AN: Note – Alltariss – This chapter reveals the events after the sealing of the Kyūbi. Most notably the direct and indirect effects the attack has had on the populace and the military forces. We also see a glimpse of both Naruto and Alto as they take their first breaths in the NarutoVerse.

Chapter 4

The Aftermath

When the first rays of dawn stretched from the horizon, the village and all who lived within felt great relief, for they had survived the night. Sarutobi stood atop the Hokage Mountain gazing down at the destruction that covered the village. From the epicentre of where the masked man summoned the Kyūbi was a conical crater that extended all the way to the base of the mountain. The only thing left to be seen was the broken water pipes that were still gushing water. There were buildings that collapsed due to having their load bearing walls damaged beyond repair. A lot of the buildings that were closer to the beast were completely smashed to pieces by its hands or tails. The rest of the buildings suffered fire damage, some minor and can be restored in time, others were not so lucky and had burnt to the ground.

The aged warrior sensed someone behind him and turned around swiftly.

"Relax Sarutobi-sensei, it's only me."

He relaxed as he was greeted by his student, Jiraiya.

"The walls are going to need to be repaired soon and we need them to be manned."

Sarutobi didn't respond with words, he simply turned around to look over the village once more.

I doubt we have the numbers to even do so…

"Hideo-sama has the civilians still staying in the bunkers. We would usually send them out so they could retrieve any valuables, but…"

Jiraiya let out a sigh of exhaustion. He had been working round the clock organising whatever forces were left. Danzo and Ishikawa were assisting him, but it wasn't easy.

"The ANBU forces need to recover after using most of their Chakra getting as many people to safety. And even if they were ready to continue their duties we still couldn't let them out due to the quarantine."

Sarutobi's brow creased in thought. "Quarantine?"

After dealing with that damnable beast we now have a fucking plague?

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, Hideo-sama issued it a few hours ago. Since then we've been making sure no one leaves the bunkers."

The old man looked carefully at the village; he took note that the only people in the village were military.

"Exactly what caused the quarantine to be issued? Airborne virus? Infected food or water?"

Where's Tsunade when we need her?

His student shook his head. "Nothing like that, it's the result of the Kyūbi's attack."

"Where it exhaled the bubble of its Chakra?" Sarutobi asked.

I've never heard of such a thing. Tobirama-sensei never mentioned such a technique.

"Yes," Jiraiya replied. "Most of it either combusted and started fires or it infected anyone who came in contact."

A look of confusion crossed Sarutobi's face. "Then how are you here and not in the hospital?"

Because if I remember correctly you jumped right towards it. You. Bloody. Idiot.

"That's the strange thing, it only affects those with low Chakra Reserves. Anyone else is just fine."

"Ah," the old Hokage replied with a look of relief. "In that case we can let those rested and ready to roam the village and secure it."

You're lucky I still need you or I would smack you around from dawn til dusk.

Jiraiya nodded and was about to say something but was interrupted by a messenger bird landing on the shoulder of his teacher. Sarutobi took the scroll off its back and quickly read its contents. Jiraiya watched as his teacher's face grew grim with each passing second.

"Danzō has called for a meeting in the office," he informed Jiraiya, whilst burning the scroll with a pulse of Chakra.

"Let's go then."

Without a second thought they vanished in a swirl of leaves.

The bunkers were more than just a cave within the Hokage Mountain. It was a unique part of the village and a wonder of the environment. The part of the mountain that was seen from the outside where the faces of the Hokages were carved from was the only part of the structure that was solid. The rest of the mountain was actually underground. Beneath the earth was a series of tunnels that lead to a massive cavern.

The immense cavity was discovered long before the village was born and was one of the main reasons that the village was built in such a location. The floor was uneven and any places that were flat were spaced away from each other and at varying depths and levels. It was due to the skill of Senju Hashirama that the place was now useable as an emergency evacuation area.

With his proficiency in Doton (Earth Release) he flattened the floor and shifted the stone until they were all at the same level. The result was a single cavern that could hold several thousands of people. This was repeated as they discovered three more caves of almost the same capacity. The four caves were then designated for different purposes.

The first cave was the main method of getting in and out of the bunkers. Therefore it was repurposed to have a variety of defensive structures that ninja could use to repel any invaders that attempt to get through. There were also small cabins that provided sleeping areas for the ninja to rest and recover allowing them to rotate shifts with those who stand guard.

The second was connected to the first with a tunnel going deeper into the ground. It served as the medical facility in case the hospital was destroyed or taken over by invaders. The facility didn't look anything like a cave as it had undergone many constructions to transform it into a near replica of the hospital in the village.

The third was even deeper into the earth which housed all the evacuated civilians. The cave was repurposed into a multi-story complex to expand the number of people the cave could hold. The fourth and final cave was an underground reservoir of water which was used to supply the inhabitants.

At the moment the caves were overpopulated as it was never designed to hold the number of people that the village currently had. It was originally meant for the population of Konoha when it was first founded.

"What's going on?"

"Why can't we go home?"

"Isn't the Kyūbi gone now?"

The director of the Konoha hospital closed his eyes and breathed deeply, hoping to relax his tensed body. He motioned for the shinobi next to him to pass the microphone over. Wetting his lips he prepared to speak to masses.

"Silence," he called out, his voice reverberating throughout the area and amplified by the sound system.

"I know that you are scared, tired, hungry, and eager to return to your homes, but that cannot happen at this point in time."

He could hear murmurs of discontent rising in volume.

"There is a plague that has covered the entirety of the village and as such no one is allowed to go out," he continued, hoping to cut off another round of shouting. "Until I can create a cure I'm afraid that nobody will be able to leave."

There were a series of panicked cries, each voice asking about the plague.

"The plague is very dangerous," he stated. "The symptoms are an increased desire to commit violence against others or to one's self. If you see anyone like that please inform the nearest ninja and the person will be taken to the medical area."

He turned off the device and made his way back to the medical facility in the upper cave, leaving the cacophony of shouts behind him.

Sometimes… I really fucking hate my job.

A group of children huddled together in a cramped room with only a few blankets to keep them warm. The younger ones were still crying, whilst the elder kids talked among themselves.

"What the hell was that thing?"

"That giant fox thing had nine tails, nine tails."

"I remember hearing about giant beasts with numerous tails."

"Yeah… What'd they called them, Bijū?"

"I heard that the more tails they have, the stronger they are."

"How many of those Bijū are there?"

"Nine, I think. The highest is nine tails."

"I heard that the Yondaime killed it."

"Really?"

"Yeah, with some crazy ninja skills."

"He's dead you know."

"What, how?"

"He died after he killed the thing."

"Then whose gonna be the Hokage now?"

"You reckon it'll be Sarutobi again?"

"No way! He's way too old to be Hokage, right?"

"I don't know anyone else who could take the title."

"Who knows what's gonna happen. Those ninja guys are always weird."

A group of civilians clustered together into a single room. Each one was an affluent member of the village with multiple fingers in a variety of businesses and projects.

"This is a fucking disaster."

"And with a plague to deal with as well. It's a sign from the gods."

"What I want to know is how that thing suddenly appeared in the middle of the village."

Each of them nodded and murmured their individual theories, but couldn't decide who was the most plausible.

"I heard one of ninja say that this wasn't an attack from a foreign country. He clearly said that this was a domestic issue."

"So that means we have a traitor in the village."

"Seems so, although how would a person capable of unleashing that thing go unnoticed is beyond my understanding."

"Exactly, someone must have had the guy under some sort of surveillance right?"

"That wouldn't make sense. We have the Yamanaka clan for a reason."

"He's right; they could have had the guy's mind scanned for whatever information they were hiding."

"Well whatever happened, happened. All we can do now is hope the Daimyo will provide support."

"He will, he's always given us aid when we needed it. Just look back at the wars we've had."

"Let's hope that still stands true."

The sick and wounded gathered near the tunnel entrance of the medical facility. Their families and friends begged passage through, but were being denied.

"Please, remain calm," a Jōnin shinobi called out. "We know you need help but we need to wait for the medics to give us the signal."

"Why can't we just go?" cried out a woman who held her bleeding husband's hand.

"We have limited space and even less supplies," he responded. "They can only take people in if they have the room to do so. Overcrowding the hospital would lead to another outbreak."

The woman was still distressed, but held herself from saying any more.

The shinobi on duty were unnerved by the sheer number of sick and wounded as a result of the plague and attack. During the wars it was common to see groups of ninja in a medic's tent, but while the severity of the sight was not unfamiliar the quantity certainly was.

I hope this shit gets sorted out soon, otherwise we'll have a riot on our hands.

"Hold him down dammit!" Hideo shouted to the three nurses beside him.

The patient convulsed violently as his body underwent the rigors of forced accelerated healing. The process was not a pleasant one. The cuts along his body were sutured, but still bled as each slice was fresh. They had to exorcise entire chunks of his flesh before the necrosis could set in and spread.

After a tense few minutes the patient collapsed and the heart monitor gave a dull monotone.

"Get me the salt shot!" he commanded urgently.

One of the nurses rushed to the tray nearby and returned with a large syringe. The type that would make little children cry, the thicker than normal needle and gleaming point certainly reinforced such an image.

With a quick glance and shake the doctor squeezed a small amount to ensure not bubbles were present. Without a single moment's hesitation he plunged the syringe into the patient's heart to the hilt. The solution flooded the valves of the heart and dispersed itself throughout the body.

"Keep it pumping," he directed to one of his aids.

She placed her palms over the flat-lined heart and pressed repetitively to simulate his heartbeat. The doctor placed a hand over the patient's forehead and attempted to kick-start his cognitive functions.

A minute passed, then another, and another. The monitor still gave the monotone sound of death.

"Sir."

He ignored the call from his aid and continued to repeat the process.

"Sir, it's too late. He's gone."

Hideo slowly stopped his Chakra flow as he took in the situation.

Another one dead, because I failed.

He withdrew his hand and checked his watch.

"Time of death, six-forty-seven AM."

He turned away from the now dead man as his aids recorded the time and placed a cloth over the body. In a rare burst of anger he struck the wall next to him. The past few hours had seen him going through one dead person after another, each one unable to survive any treatment given no matter what methods they use.

Hideo started walking towards the next room and was greeted halfway by a pair of Hyūga clan members. One looked healthy and normal as far as the doctor could ascertain with a look, but the other was pale and was struggling to breath. Each breath seemed to be a laborious task.

"Please," the Hyūga begged. "His Keirakukei(Meridian System) is shutting down."

His brow creased in confusion.

Chakra exhaustion simply knocks people out, but it doesn't shut down the Keirakukei. Quite the opposite, it opens them more than before allowing for expansion.

He motioned for them to follow him until they found a sterile room for use. After laying the sick clansman down on a bed, Hideo performed a basic scan of his body.

"I get the same feel from the other patients. No doubt he's infected with the plague."

The Hyūga's eyes widened in shock. "But he hasn't been feeling violent or has contracted any form of necrosis!"

The doctor was puzzled over the information. Every patient so far had been through a violent episode before the necrosis set in, yet this single patient wasn't violent but had not started losing flesh. He couldn't make head or tails of this plague.

"Look at his Keirakukei and tell me exactly what's happening," he ordered.

Immediately the clansman activated his bloodline. A series of veins bulged against his skin around his pale-coloured eyes. The Byakugan (White Eye).

"I can see traces of a foreign Chakra inside him that's eating away at his own reserves. The Chakra is slowly reaching the Tenketsu(Pressure Points) around his heart."

Hideo racked his brain for any information regarding the situation. He was accustomed to normal diseases and infections.

Medical knowledge wasn't the same as it was before the Advent of the Rikudo Sennin. In those ancient times the majority of medicine was based on knowledge of plants that had certain qualities. Chakra-based techniques enabled doctors around the nation to save more lives than before, but it came at a cost. Not many non-ninja doctors had the body or knowledge to learn how to use their Chakra. Thus they still had to rely on techniques that were either out-dated or simply not as effective as the Chakra-based ones.

"What is his Chakra doing in response to the foreign presence?" Hideo asked urgently.

"It looks like its ramming itself against it. The foreign Chakra is fading away piece by piece, but not as much as his own Chakra reserves. He'll run out of Chakra long before it can fully cancel the foreign presence."

For a moment the doctor stood still, his eyes clouded as he recalled all the other patients he had tried to save. It was clear that there was a pattern, but for some reason he could not grasp it. In a way it was alike a broken machine, the power is there and the gears are all in the right places, except for one. A single small gear was missing, the key to solving this plague and finding the cure.

"The foreign Chakra in his right arm," the Hyūga said, gazing intently. "It's escaping the Keirakukei."

It was at that moment when Hideo noticed a small patch of discolouration on the patient's forearm. It was the first stage of necrosis; the cells would die and leave black patches of flesh. He suddenly had an epiphany.

The necrosis is just a side-effect, not the purpose of the plague. No wonder all the others died. We were treating the effects, not the underlying cause that started it all.

He immediately brought his hands over the patient's heart and altered his Chakra into a blank slate, before pumping it into Keirakukei. The result was almost instantaneous the Hyūga next to him spoke excitedly of how his clansman's Chakra was quickly defeating the foreign presence. With five minutes of applying his method, Hideo had successfully cured the plague from the man.

"Wait here," Hideo ordered the Hyūga, before running out of the room. He had found the cure to the plague and wasted no time in informing the others.

The devastation left by the Bijū was far beyond the mere physical damage to the environment and to the village. The amount of ninja that was lost was at five hundred and rising with each corpse found among the rubble. Yet nothing could compare to the overwhelming loss of civilian life. The numbers were already looking to exceed two thousand.

Sarutobi Hiruzen collapsed into the Hokage's chair for the first time since his retirement. The reports regarding the situation were painting a very grim picture.

"The life of a ninja is short and death is to be expected," Hiruzen whispered. "But, even so..."

The door of the Hokage's office opened and Danzō appeared bandaged and using a walking stick.

Danzō was a man feared for many reasons. He was all that one would expect a shinobi to be and more. Once considered for candidacy for the title of Hokage he was not a man to be trifled with.

"ANBU and Root have been worked to the bone saving as many lives as possible. I suggest asking the clans to supply every available ninja they have. By day after tomorrow, the village has to be secure so we can resume our duties."

Danzō waited for a reaction. Hiruzen had always been his rival in all things. He wasn't going to let something like this tear him down, he wouldn't let this disaster break Hiruzen or ruin Konoha.

Moving closer to the desk, Sarutobi opened a drawer and pulled out a blank scroll and immediately wrote instructions on it.

"The ANBU once rested and recovered, can take care of internal affairs and village security under Shinichi's command. Can I count on you to take care of matters outside the village?" Hiruzen asked.

Danzo stood straight and tapped his cane on the floor.

"I'll mobilize any Root members I can immediately," he said. "It's good to have you back, Saru (Monkey)."

Hiruzen gave a small chuckle. "It's good to be back, Taka (Hawk)."

Jiraiya who sat just outside the window, smiled for the first time since the events of last night.

Ishikawa Shinichi is a Shinobi in every sense of the word. The title he holds is known to all Konoha Shinobi. The Kageken. To those who know him well, he is called by another name entirely. For a man who appears for only a moment before fading away, leaving only corpses in his wake, it seems only fitting that he was known as Rei (Ghost).

He had read through the reports, each one leaving a bad taste in his mouth. The casualties on both sides had him feeling more agitated than usual. He was used to high stress situations, but never before had ever felt so ill-equipped.

There will be plenty of time to clean up this mess. We can leave that to the main forces. What I need right now is information.

He walked through the labyrinthine corridors of ANBU Headquarters. Information was his bread and butter. The lifeblood of his work, most of which revolved around secrets that could cripple entire cities, even the entire nation itself.

"Itachi, Taka, head to Military Police Headquarters and tell them that I don't care if their tired, hungry, thirsty, and terrified to the point that they've already pissed their pants. They will work overtime to restabilise the civilian districts."

Shinichi's voice left no room for discussion. He is the Kageken and his word is absolute.

"ANBU or Root are going to have their hands full manning the walls and keeping vigilant watch for any signs of enemy intruders and acts of sabotage. Make no mistake, this is a fucking disaster. We're still weakened and disorganised, which means we have a target painted on our backs. We may have gotten over the last war, but were in no shape to survive another one. Now move!"

The two ANBU operatives vanished before their presence was no longer detected within the building.

He gave a short sigh as he exited onto the open streets. Taking to the rooftops in a leisurely manner, he swiftly and silently made his way to the only area that was mostly untouched in the chaos of the Kyūbi attack.

If there's one person who has more secrets than I do, it's her.

He hoped that she was still alive and kicking. There was no doubt in his mind that she would leave the village as soon as possible considering that it was no longer safe. The Pleasure District would hopefully still be standing and in good shape. If so, then Ishikawa had a chance to convince her to stay.

Katsumi crossed her legs in the absently provocative way that only a veteran courtesan could. Some people fidgeted habitually. Katsumi seduced habitually. With a figure most of her girls could only envy. Suzuki Katsumi had been a courtesan of an age. Ishikawa knew of at least a dozen duels that had been fought over her and at least as many lords that had proposed to her, but Katsumi would be chained to no man. She knew too well all the men she knew. All except one.

"I'm not going to leave if that's what you're thinking."

She looked down at her hands which were being attended to by one of her girls. Each nail was being painted with the utmost care.

"I wouldn't be surprised," Ishikawa replied. "The Nine wouldn't risk your death. You're too valuable."

She smiled at him. In that infuriating way that let him know that she knew something he didn't. It was always a game between them. A game to see who could outplay the other. Katsumi loved it, more than the grandest meal or finest wine.

Ishikawa's blood chilled in his veins before he realised what she was implying.

They knew. They knew that Konoha was going to be attacked.

"Why?" he asked as he continuing to pace in the chamber. "What would they hope to gain?"

Katsumi said nothing, preferring to stare down at her painted nails which were receiving another coat. Ishikawa looked closely at her, trying to decipher her actions. Every motion had a hidden meaning. It was clear that she was trying to tell him something, but couldn't openly say so.

He looked at the girl who was attending to Katsumi. Suddenly the world seemed so much clearer than it was before. She was a spy direct under the command of the Yakuza. He had known that she was a spy, but knew not who she worked for.

"You're a piss-poor spy you know that?"

The girl froze.

An amateur mistake. You can lie, but your body just betrayed you.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Another foolish mistake. Never lie to an accomplished liar.

"I'm pretty sure no one paints their nails with more than two coats, and you're currently at the fifth coat."

She stopped painting and turned to face Katsumi, her face defiant.

Good, I like a challenge. Show me what you got Yakuza bitch.

"The Yakuza will not appreciate what you've told him, Suzuki-san."

At first it was a gentle shake of her shoulders, and then she actually laughed. Katsumi held her mirth before responding.

"And what will you tell them," she teased. "I didn't say anything that could be construed as the Nine's knowledge of the attack."

She smiled at the girl in a prouder sort of way, confident in her superiority.

"What the Nine fail to understand is that Rei is an accomplished shinobi. A shinobi who specialises in information and secrets, some of which are very dangerous and could cause untold damage. His mind makes great leaps and arrives to conclusions faster than myself."

Ishikawa snorted derisively at her words.

Untold damage? You have no idea, and it's gonna stay that way.

He straightened up and moved towards the window, opening it so he could exit.

"Don't bother getting anything out of her. She's clueless, and simply a distraction to keep me busy. A task that would more suited to a person with intelligence…"

He gave a smirk at the young spy, but it was hard to tell with his face mask.

"And bigger tits."

He leapt out the window with a smile as he felt the hot glare of the girl.

Quickly appearing back in his office at ANBU headquarters, Ishikawa readied himself for a long term mission. His connections among the Nine were simply as a contact and on occasion a hired assassin. He knew very well that sneaking into the home of one of the Nine would be a clear show of betrayal. It was of paramount importance that he avoid leaving any evidence that he was behind the infiltration. If the Nine found out, it could very well lead to a cold war.

They wouldn't dare pull this stunt without someone's backing. I doubt that it's Iwa(Stone) or Kumo(Cloud).

He gathered a variety of documents and sealed them within a single scroll.

Onoki has a tendency to use mercenary bands for any task that can't be directly linked to his village. And even in our current state he wouldn't try to invade, simply because he can't make up his mind. They call him 'fence-sitter' for reason.

Pulling out a blank sheet of paper, he began to write instructions for his secretary to follow.

Ei would certainly love to invade us, except that his forces would have to go through a minimum of two countries, and a maximum of five. It would be impossible for him to hide his army from us. Nevertheless, the Nine weren't backed by Kumo. Their far too military-based, civilians aren't treated with the same respect as ninja. Their rank system won't allow it.

He quickly signed the document, leaving it on the table for his secretary to find. After double-checking his supplies he created a Kage Bunshin(Shadow Clone). The clone watched as his creator simply faded away out of sight, much like his nickname.

Fugaku was furious. As the head of the Military Police Force and the Clan Head of the Uchiha Clan, he was accustomed to receiving a certain amount of respect. The blatant and almost carefree tone of the messenger made the missive itself sound far more insulting than it was originally.

"How dare he give us orders as if he runs this place? Work overtime? Ha! As if we weren't already pushed to the absolute limit."

Fugaku took another report from one of his aides and glanced over the details.

"The Kyubi has left a pile of corpses as tall as the Hokage Mountain! Just look at this report. Every single person who was in direct contact with the Chakra cloud has died."

He sat in his chair and threw the report onto the table for all to see.

"Alright, listen up men!" he shouted. The entire office was immediately silent at his command.

"The entire village is looking up to us, to our clan. So let's give our all to restore the village! Show them the strength of the Uchiha!"

A unified shout was the response before they returned to their duties with renewed vigour.

Pulling out a bottle of saké from a small compartment in his desk, Fugaku proceeded to pour himself a drink and in a single motion drank a full cup.

"That bastard's probably whoring himself out with the Mistress of the Pleasure District."

It had been three days since the event and the village was still in a state of shock. Fortunately the majority of the confusion was gone as Sarutobi had made several statements to the public in order to keep them informed of the current situation. Yakushi Hideo sat in his office in the hospital. The underground medical facility was able to function without him since he informed the medical staff of the cure. The hospital had suffered minor fire damage from the plague, but this didn't bother the director as it could easily be repaired.

What did bother him were two newborn children that Sarutobi had brought in the night of the attack. He had assigned Hatake Kakashi and Maito Gai to watch over and take care of them until he was free to actually visit them. Even now, there were still cases of patients that would require his personal intervention. It was in these moments that he wondered what to do.

Even though the plague was being effectively cured and treated, it still left a much traumatised populace due to its effects. The deaths of each plague victim they were unable to save were horrifying. The necrosis would spread until the victim died in unimaginable pain, or they would die from the blood loss resulting from the removal of too much flesh.

He made his way to the room where the two infants were and was greeted with the two young men he had assigned to watch over them. Both Kakashi and Gai gave a firm salute to the director and waited for any instructions.

"At ease both of you," Hideo said, allowing them to relax. "How are the kids?"

He had checked on them the day before alongside Jiraiya and found a number of strange things to note down in his report.

"Nothing wrong so far," Gai replied before looking to Kakashi.

"I'm not familiar with babies, but they're annoying. These two certainly are," Kakashi said.

Hideo looked at the two small infants and started to check them for any irregularities.

"So have they been fed or needed a change?"

Both teens nodded with a slight look of annoyance. Hideo chuckled at their faces.

"You shouldn't look so hopeless. Sooner or later you'll both be having little ones of your own. The practice now would come in handy."

"Not a chance in hell," Kakashi whispered to Gai, who was vigorously nodding in agreement.

Sarutobi Hiruzen walked into the room with a purpose, accompanied by Jiraiya. The hospital was working over time to heal and counsel those affected by the attack. He read the reports in the morning. Shinichi's secretary had mobilised the ANBU perfectly for the village defence, Fugaku had managed to retrieve all the bodies in the districts in less than seventy two hours, and Danzō's Root had eliminated a variety of scout squads from other hidden villages before they could return with news of our weakened state.

He rubbed the bags underneath his eyes for what must have been the hundredth time. It had been a while since he slept.

Come on, no time to rest yet.

He had been surviving on ration bars, NightWatch pills and Soldier pills.

"Sarutobi-sama," Hideo greeted with a bow, whilst Kakashi and Gai gave a salute to their commanding officer.

"At ease all of you. What's the condition of the two newborns?" Hiruzen asked.

Hideo picked up the medical report from a nearby table and began to explain his findings.

"The newborn children are in perfect health, I could find no ailment that could affect them in the future. Although there are some strange, uh, I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but suffice to say they are beyond normal."

Jiraiya took the silence after the doctors' dialogue to inform the aged ninja of his own findings.

"The seal is clearly visible on Naruto's skin when Chakra is applied. The seal is far more advanced than the original. Although I cannot find any seal markings on the other child, Alltariss. Hideo-sama's findings should provide a little insight as to why, but other than that, all we can do is speculate."

"Alltariss?" Hiruzen asked, confused.

"Ah right," Jiraiya started. "We named the other kid that."

He gave Jiraiya a look of suspicion. "I suppose you named such because he looks more like the Westerners."

Jiraiya sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and nervously laughed. "Most of the time we just call him Alto."

Hiruzen nodded, "We're holding a council meeting shortly. It would be best if you could both attend and go in further detail concerning the children."

With a salute the two men gathered their effects and prepared to accompany Hiruzen to the council meeting.

Explanations for Japanese culture and certain ideas/concepts that I have used, as well as words/terms/names used.

ANBU – This translates to 'Dark Side' [insert Star Wars pun here]. In all seriousness that is what it means, but it is also an acronym. 'A.N.B.U' expands into 'Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai' which translates to 'Special Assassination and Tactical Squad'.

A few corrections and subtle changes here and there, but all in all the same.