the water plant, they saw Fugaku and three other Uchiha enter the water treatment facility. After a while, they heard screams which were growing feinter by the minute. They were given specific orders to wait for the Uchiha to use their Sharingan to put all the workers in their genjutsu before engaging. No one is to know of this clandestine operation. Hearing the screams all but extinguished, Naruto addressed his team.

"Okay, I want you guys to split up into three teams of three and take down one of the clansmen Fugaku brought with him each while I take down Fugaku alone. Once you are done with your opponent, I want you to immediately come help me with Fugaku" Naruto ordered.

"Hai, Taichou-sama" they said in unison as they left to complete their tasks.

Entering the water plant, Naruto found Fugaku leaning absentmindedly on one of the railings while his subordinates fought off teams of Root ANBU.

Seeing Naruto calmly getting closer to him, Fugaku said "So the Hokage sent me a brat pretending to be ANBU. How insulting."

Not keen on starting a conversation, Naruto did the tiger seal and shouted "Shadow Clone Jutsu" as three copies of him appeared. They each quickly did the same hand seals and shouted "Wind Release: Great Breakthrough" as hurricane-level winds traveled towards Fugaku.

Fugaku was stunned at the speed and power of this kid's jutsu. 'He must have insane reserves' he thought to himself. However, his Sharingan quickly told him the path to go to avoid the jutsu. Avoiding the destructive technique, Fugaku did his own hand seals and shouted "Fire Release: Great Fireball Jutsu" as a large ball of fire consumed Naruto. Seeing the charred body of Naruto puff out of existence, Fugaku instantly became alert. His Sharingan showing him that the real Naruto is behind him and preparing to strike him with tanto, Fugaku instantly did hand seals for another jutsu. Blocking the tanto with his chakra-covered boot, Fugaku shouted "Fire Release: Fire Phoenix Jutsu."

Naruto felt a deep pain as his face and chest were hit with multiple fireballs. Once all was set and done, Naruto barely had a shirt left as charred skin was clearly visible. Luckily, his mask protected from the worst wounds to his face; however, in the process he lost his headwear and his Fox mask fell down on the floor, cracked and broken into multiple pieces. As the Kyuubi's chakra began healing his wounds, Naruto thought to himself 'So this is the power of the Sharingan. Its legendary power has certainly not been exaggerated. I'm going to have up the ante if I'm going to have a chance to survive.'

Seeing the long, dark red hair and whisker marks, Fugaku started laughing saying, "Ha ha ha. So that Minato-brat sent the Jinchuuriki after me. I'm honored. For all the Uchiha clansmen slain on the day of your cursed birth, I'm going to enjoy killing you" Fugaku said maniacally. Lost in conversation, Fugaku didn't notice Naruto running to the other side of the building until it was too late. "Hey, where are you running off to? Realized it's futile to fight against the Sharingan?" Fugaku asked. However, he became wide eyed seeing Naruto use his tanto to cut the main pipe of the water plant as gallons upon gallons of water rushed into the building.

Seeing the place partly submerged, Naruto smirked as he said "Let us see which is greater: my mastery over the water element and your mastery of the Sharingan."

Naruto quickly went through the necessary hand seals and shouted "Water Release: Hidden Mist Jutsu." As a strong mist surrounded the building, Naruto made the tiger seal and shouted "Shadow Clone Jutsu" as seven shadow clone jutsus surrounded Fugaku. Not letting up, Naruto and his clones kept making hand seals, shouting "Water Release: Water Canon Jutsu" as eight strong beam of boiling water traveled at lightning speeds towards Fugaku.

Fugaku stood there astonished for a moment at the speed and mastery over Naruto this young kid had over water. Quickly, getting his bearings straight, Fugaku disappeared in a mirage-like flicker from the place where eight boiling beams of water collided in a spectacular explosion. Fugaku then instantly appeared behind real Naruto and punched the back of his head.

Naruto landed roughly on the ground. 'This is going to leave a headache in the morning' he thought to himself. Before Naruto could even get his bearings straight, Fugaku appeared right in front of him and punched him again, this time square in the nose. Naruto quickly backflipped three times before stabilizing himself. Holding his bloody and broken nose, Naruto thought 'how is he doing this? It's like he's instantly transporting himself to wherever I am. Either that or he's stopping time. Oh, how could I be such an idiot; its genjutsu. Flaring his chakra and shouting "Kai" multiple times, Naruto mentally thanked that old fox Watanabi for all his lessons on genjutsu. Remembering to not look at a Sharingan user in the eyes, Naruto stared at Fugaku's feet to try and predict his movements. Naruto knew that things were not looking good, he was running out of chakra after using so many high-level techniques and he hasn't been able land even a scratch on the Uchiha head. Seeing that he's not good enough in taijutsu, Naruto took out his tanto, quickly completed the necessary hand signs, and shouted "Wind Release: Vacuum Blade" as a hazy, almost visible, layer of wind chakra coated his favorite weapon.

"So you realized you were stuck in an illusion and you managed to dispel one of my stronger multilayered genjutsu, you are indeed impressive, young jinchuuriki. You've shown great skill in ninjutsu, but let us see how you fare in kenjutsu" taunted Fugaku as he dodged a swipe from Naruto.

Fugaku beautifully dodged or blocked all of Naruto's blows as though he was in a dance competition rather than fighting in a life or death battle, his speed and sharingan's predictive ability allowing him to easily foresee all of Naruto's moves.

'He's mocking me. Very well, I will use his overconfidence against him' thought Naruto as he made vertical swipe against Fugaku's chest. Seeing Fugaku dodge his swipe, a clone of Naruto made tried to make an upward slash against Fugaku's back.

"Oh so your learning. But that doesn't matter. My eyes can see all" declared Fugaku as he effortlessly began to dodge the clone's slash.

Seeing Fugaku dodging the clone, Naruto instantly made two more clones of himself and all three made different swipes against Fugaku. Fugaku, seeing that he couldn't dodge them all, decided to take a downward slash of one of the clones while dodging the all others. Fugaku kneeled as blood dripped from the wound on his shoulder.

Seeing what his overconfidence and bluster cost him in battle, Fugaku decided to end their little excitement. The three tomoe in his Sharingan eyes combined into a pinwheel-like pattern.

Naruto was too stunned to move. He heard about the legendary eyes of Madara Uchiha that were said to so powerful they could tame even the tailed beasts.

"Run away, kit. You can't fight those cursed eyes. Get away now" Kurama screamed inside Naruto's head.

"By your expression, I see you know what these eyes are capable of. Yes, these are the legendary Mangekyou Sharingan. And with it, I shall be your demise" promised Fugaku as Naruto's entire world turned black and white. He found himself on a tied to a cross as seemingly thousands of copies of himself were also tied to similar crosses. Even more horrifyingly, each crucified copy of himself had a devilish Fugaku with a sword in front of them. Realizing that this must be a genjutsu, Naruto kept flaring his chakra to of no avail.

"You are in the world of the Tsukiyomi. You're in my world now. And time moves differently here than in the outside world. In here, I'm going to torture you for seventy-two hours while outside only a second will have passed. Raising, his sword, Fugaku stabbed Naruto in the leg. Hearing Naruto's screams, Fugaku said "only seventy-one hours fifty-nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds left" as he stabbed Naruto on the other leg.

However, Naruto experienced only thirty hours of excruciating pain and found himself kicked aside by a stoic-looking Itachi Uchiha without his crow-mask. "This battle is beyond you, now. I will take it from here" Itachi said without even glancing at Naruto's direction.

"Itachi, my son, what are you doing? Do you intend to fight against your own father?" asked Fugaku as concern etched into his once booming voice as Mangekyou returned to its normal Sharingan form.

"Yes" Itachi replied, not losing his stoic demeanor as neither his face nor his body showed any conflict at all.

"I see. You have become one of Danzo's emotionless tools. You're the one who's been spying for Danzo and the Hokage. You're the one who ruined this day for us" Fugaku said sadly. "I'm sorry, Itachi, for making you go through Root. I can't imagine the kinds of things that sick man did to you. You have endured so much for the Uchiha Clan. If there is any part of the Itachi I used to know, please lay down your weapons and join me. For your father. For the Uchiha" said Fugaku passionately.

"I am a not a mere tool of Danzo and I will not be your tool either. You will bring ruin to the Uchiha. What exactly do you hope to gain by rebelling against the Village, our very home. Even if you succeed, you will lose all your bargaining chips when you cede control of places you are holding hostage. This is just a misguided crusade for revenge and I will end it before you can embarrass the Clan any further" said Itachi emotionlessly.

"I see, so you have made your decision. Very well. Live with the consequences, then" declared an angry Fugaku as he reactivated his Mangekyou Sharingan. To his utter surprise, his son activated a pair of Mangekyou Sharingan as well. Dumbfounded, Fugaku asked "Did you really kill Shisui to gain those eyes?" demanded Fugaku angrily.

"No I did not. I would never kill an Uchiha without just cause" said Itachi matter-of-factly. "I gained these eyes when I killed two of our clansmen in your rebellion, father" said an impassive Itachi.

"Well then, let us see who has greater visual prowess: the son or the father" declared Fugaku as he activated his Susano'o. Right then, a large, blue skeleton with samurai armour, a sword, and a shield surrounded Fugaku. At the same time, a purple skeleton with similar armour, sword and shield surrounded Itachi. Both family members approached each other in steps that shook the entire the building. Then they clashed swords in an explosion of wind and chakra that blew Naruto a couple of feet back. Still reeling from thirty straight hours of physical and psychological torture, Naruto could only stare at these two titans facing off, paralyzed with fear and depression. He actually thought that he could face off against Fugaku Uchiha. Even without his Mangekyou, he was dominating their fight. Without, Itachi, he certainly would be dead. And there's a whole clan of Uchihas. As Naruto kept seeing images of hundreds upon hundreds of Sharingans glaring at him, he started hitting his head on the pavement to get rid of those cursed eyes in his head. Ahh. He thought he could actually take over Konoha and protect Rice when he couldn't even protect himself.

"Get a hold of yourself, kit. You need to get out of here" Kurama pleaded as another explosion of chakra and wind happened, this time closer to Naruto's location as parts of the ceiling started falling apart. Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to move anytime soon, Kurama yelled in Naruto's mindscape as loudly as he could "KIT, WAKE UP. SO WHAT YOU LOST ONE BATTLE. DO YOU WANT TO THROW IT ALL AWAY. DO YOU WANT TO PROVE MINATO RIGHT WHEN HE THREW YOU OUT" yelled the Kyuubi.

"Ahhhhhhhh!" Naruto screamed as Kurama screamed inside his head as his blinding headache from Fugaku's punches returned with a vengeance. As the Naruto's headache began to numb, Naruto sluggishly dodged a piece of the ceiling as Itachi and Fugaku continued to clash swords. Dodging parts of the ceiling and debris flying in the air, Naruto thought about what Kurama said. He was right. He couldn't throw everything away because he lost this battle. He could get stronger only if he survives this day. Picking up his tanto, Naruto watched the battle keenly, looking for any weakness in Fugaku he could exploit.

As the battle progressed between father and son, Fugaku soon realized he would run out of chakra soon so he went back to his human form because of his previous taxing battle with Naruto and thought of a new plan.

"Looks like this battle has been decided, father" said Itachi stoically seeing as his father has run out of chakra.

"Don't get cocky, brat. Who do you think helped Shisui perfect his shunshin. Try to see if you can catch me" challenged Fugaku. True to his word, Fugaku was insanely fast with his shunshin. Teleporting from one location to another, Itachi became more and more frustrated. He knew he was running out of chakra, just like his father he couldn't keep this form forever, and in a straight fight with him, he would likely lose. 'I needed to end this quickly, but how?' he thought.

Before Itachi could come up with an answer, Fugaku said in a booming voice "You know there are other secrets to the Mangekyou other than Susano'o. Allow me to show you. Amaterasu" Fugaku said as a black fire began consuming Itachi's Susano'o. Then, Fugaku finished his hand signs and shouted "Wind Release: Wind Dragon" as a dragon made of pure wind chakra consumed Itachi's Susano'o, amplifying the black flames of Amaterasu to even greater heights.

When the area cleared, Itachi was found in the center of a large crater with his looking charred and broken as he multiple was bleeding from multiple areas.

Activating Susano'o only on his arm and wielding the blue chakra sword, Fugaku declared "the last of my chakra. I'm proud of you" he said to a wide eyed Itachi who saw in slow motion, thanks to his Sharingan, Naruto stabbing his tanto through his father's back and out his chest before the Susano'o sword could reach him. "My son… always" Fugaku choked out as he breathed his last. Itachi could only stare ahead, stunned at the revelation and the fact that he couldn't get the image of Naruto stabbing his father in the back out of his head. Thanks to his Sharingan, he memorized every last excruciating detail.

"We should get out here. The others finished fighting their opponents. We have to meet up with the other squads at the rendezvous" Naruto said.

Staring at Naruto with sheer loathing, Itachi only managed to squeak out a "Hai" as he turned to leave. Itachi feared if he stayed with Naruto a minute longer, he might be liable to kill his taichou.

Once Itachi left, Naruto asked what the Kyuubi wanted.

"I want to pluck one of the Sharingans off the dead bodies and keep it with you for later" Kurama said.

"What? No way. I am not getting near one of those cursed eyes" Naruto said with an air of finality.

"Look, think about this, kit. Danzo's probably coming here soon with his goons to snatch up the rest of the sharingans. You experienced that unbreakable genjutsu. Do you want to be that helpless again?" asked the Kyuubi.

"No. But those things disgust. I'm never putting them on even if I am helpless to that Tsuki-whatever-that-was" Naruto answered.

"Look, I experienced a similar genjutsu when I attacked Konoha. Do you think I enjoy taking pitiful human lives for fun? No, I'm much too advanced for that. However, I was controlled by a Mangekyou Sharingan, an unbreakable genjutsu that instead of torturing you for seventy-two hours instead takes away all you free will. Do you want to be a mere puppet to Danzo or Itachi's whims" asked Kurama seriously.

"No" Naruto replied. "But can I really pluck out my own eye and replace it with someone else's" Naruto asked.

"You actually don't have to put one on. You just have to have your fox summons partner use it. He's the one who specializes in genjutsu, not you so he might be better able to take advantage of it. And in the eventuality someone tries to control us using those cursed eyes, your partner will recognize it and he'll be able to get us out of the genjutsu" explained Kurama.

"You're right. That does make sense. But whose should I take? I should give Suzuki Fugaku's Mangekyou Sharingan" said Naruto.

"No. That's too obvious. If even one of Fugaku's eyes are missing, they'll immediately blame us. Take a normal Sharingan from that half-burnt body to your right. Take the Sharingan from the burnt side and burn that side even further to make it seem like the eye melted, along with the rest of that side of his body, due to the flames" explained Kurama.

After doing what Kurama suggested, Naruto left to the rendezvous point as Root shinobi began filling the area to presumably harvest the remaining Sharingans for Danzo.

Later That Night

"This is your full report, Hokage-sama" Danzo told Minato respectfully.

"So what you are saying that all the bodies of the Uchiha clansmen you were ordered to apprehend were burned in the course of the battles? All of them?" Minato asked angrily. Danzo likely harvested twenty pairs of Sharingans. Only Kami knows what he plans to do with them, he thought.

"Hai, the battles were more intense than we thought and many of my shinobi specialize in Fire Technique" answered Danzo.

"Most Konoha shinobi specialize in the Fire element. That doesn't mean they go around burning every enemy they encounter" replied a frustrated Minato. "Ah, forget it. Tell me more about this mission" ordered Minato.

"Well, everything went without a hitch, Hokage-sama. We only have two Root shinobi in critical condition, but the medics believe they'll make a recovery. Our operative, Kitsune, is indeed a fine leader. He has led many missions in the past, but it was during this mission he really shined. He and Karasu managed to take down Fugaku Uchiha."

"Really, who is this Kitsune" asked Minato.

"Oh, you know him as Naruto. He has indeed grown up to be a fine tool" Danzo replied.

Minato felt a sinking feeling in his gut when he heard that name. His entire plan shattered by Danzo's cunning. Minato can't pin this whole affair on Danzo now that the leader of the mission was Naruto because he just can't execute Naruto. Not just because Naruto might be his son, but also because people would start to wonder why they executed their jinchuuriki and if they are having a hard time controlling him. If that happens, villages like Kumo and Iwa, which each have two jinchuurikis, might smell weakness and be inclined to attack. He now had to sweep this whole incident under the rug. 'Ah, curse you Danzo' thought Minato. He would have to consult Jiraiya about all this. He needed to bring Danzo down, one way or another.

"That is all. You are dismissed" said Minato.

Seeing his revelation having the effect he wanted, Danzo internally smirked. "Have a nice day, Hokage-sama" he said, keeping his ever-stoic face.

The Next Day

Naruto was finally released from that cursed hospital where all the medics look at him with barely disguised hate. Seriously, if they didn't want him in there so badly, why did they have to keep him a full day. As Naruto left the hospital, a cat-masked ANBU appeared in front of him.

"You are wanted, by order of the Hokage" the ANBU said emotionlessly.

"Lead the way" said Naruto as the ANBU put a hand on his shoulder and in a shunshin of leaves, Naruto found himself in the Hokage's office in the Hokage Tower.

Kneeling, Naruto said as emotionlessly as he could "You called for me, Hokage-sama."

"Yes, due to your stellar performances in Root, you are leaving this secret organization and joining the Shinobi Academy. You will join the class made up by peers your age. Since they are now in their second year, you will be skipping the first year. Do you understand?" asked Minato.

Honestly, seeing Naruto's stoic face as he addressed him formally, hurt a little. 'He is acting just like Danzo acted yesterday in here' Minato thought to himself. After Danzo left his office, Minato consulted with Jiraiya who agreed that Naruto being the Kyuubi wouldn't make sense if we consider all the missions he completed for Konoha and his loyalty to the Leaf. From the records, he acts just like any other Root shinobi. However, he couldn't just go up to Naruto and tell him that he is his father. So Minato decided to send Naruto to the Academy to hopefully make some lasting bonds and break out his Root programming like Kakashi did when he joined a team. If he is able to make friends, it would be incontrovertible proof that Naruto is human since Tailed Beasts can't understand human emotions. Minato just hopes that Naruto accepts going to the Academy and this conversation with him goes better than the one he had with Mikoto. When she heard that Danzo and his Root were responsible for the death of her former husband and dozens of her clansmen, she was livid and out for blood. He had to calm her down and promise her that they would get justice for them all, but not by causing a civil war and more bloodshed.

Naruto was stunned by the Hokage's order. He did so well in ANBU he's being demoted to the Academy? Yeah right. 'What is the Hokage's game' Naruto thought. However, being just an Academy student would give him more time to rebuild Rice, train to get stronger, and enact his plan to take over Konoha. Yes, this would work out just fine, Naruto thought to himself.

"Hai Hokage-sama" said Naruto with a blank expression.

Minato didn't expect such a quick and emotionless response. But what could he expect from a Root shinobi. He just hoped that Naruto doesn't stay like this forever.

"Then you are dismissed" said Minato as Naruto then disappeared in a shunshin of wind.

I hoped you enjoy these new chapters. Next is the Academy arc as Naruto begins his plans to take control of Konoha and build Rice. Relationships with the clan heirs will also be prominent in the next arc. I plan on only a small harem for Naruto with Anko being the main relationship. Please comment and review! I do read them. Suffice is to say, this won't be just another neglect fic. I will be skewing away from plot of the manga and overused cliches. Naruto will have unique powers that will develop slowly.