AN: Author Note – Alltariss – This chapter is all about Orochimaru and the beginnings of genetics in Nihon.

Chapter 13

Genetic Heresy

The council room was abuzz with many whispered conversations. Each member of the council was unaware as to why the meeting had been called. Sarutobi entered the chamber still in his battle armour, garnering many confused looks from the attendees.

"Thank you for arriving as promptly as possible, but the current situation is quite dire," Sarutobi began. "Orochimaru has defected from Konoha and is currently a rogue ninja."

The entire chamber burst into exclamations of shock and demands for answers. The Hokage raised his hand for silence and waited till the chamber was quiet.

"The Daimyō had been receiving many reports regarding civilians and soldiers going missing. The number of people going missing was increasing as time passed and eventually the Daimyō sent us a missive requesting our involvement."

Sarutobi paused to take a sip of water that was quickly provided for him upon his arrival to the meeting.

"Now the problem wasn't just isolated to the country, but also to our village. There have been incidents where some of our soldiers from border patrol have just vanished without a trace. To add to the confusion, is that there were very minimal signs of resistance."

Hiashi raised his hand and Sarutobi quickly motioned for him to speak.

"Why weren't we informed of these reports regarding our own soldiers? If we were told of this then we could have reorganised our troops to better prevent any further incidents."

Many of the other shinobi in the council nodded in agreement with the exception of the Jōnin Commander, Shikaku. Not surprising considering that he was informed of the issue from the beginning.

"We had good reason," Shikaku stated to his fellow councilmen. "It was obvious to us after the first few reports that whoever was doing this was a part of our own forces. They would have had access to information regarding patrol routes and other general information that would be available under the right circumstances. If we suddenly changed the way we dispatched troops then the traitor would have been alerted that we were aware of his presence."

"Unfortunately," Sarutobi continued, picking up from where Shikaku left. "The evidence eventually led to Orochimaru."

Danzō tapped his cane on the ground gathering the chamber's attention.

"Of all the people to turn traitor in our village, it just so happens to be your student. I can't help but wonder what could have pushed him to such a degree as to turn his back on your teachings?"

The old Hokage clenched his teeth and maintained a neutral look.

"Whether he was my student or not, the fact remains that he betrayed us all."

Shikaku interjected to hopefully cut off the political battle between the two men.

"Orochimaru was able to successfully flee the country and for the time being we've added as much security to our borders as we can. I doubt that he would try to enter the boundaries of the country and will most likely try to gather allies and obtain a safe-house to hide in until he can find a more permanent solution."

"We will have to mitigate any kind of damages that this incident has caused before we end up with a political situation we can't fix," Sarutobi said, mentally preparing himself for a long night of deliberation.

Orochimaru was a high ranked shinobi. The amount of information he had regarding the village and its operations was far higher than most. If given to another Hidden Village it would grant them an immense advantage if another conflict were to break out.

Fortunately for the aged leader, Danzō had informed him prior to the meeting that Orochimaru had no intentions of joining another Hidden Village. According to the information he had acquired, Orochimaru was intent on staying in the shadows for a long time.

"Bullshit."

Sarutobi wilted under the harsh glare of his student.

"Jiraiya," he started. "I know what it sounds like and trust me, this is no joke."

His student turned his face away, still showing much anger in his features.

"Orochimaru wouldn't commit such crimes. He always loved studying and learning, but what you say is far beyond such desires. Such crimes are committed by the depraved."

The Hokage could only sigh in a tired manner. Even after confronting Orochimaru he had not truly believed that his student had betrayed them all. Perhaps the shock hadn't set in, or maybe he just needed to come to terms with his pupil's actions.

"I'll look for him," Jiraiya declared. "I'll find him and demand an answer for his actions."

Sarutobi grit his teeth for a moment, unable to voice anything. He could barely raise a fist towards Orochimaru when he had found him. How could he expect Jiraiya to do what he had failed?

"And if it turns out that such actions are true, what then?" he questioned. "The two of you are-were– brothers in all but blood. If he admits to such crimes, could you really find it within yourself to kill him?"

"I…" Jiraiya struggled to answer his teacher's questions. "I don't know Sensei, but…"

He matched Sarutobi's gaze and hardened his expression.

"I do know that if I don't try, I'll regret it for the rest of my life. It'll haunt me for eternity to not know what his answer to me will be."

With that said, Jiraiya turned about-face and walked out the office without pause. Leaving to seek the flurry of questions that plagued him since he was informed of his comrade's defection.

Kyōko was currently in the library reading through a historical text. She had been investigating the mystery surrounding the two orphan babes since she suspected that Naruto was an illegitimate bastard of the Yamanaka clan. Naruto continued to display the effects of his mental abilities, Kyōko thought it lucky that only she suspected anything at all.

Alto was, as far as she was aware, a normal child besides having strange eyes. Although she had begun to notice that despite being blindfolded he seemed aware of his surroundings as if he wasn't stripped of sight. The only reason she didn't assume he was a Hyūga was because she didn't see any bulging veins around his eyes. The tell-tale side-effect that the ability was activated.

After spending day after day and hours at a time reading through every historical archive she could get with a veteran security access, she still found very little regarding Naruto. Any reference to the mental abilities of the Yamanaka clan wrote about their skill at extracting information from the unguarded minds of their enemies.

She was about to close the book she was currently skimming through until she noticed the word 'emotion' among the paragraphs. It was about a skirmish during the Third Shinobi World War involving the current head of the Yamanaka clan, Inoichi. It mentioned that he had used a technique at long range that caused an enemy to attack his own comrades in a blind rage.

It sounded similar enough to what Naruto seemed capable of. Naruto drained the anger out of the other children whenever a fight broke out, other than that he hadn't shown any other abilities.

Maybe he absorbs their anger and stores it? All so that he can dump it within an enemy using the same technique as Inoichi did.

A small chime sounded off in the hall signifying that the library would close soon. She closed the book and made her way out. She left the building with more questions than answers.

"Orochimaru!"

The ground shattered under the impact of Jiraiya's kick sending sharp shards of earth everywhere.

"How surprising," Orochimaru said. "Mimicking Tsunade are we?"

Jiraiya had tracked his team-mate down after weeks of travelling around the nation. When he had confronted him, it was exactly as his teacher had said. He couldn't understand any of it. The why and when never matched any of his memories regarding his comrade.

Surely there would have been a sign, something that could be construed as betrayal. This sort of madness isn't something that happens overnight.

"Why?" Jiraiya demanded. "Why go to such lengths? What goal could possibly justify such crimes?"

It started as a chuckle and progressed into full blown laughter. Orochimaru continued to laugh without a care in the world. Jiraiya could see it in his eyes, the grip of madness that could only be found in those too far gone.

"Everything in this world will perish," he said, gripping his face tight enough to almost break the skin. "The world, the land, the village, even the legacies left behind. They will all disappear in time."

Jiraiya could only watch in silence at his comrade's actions. If he wasn't certain of it before, he was now. The Orochimaru before him was completely insane, no doubt about it.

"Just what the fuck are you on about?!" Jiraiya shouted, trying to calm himself before he attacks in blind fury.

"I refuse to simply vanish like all others. I, and I alone will ascend to heights that none have ever reached."

He retched as if sick and from his open mouth a legendary blade emerged, the Kusanagi. Grasping the blade in hand he brandished it towards his enemy.

"Immortality Jiraiya, to exist long after all others have faded into dust. That is what I'll become."

The sage of toads quickly slipped a kunai in hand. He charged forward to fight his comrade to the death, hoping that he had the heart to see his choice through.

"You know," a young Chūnin began lazily. "I really hate gate guard duty."

His partner slumped even further into his chair and grunted in agreement.

The two guards wasted the next few minutes trying to entertain themselves in any way possible, trying to keep boredom away. Before they could continue their small antics a hand slammed down on their desk making them jump in shock.

"Inform Sarutobi-Sensei of my return immediately," a strained voice demanded.

Taking a look at their visitor they soon realised exactly who it was. Jiraiya was covered in bruises and cuts, his clothes and armour were in shambles and broken. His hands were covered in crusted blood and were letting small shards of dried flakes to fall to the ground.

Soon enough the guards rushed to his assistance and ushered him quickly to the hospital for treatment. They had sent a message to the Hokage and were awaiting further instructions as they stood outside the room. They could hear the head of the hospital shouting orders from inside.

Footsteps sounded from the hallway and they quickly saluted as their Hokage stood before them.

"Report!" he demanded from his two soldiers.

"Hagane Kotetsu, gate duty sir!" started one of the men who had a bandage across the bridge of his nose.

"Kamizuki Izumo, gate duty sir!" his partner sounded off. He wore his forehead protector as a bandanna which made some strands of his hair obscure his right eye slightly.

"We were performing our duty as expected when Jiraiya-sama appeared before us wounded and in need of medical assistance. He demanded that you be informed of his return and so we sent a message whilst escorting him to the hospital."

Sarutobi nodded and dismissed them, before entering the room. Inside was Hideo scanning his student's body whilst the nurses were setting up a variety of medicine that the Hokage knew to be commonly used for antidotes for poison. Hideo noticed the Hokage's presence and nodded to let him know that he can question his student without being any sort of distraction.

Jiraiya noticed his teacher as soon as his vision stopped blurring long enough.

"Sensei," he choked out, but was interrupted before he could continue.

"I'm assuming that you found Orochimaru and tried to bring him in?"

Jiraiya nodded jerkily. "He's insane Sensei, whatever part of him that we once thought as a comrade is long gone."

Sarutobi closed his eyes, looking defeated. He knew this would happen, but his student had been so certain that Orochimaru was not what he was now.

"He admitted it, all of it," Jiraiya continued. "He's obsessed with immortality, and doesn't care what he has to do to achieve it."

The old man nodded and gave a small sigh before speaking. "I knew that whatever path he's on would be one that conflicts with us all. I knew from the moment I fought against him, after his treason was exposed."

Deep inside, Jiraiya knew that there was something wrong about the entire situation. When he had last spoken with Orochimaru he was the same bookworm that he always was. That was six months ago. The duration seemed too short for such a descent into madness to occur.

He could only bury his feelings and find the resolve necessary to kill the man he loved as a brother.

Two years pass and Konoha restored itself back to the way it once was. The buildings repaired and reconstructed, those who fell in the Kyūbi Event were honoured, and the shinobi force were once again on the rise.

Sarutobi smoked his pipe in quiet contemplation as he thought over the latest report he had received from one of his patrol squads. The party had found an entrance obscured by foliage and weak Fuinjutsu that was designed to visually conceal it. After disabling the illusion they investigated and found an underground cave that lead to a solid iron door. The door was sealed shut and locked with Fuijutsu. Ill-equipped for the task, they bunkered down at the location and sent a message back to the village asking for assistance.

The Hokage knew exactly what the squad had discovered. Orochimaru had set up multiple labs for his experiments all around the country. When his betrayal had been found out, he had destroyed whatever labs he could access before it became too much trouble. Luckily, there were still some labs left intact and waiting to be investigated.

Danzō and Ishikawa were both alongside him as he organised the mission to secure the lab.

"It's no question that we cannot send anyone from the regular forces," Ishikawa stated. "They have to be ANBU."

The other two nodded in agreement. Sarutobi tapped his pipe before speaking.

"Kakashi would be well-suited for the task. As an ANBU Captain he is more than qualified to investigate the lab."

"I'll be sending one of my own men as well," Danzō said. "How Kinoe performs on this mission will determine if he's capable."

"The Mokuton boy?" Ishikawa inquired. "From what I've seen the kid is more than able to hold himself in combat."

"I need to know if he's ready to shift from ROOT Division to the main ANBU Division," Danzō answered. "He's quite proficient at his bloodline, thus he needs to take a more active role in the village."

"I see," Sarutobi interjected, nodding in understanding. "At the very least the soldiers in Black-Ops will be at ease knowing that we have such power at our command. Do you intend to make the shift permanent?"

Danzō shook his head. "I'll have him transfer back into ROOT after he's built a rapport with the regular forces. If all goes well I can promote him for captaincy."

"I understand that Kakashi and Kinoe have some history?" Sarutobi probed, he knew that Orochimaru wouldn't have escaped the country if Danzō hadn't sent his agent to assist him.

The topic was a sore one between the two rivals, but Danzō had authorised the mission thinking that his friend would not fail in capturing or eliminating his student. In that regard, Sarutobi had agreed that he should have had more resolve and that Danzō's plan was a sound idea to keep up the false pretence.

"Indeed they do," Ishikawa interjected, hoping to prevent old wounds from festering. "While they had opposing objectives they didn't kill one another. Whether or not they can put aside their differences and work together will be the crux of this mission."

With that said they sent out the missives and waited for their chosen soldiers to arrive.

Kakashi silently praised his young team member for being able to keep up with his pace. When he had seen him in the Hokage's office, he had almost drawn his blade on the young operative. Sarutobi had explained that the nature of their last encounter was the result of poor foresight and miscommunication on his part. Kakashi knew that there was more going on beneath the surface, but wisely accepted the situation without question. If the Hokage had no problem assigning them together then he could, at the very least, be civil to his partner.

Kinoe was quite perplexed about his current mission. ROOT operated on a very different level than that of ANBU. This was the first occasion that he had worked in an official mission alongside a non-ROOT operative. He found Kakashi to be a more than acceptable partner. Intelligent, resourceful, and well experienced in combat. Kinoe had no doubts that he could learn a lot from his new comrade.

Soon they stopped at a small copse of trees within the forest they had traversed through. The area was no different from any other place in the forest and lacked anything that made it distinctive. In a space between three tall oaks was a large bush that reached up to their waist. Moving aside the branches revealed a hole in the ground. They had found their objective.

"I'll go in first and scan the area with my Sharingan," Kakashi stated firmly. "In the meantime make sure that the entrance is concealed. The last thing we want is for any wandering person to stumble upon this location."

Kinoe nodded and began to manipulate the surrounding forestry to bend to his will. More foliage grew granting the entrance absolute invisibility from the world. Kakashi used a kunai to skirt the inside edges of the entrance to check if any traps would be activated. After confirming that it was safe he glued his hands to the entrance with Chakra and slowly lowered himself down.

He immediately lifted his headband and scanned his surroundings, which revealed nothing that would present any danger to them. The only thing his Sharingan picked up was a small flame of Chakra at one end of the underground cavern. It was too small and faint for it to be a person. He deduced that it was part of the defences that protected the lab.

Kakashi signalled to Kinoe that it was safe to jump down. They made their way down to the end of the cave where the small flicker of Chakra was coming from. A steel door with two handles was what awaited them; upon the door was a seal tag. It was obvious to both them that removing or breaking the tag would set off a self defence mechanism.

"I'm going to remove the tag," Kakashi said. "Be prepared to set up any sort of defences."

Kinoe stood a few meters back directly in line with the door, hands already clasped together, ready to perform defensive techniques. Kakashi immediately ripped the tag off the door and leapt back. And not a moment too soon since a series of explosives set off.

"Mokuton: Mokujōheki (Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall)," the ROOT operative shouted, summoning a thick dome of wood to shield themselves.

They stayed within the protective dome until all the shaking had stopped. Even then they waited for a few moments, unsure if the cave would collapse upon their heads. It was with great care that Kinoe slowly opened the dome, and with great relief found that the cave was still fully intact and that they could proceed with their mission. They continued through the broken steel doors and made their way inside the forbidden lab.

The internal structure consisted of many pillars that doubled as large glass vats. It was obvious to Kinoe that they were used for human experimentation. He knew better than most, since the earliest memory he had was living in one. Kakashi had a vague idea, but knew not the extent to which Orochimaru went to in his endeavours.

They reached a room that had multiple files and papers haphazardly spread around. No doubt that it was due to the sudden abandonment of the facility.

Orochimaru probably took the experiments he didn't want us to see and shut the place down. Kakashi thought.

The elder operative immediately set about searching the adjacent rooms and mentally documented their status. Kinoe, on the other hand had picked up all the paperwork and was reading through some of the files.

2225, January

The new lab is functioning perfectly despite small setbacks. The experiments that I performed prior to the construction of this facility were all merely stepping stones to a much grander experiment. The forbidden island facility that once performed multiple experimentations on animals intrigued me. The facility was abandoned and only a single survivor was found, although they perished soon afterwards.

It was strange that they did not destroy the research that took place there. Especially after the incidents of experimentation that took place simultaneously by that civilian madwoman. Perhaps, it is that they want to understand exactly what took place when they finally comprehend Western science.

At the moment we are only grasping at the slightest threads of understanding when it comes to Western science. It isn't because we're stupid, or ignorant. It is because we still rely on Chakra-based technology. Though we have used it for many years amongst ourselves for warfare we still do not have a full understanding of what Chakra is, and what its limitations are.

Nevertheless, I have studied Chakra for many years and have come to a point, or rather an obstacle, that can only be surpassed by applying the methodologies and discoveries that our Western friends have known about and utilised for many years. It is with that understanding that led me to greater heights, and allowed me to discover certain intricacies that only warriors of ancient past had known about. Those ancient warriors of lore obviously failed to pass that knowledge on, either because they died before they could do so, or because they simply didn't trust anyone with such knowledge.

With the small snippets of information that I acquired from both the island facility and the civilian madwoman, I was finally able to pursue greater experiments. This shall be my first true step in the field of genetics.

End of Log.

Kinoe was shocked by what he had discovered. He knew that he himself was the genetic experiment of Orochimaru, but he had believed that he was the first of such experiments. The fact that Orochimaru had begun his foray into genetics long before he was born came as a subtle shock to him.

Perhaps the only reason why I survived was because I was the culmination of years and years of research. In a way it makes sense, if he had only begun his studies in this particular subject then I would have been one among many failures.

He sifted through a few more files hoping that he would find more answers but instead found an infinite number of questions. Kinoe had very little idea of what genetics actually was. His definition of genetics was that it pertained to the study and use of blood, as both a method to initiate techniques and to add permanence to certain people or objects.

The use of blood in techniques is considered taboo in Nihon. The exceptions were techniques that were part of contract agreements, a primary example being summoning contracts. It was not until the advent of Fuinjutsu which was popularised by the Uzumaki clan that blood was used for more than just contracts. The use of blood to enable a higher form of security such that only those of the same blood lineage could access certain items and documents was invaluable.

Blood became even more valuable when more and more Kekkei Genkai started to emerge from various clans around Nihon. There were some people who thought to mix the bloodlines by strategically having certain couples be married and have multiple children. The results were never quite perfect. The children would instead inherit the bloodline of only one of the parents, either the mother or the father, or would end up with some sort of defect such as a deformed Keirakukei.

2225, February

The lab is now fully operational and I've been able to perform multiple minor experiments. The small snippets of information that I acquired from the reports from the forbidden island facility have proven themselves to be invaluable. The reports contained small notes regarding the subtle differences in practice when performing experiments on mammal's and the various subdivisions of mammals, as well as the experimentations on both reptiles and insects and their respective subdivisions.

During my preliminary research I found that certain animals are far more valuable than others in terms of genetic research. This is usually due to a number of factors. Adaptability, response times, endurance. I have always followed my own methodology whenever I've performed experiments, but as of late I've taken to following the Western methodology. I've not completely shifted to the way the Westerners perform their work, but I am slowly transitioning and adapting.

Their usage of multiple variables and their very precise methods has proven to be most useful. Especially in creating a certain standard that remains constant throughout all my experiments.

On a completely separate note, my relationship with the snake clan has progressed to a degree where they have revealed startling new information on the topic of Chakra. My knowledge of Chakra had covered the field of medical applications to elemental constructs. I had even gained insight into the existence of Yin and Yang Chakra. The snake clan had revealed to me the existence of a form of Chakra that I have long theorised to exist. I never had any proof to back up my hypothesis, merely circumstantial evidence based off many years of observation both on and off the battlefield.

After all these years, I shall finally be granted entrance to the fabled Ryūchidō (Dragon Ground Cave).

End of Log.

Yin Chakra? Yang Chakra? Ryūchidō? What does any of this mean?

Kinoe placed the file back down as he brooded over his findings.

This is the second time he's made a reference to some island facility and who is this woman that he refers to?

Kakashi returned back from his exploration and motioned for his partner to follow.

"Find anything?" he inquired.

"A lot more questions than answers," Kinoe replied.

Kakashi sighed in frustration. "Same here. The rooms are all void of anything but storage tanks. Whatever was going on here must have been important if he took almost all of his work with him."

"Almost?" Kinoe questioned. "So he left something behind. Research we can bring back to the higher-ups?"

Kakashi shook his head. "It's not something we can bring back with us, but he definitely left something disturbing behind."

Kinoe noted the slight tension in his voice. It was clear that whatever he had found had put him on edge.

"You think he left it here on purpose? A message for Konoha to find?"

The senior operative nodded. "When you see exactly what it is, well, it's obvious that he wanted us to find it."

They entered a small chamber with two rows of vats each empty except for the last two at the very end of the room. They glowed a bright blue that illuminated the otherwise dark space. As they approached the storage tanks they could hear a faint hum that came from the mechanical components that kept the tanks functional.

Kinoe noted that the air was cold and that the glass had a thin layer of frost that obscured the contents within. He wiped away part of the frost and was greeted with a horrendous sight. Within lay an abominable creature, a hideous beast fashioned in the likeness of its creator.

A giant snake whose body was made of smaller snakes, all of which had scales pale as snow. The head was a bestial rendition of Orochimaru's face, with a wide jaw, multiple serrated teeth, and twin fangs long as a kunai. Spiked brown hair adorned its crown making it look more human than the boy was comfortable with.

"The fuck is that!" Kinoe exclaimed. "What in Kami's name is this… this thing?"

"I have no desire to find out," Kakashi stated. "It's too big and obviously dangerous for us to mess around with it."

"I say we head back, collect the files he left behind, and get out of here." Kinoe turned around and shivered a little as if to shake off the sight he had beheld.

His partner nodded. "Our task was only to investigate the lab and bring back what we can. As far as I'm concerned, we completed all our objectives."

"Agreed."

The trip back to Konoha was a silent one. Neither one wanted to speak of what they had seen in the depths of the lab. The files that Kinoe had managed to read through hadn't given him any answers about his personal experience regarding human genetic experimentation.

Standing before their superiors, they waited as they sifted through the information they had retrieved. Jiraiya and Ishikawa were both silently reading while the Hokage and his rival discussed amongst themselves.

"To think he had been at this sort of work for so long, it both astounds and horrifies me."

Sarutobi puffed out a stream of smoke from his pipe. He continued to read through the main mission report his eyes taking on a hardened look.

Danzō scratched his scarred chin in thought as he came across the details regarding the experimental creature kept in a hibernated state.

"Why would he be performing experiments on animals?" he pondered aloud. "His primary goal was immortality and he doesn't exactly have a lot of time to waste, especially considering his current status."

"Immortality through biological advancement would be my guess."

Both leaders looked up and found that Hideo and Kato had entered the office.

"What do mean?" the Hokage asked.

Kato cleared his throat before answering.

"Many species of animals live far longer than the average human does. This is due to a number of factors such as diet, environment, and the way their designed, and so on."

"Therefore," Hideo spoke, continuing on from where his comrade left off. "Orochimaru is seeking to improve upon his body by utilising various biological processes found in nature."

"What sort of 'upgrades' will he try to apply onto himself?" Danzō asked.

"It could be a lot of things," Kato replied, scratching his chin. "Cellular regeneration, Keratin-based armour, immunity to various poisons and pathogens, the list goes on."

Danzō shook his head in disgust as he tossed the report onto the table before him.

"You've been rather quiet Jiraiya, anything on your mind?" Sarutobi asked.

Jiraiya shook himself out of his thoughts.

"The year mentioned in the journal, I remember Orochimaru telling me that he was planning to build a small lab outside of Konoha so that any experimentation that goes awry wouldn't cause any harm to the environment or the populace."

"Did you notice anything off about him?" Hideo inquired. "Something that you noticed, but simply ignored thinking it was irrelevant at the time."

Jiraiya shook head. "No, nothing comes to mind."

He folded his arms and closed his eyes. "I remember him asking for encryption seals since he wanted the workers who would build the lab to never reveal the location, or the schematics of the lab. Since I thought nothing of it, I gave him what he asked. And now it's come to bite us all in the ass."

"Not all is lost."

They all turned towards Ishikawa who was calmly reading the report whilst leaning against the wall.

"He never asked for more encryption seals, which would have obviously gathered more attention to his work, especially from you Jiraiya. We can assume that he kept contracting the same people for all his labs. If that is the case then if we can find just one person, then we would be able to find each and every lab he has ever built."

Jiraiya's eyes widened as his mind kicked into high gear.

"I've got a lot of networking to set up," he said, giving a quick salute before leaving the room in a rush.

Wait for me brother, wait for me. For the hunt begins…

AN: Author Note – Alltariss – This is the first of the new chapters and content. Hope you enjoyed reading the aftereffects of Orochimaru's betrayal and with the short time-skip the next chapter is all about Kyōko and her investigation into the origins of Naruto and Alto.