Disclaimer: I do not, nor will I ever, own Naruto and all other characters in the Naruto-verse. I do not own Batman, and all quotes are credited to them.

Chapter 7 – Living this Life?
Song – Live This Life by Pima Circle

Unknown Location

He walked through the many corridors – left, right, left, left – until he finally reached his destination. Before him was an old man, part of his face, as well as his arm, wrapped in bandages. He held a cane in his left hand, face showing his true age. Before him stood his master. Before him stood Danzo.

The man moved out of the shadows and gave a deep bow to Danzo, face nearly touching the ground. "Master."

He held his head down until he heard a gruff voice. "Rise." He mechanically rose into a standing position, ready to give his report.

"Speak."

"I observed the actions of the subject, Uchiha Sasuke, as you asked. He is very troubled. I believe he is having a hard time accepting that there are others better then him. In particular, the other subject, Uzumaki Naruto. During a spar, the Uzumaki defeated the Uchiha in battle, something that served to further enrage him."

Danzo nodded at this. There was a very slim chance that the Uchiha would even come close to beating Naruto in a real fight where all his skills could be used.

"I observed him interacting with some civilians and noticed he carries the same superior nature towards them." Danzo frowned at this. While he didn't think too highly of the civilians, it was important for there to be a good relation between shinobi and them. Particularly when you were a clan head, which Sasuke would be in time.

"Is there anything else?" Seeing his negative nod Danzo thought on the news.

The Uchiha brat might prove worthy. I lost my grip on Uzumaki . I need to get hold of someone in their age group to keep an eye on him…but still he might prove to be a liability.

"What would you say to introducing Sasuke into Root? Pros and cons." He needed to see an unbiased opinion.

"He will become strong under the right training, he already shows thirst for more power, he wants to be seen as more than just a regular ninja, and his arrogance will allow you to easily see whatever political moves he might make in the future.

"However, his pride might not allow him to bow down to you, his thirst for power could backfire, and his obsession with his brother will be a liability on the battlefield, should he ever encounter him. He also may betray you for something better at any time."

Danzo had to think on this some more. It was too much of a risk to make a brash decision on it now.

"You are dismissed, Sai. I believe you have training in the lower levels."

The pale boy bowed deeply again before rising to leave.

The Roots of the Tree would always remain strong, as long as he had anything to say about it.

--

Hokage's Office

"I see. This is quite disturbing news." He took a puff of smoke from his pipe. "And you're sure about everything you told me? There is no mistake?"

"Of course not, Hokage-sama. There is a definite need to watch the Uchiha boy. He is showing signs of hostility toward some of the civilian population, not to mention some of his own classmates."

It was troubling, to say the least. He couldn't believe the irony in the situation. The boy most of the people in the village pampered was discovered to hold resentment towards them, while the boy they never showed any kindness to was fine with leaving them alone.

If only they knew this, the truth.

Sarutobi banished such thoughts from his mind. It wouldn't do well to have an angry council; they could very well rear their heads back and strike at Naruto. They had been surprisingly quiet as of late about how they felt about him.

The Kumo incident was still fresh on their minds, and to be truthful, it probably scared most of them to the point where the focus of their hatred was able to go toe to toe with an enemy ninja.

Sarutobi tuned back to his informant, as she was patiently waiting.

"Thank you, Anko. I will hold this information closely before I decide to take action. We do not need any brash actions, or the Uchiha really will give me a heart attack." Even with almost all of the clan dead, they still were in the spotlight.

The purple haired jounin just nodded. "Hokage-sama, is there anything else you want me to do? Anything concerning Naruto?" She was interested, to say the least, about the boy. Anyone in their right minds would be at least slightly curious about the blonde.

Sighing, the old Hokage shook his head in a negative response. "Naruto-kun seems to be doing well lately, staying out of trouble, making friends, hell, I'd venture to say he's leading a normal life."

Without me. Even though he would, almost on a weekly basis, talk to the young boy, he could tell there was no warm love between them, which he would have liked. There was an almost unbearable tension at the unresolved issues that they never would bring up.

He quietly dismissed Anko before turning to the picture of his successor, the Yondaime Hokage, Kamikaze Minato, the Yellow Flash.

How I wonder what you would think of me now. What would you think of your son? Even more, what would you think of your beloved village?

Right now he needed to focus on the present, the Uchiha. This was likely to cause problems in the future. He could just imagine the Uchiha doing something as stupid as fighting the blond boy.

He frowned. Maybe he would have a talk with Iruka about the sparring sessions they were having. It might be time to switch some things up.

--

Hyuuga Compound

Naruto backflipped to avoid the Gentle Fist strike towards his midsection before he had to leap over another strike poised at the back of his neck.

Landing on the ground, he settled into his defensive stance while his attackers rushed at him. Hinata and Hanabi worked almost as one, weaving their arms to attack his guard. He was barely able to avoid the strikes. It would be impossible for him to block them while still fully functioning properly.

Hanabi tripped on a small rock, giving him the opening he needed. He palm-struck her abdomen before trying to follow up with an uppercut, but was interrupted by a stinging sensation in his lower back.

Hissing he jumped back. "Fuck, Hinata." She gave only a small smirk before seemingly gliding back into her stance and continuing. Again on the defensive, he had to avoid the twins' attack while occasionally returning fire and landing a hit on them.

The sun was beginning to set, so he decided to end the fight. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he delivered a kick to Hinata's chest, knocking her in the air before bringing the same leg down onto the shoulder of Hanabi, making her cry out in pain before dropping to the ground.

He allowed them to collect themselves before walking over to them.

"Why do you always have to ruin our fun?" Hanabi grumbled while gently feeling the developing bruise on her right shoulder. "Sheesh! We were whooping your ass."

"Aww, don't be such a crybaby. You knew I had you from the beginning." He received some angry mutterings after this. "Now, are you going to let me heal the shoulder of yours of what?"

She begrudgingly allowed him to heal her shoulder. She couldn't help but admit that it always felt nice when he healed her.

"There, all better. How's it feel?" He took her sour look as the answer.

Wiping the sweat off with his towel, he turned to head inside the compound. He had always enjoyed sparing with the twins. They gave him a challenge in his normal sedated mode. Soon he might even have to start using ninjutsu, but maybe they could learn some as well.

"Naruto-kun, are you staying for dinner? Father would love to have you over again." Naruto thought on it. It would be nice to stay there and eat with them, almost like a family. He dismissed the thought quickly. It was bad enough talking to Hiashi, but eating with him was plain weird.

"No, I think I'll head home. I just bought some meat last week and I don't want it to go bad."

Hanabi snorted. That's his excuse?

The three of them knew about Hiashi pushing Naruto to become more friendly with them. They just assumed that it was because he saved them and held huge amounts of potential as a shinobi.

A guard halted them before Naruto left. "Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, Hiashi- sama wishes to speak to Naruto-san before he leaves the compound."

The three shared a look. They could only wonder what this was all about.

--

Main Head's Chambers

Uzumaki Naruto. The boy was an enigma. He was living up to his name proudly and living up to his true heritage even more. There was no doubt in Hiashi's mind that he would be great one day.

He just needed to find a way to get into the boy's life, become someone he could turn to for help or personal questions. If he was anything like his father, or if he amounted to be anything like him, it was in the clan's best interest for him to look at them with favor.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in, Naruto." The boy entered and bowed down before him. He sat on his knees, resting on the heels of his feet, waiting for Hiashi to address him.

"Naruto, how are you doing? I noticed you were sparring with my daughters."

"I'm quite fine, Hiashi-sama, now that it's finished. Your daughters are very skilled. They would give anyone a hard time during battle."

He gave a slight chuckle. "You seem to be doing very well against them. In fact, you seem to be doing very well against everyone you come across." He was interested to see how the boy would retort to his blunt statement.

"No, I just have very good luck. I've practiced with them for a long time; I know their tendencies."

Humble, a quality he surely got from his father.

"Yes, well, onto business: I wanted to ask you a question concerning my daughters."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama?"

"How far would you go to protect them?"

Naruto frowned. The question was very personal, and even more so, it was an imperative question that demanded a serious answer.

"I would do everything in my power to protect them."

"Even lay down your life? Would you be willing to die for them?"

Naruto's frown deepened. There was something behind this; it wasn't a random question. It held substance.

"What brought up this question, Hiashi-sama?"

There were a few moments of silence. "There will be a time, Naruto, when I will not be here, when I can't or won't even be able to protect my children. I would like to be able to leave this world knowing that they are safe. I know you would be able to do that for me."

To say that Naruto was surprised was an understatement. It was too much to handle at once.

"…I don't know what to say about this. It…I can't really say anything, to be honest."

"Don't worry, Naruto, I do not expect for you to give me an answer right now. I don't expect you to give me answer period. But I would hope that your actions will be proof enough."

"Hai, sir."

"I understand you are having dinner at home?" Naruto nodded. "Well then, I won't hold you up any longer. You may leave."

Naruto bowed before taking his leave, a bit stunned.

Hiashi closed his eyes. There, everything was on the table. He could only hope Naruto could help him.

--

Unknown Location

"What have you to report, Kabuto?"

"Nothing of consequence, Orochimaru-sama. The village has been quiet."

It had been a ritual for Kabuto, to give monthly reports to him. It had been very quiet ever since the Kumo incident. Orochimaru had been satisfied. A quiet village was something he could handle. If his old sensei was starting to change his way of thinking, his plans might go astray.

"Good, good, Kabuto." Shifting in his seat, he raised an eyebrow. "And what of the new talent in the village, anything that could prove interesting?"

He was always in need of some new ninja. He found plenty of them in his old village.

"Yes sir, there are quite a few, actually." Orochimaru's eyes gleamed in interest. Kabuto has high standards. If he thinks there is more than one acceptable prospect, they must be good.

"Oh? Do tell me."

"There is a class coming up in a few years. It contains 8 clan heirs, a daughter of a council member, and lastly, Uzumaki Naruto."

Orochimaru had a full blown smile that made everyone present shiver. Ten children, that was a very high number. All those talents… His grin widened.

"What was sensei thinking, putting so many heirs in the same class? Does he not know that certain…hmm…individuals would take interest? Tell me which ones stand out."

Kabuto adjusted his glasses. "The Hyuugas are among the best in the class. They both are the prime in taijutsu for their class. With their bloodline activated, not even the Uchiha can match them. The Uchiha is a seemingly genius in all the practical fields. He takes things in like a fish in water, and he is sure to match his brother with the right training. The rest of them show high amounts of potential as well. Nothing compared to those three, but they will all make spectacular shinobi."

Kabuto purposely failed to mention Naruto. While he did not really show too much affection for the boy, he didn't want him to fall into the hands of Orochimaru. If anyone were to get him, it would be Sasori. Besides, he knew that no matter who came after the blonde, Naruto would most likely never go down without a fight.

He hoped Orochimaru wouldn't pick up on the topic. He was lucky when he overlooked it.

"Hmm, the last Uchiha. His eyes would be perfect for me, don't you think, Kabuto?" He didn't wait for an answer. "And those Hyuuga, they will make fine bargaining chips for Cloud."

He was having too much fun with his musing, quickly dismissing Kabuto. He needed to put his thoughts in order. He signaled for the occupant in the shadows of the room, who spoke with a smirk in his voice.

"I have to get my hands on some of those children. They would be vital for my plans."

Orochimaru looked at the person before him. "Well, Mizuki, I think we have found some use for you."

They both gave a sinister smile. After all, evil never rested.

--

Underground Location

"The visitor has arrived, Danzo-sama," a masked ninja said and bowed before leaving. In his place, Naruto strolled in. For the second time today, he had been summoned to have a talk with someone. He, quite frankly, did not appreciate it.

It's like I'm some sort of slave.

Regardless, he bowed before Danzo out of respect. "Danzo-sama, what can I do for you?"

He stared intently at the boy. He hated letting secrets out, especially one of this magnitude. But he needed the boy to know so he could prepare himself.

"Naruto…what would you do if I told you that you were going to die tomorrow?"

Naruto's head snapped up and his hand reflexively went to the sword settled on his back. The old man's chuckled, making him narrow his eyes. "What is the meaning of that question, Danzo?"

This brought another chuckle from the man. "Naruto, there is no need for you to draw a weapon. Your life is not in danger at all…for the time being." Seeing Naruto's hand loosen from the hilt of the sword, he continued. "But I need you to answer the question."

He paused for a moment to actually think about it. What would he do? "I suppose I would tell everyone I love my feelings for them."

"Ah, but Naruto, you and I both know that you would never simply sit down and take such a pitiful death." The boy blushed at this. Danzo's tone took a serious turn, so much so that it startled the sun-kissed boy. "Naruto, in five years, someone will come for you and your friends. They will be stronger than you. If you were to fight them now, you would die. Do you understand me?"

His mind felt as though it were moving at a million miles per second. "W-what? Who's going to come? How do you know?"

In an instant, Naruto was on the ground, bleeding from a cut on his forehead. Before he could even think about what was happening, he was struck again and again before being thrown down to the ground like a piece of discarded trash.

He slowly lifted his head to look at his attacker, but all he saw was Danzo. He lowered his eyes.

"Boy, did you not hear me? Someone is going to come to kill you. Are you just going to sit there babbling?"

Naruto snapped his head towards his voice as if it were foreign. "I won't let that happen. I would protect my friends from those people."

"I would do everything in my power to protect them."

"Even lay down your life? Would you be willing to die for them?"

Danzo looked at the boy. Maybe he would serve a good purpose. He reached down and retrieved a single scroll, tossing it to the fallen boy.

"Prove it. I won't believe the words of some boy that can't even defend himself from a single opponent. Prove to me that you are worthy of being a ninja."

He looked at the boy and was surprised to see a hateful stare. "I won't act a certain way just to prove something to you. The same goes for anyone else. I don't give a damn about your expectations of me, nor anyone else's. I live this life for me, not anyone else."

Danzo smiled crudely. Oh yes, the boy would grow more than he could have ever hoped for.

--

Five Years Later

"Class, this will be your last month, here at the academy. It has been a pleasure to teach you all. I'm very proud of every one of you." Iruka looked at his students with a fatherly look in his eyes.

Everyone blushed a little at that. Well, except for Kiba, Shino, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and lastly, one Uzumaki Naruto.

He would be lying if he said that the boy didn't surprise him. After the initial year in the academy, he seemingly flew off the radar. He could barely get a hold of the boy. And when he did, it was when he had to purposely tell him to stay after school.

Standing just a little shorter than himself, Naruto was a few inches taller than the norm, but that wasn't uncommon amongst ninja, as Kiba, Shino, and Sasuke were up there with him.

Said blonde was drifting off to sleep during Iruka's speech. Donned in a tan t-shirt with orange flames licking the sleeves and the fire symbol in the center, he was quite sharp. His pants were loose and hanging down to his shins, and around his left ankle were bandages. Around his left arm, right underneath his elbow, was a metal band, with an identical one around his wrist. Completing the odd look, his left hand was covered by a fingerless glove.

All in all, he looked like a hippie. He at least had the decency to wear shoes, but Iruka still thought he was a closet hippie.

Naruto sneezed. Who's talking about me? He lifted his head, hair falling down into his eyes until he brushed them away.

"Eh, Iruka-sensei, is class over?" He ducked from the flying eraser.

"Naruto! If you were paying attention, you would know that I just dismissed you." He turned around to scold the boy but found himself alone.

Great, now I'm talking to myself.

--

Naruto's Apartment

Naruto sheathed his sword before propping it up against the wall. He sat down in the lotus position and, to the rest of the world, seemed to fall into a trance.

Ten minutes…twenty…half an hour…two hours passed. Naruto had yet to move a muscle.

Suddenly he opened his eyes, and gone were the mystic, deep pools of cerulean blue. In their place was an electric violet color that almost seemed to glow in the dark.

He stood up before walking over to the window and looking down at the village.

Tomorrow would be the day, he knew it.

He had prepared, trained, anticipated this day.

A grim smile took to his face as he looked to the new moon in the sky.

The night was always darkest before the dawn, but it would come.

A/N

Hey everyone, first off I would like to give my immense thanks to my new beta, mystical spirits, she helped edit this chapter and gave me some tips.

Next, thanks again for the review, I am closing in on a pairing that I want for Naruto but it won't be seen until probably much later.

Any suggestions please feel free to e-mail me or hit me up with a message. Remember to review.