The village of Konoha the most prosperous, the strongest in all of the elemental nations, the victor of the third great ninja war, was in what could be charitably called a state of utter consternation. The word had spread as soon as the Genin hopefuls left the tower in the forest. The stories produced emotions that varied from hate to guilt to sadness to terror.
The council of Konoha had immediately called an emergency meeting to get the facts from the Hokage; the villagers were whispering stories and rumors in the bars and restaurants of Konoha.
In the council room
"Hokage-sama, what on earth is going on?" Inoichi Yamanaka asked, "We are hearing the wildest rumors from our children, my daughter is telling me that somehow the Kazama heir returned from the dead and nearly killed another Genin and that he has challenged the most unstable Genin from Suna to a fight in the finals."
Sarutobi sighed, "It's true. Uzumaki Kazama Naruto has returned from wherever he has been the past four years and with unusual and admittedly frightening power."
The council buzzed with whispers of disbelief and fright.
Hiashi Hyuuga snorted, "Unusual is not the way I would put it Hokage-sama, whoever he was he literally possessed my oldest daughter and used her to fight her own teammate. Whoever he was I request he be arrested and held for questioning on what he did to my daughter."
There was some tacit agreement from the room, "Arrest AH."
All eyes turned to Tsume Inuzuka who was as everyone could see very angry, "Arrested, he should be imprisoned for what he did to my son." Tsume shouted standing up from her chair. "Kiba is lucky to only have small fracture in his spine. Luckily it is one that can be easily healed but if he had landed any harder the Kazama or whoever he was could have broken his neck. He'll be in the hospital for at least a month."
There were more nods, "I have to agree Hokage-sama," one of the elders spoke up, "from what we have heard the boy has displayed powers that seem to be frankly demonic in nature. He must be arrested and interrogated on this source of power and where he has been the last few years."
The council was nodding in approval and Sarutobi merely shook his head, 'what fools' he thought, 'a few years ago they were so sorry over Naruto's supposed death now they are up in arms because he returned in an admittedly unnatural way.'
Sarutobi cleared his throat and the council quieted slightly, "I assume this council remembers the last time it decided someone was demonic in nature and I also assume that it remembers the price that was paid for that prejudice."
The council looked guiltily at each other but some stubbornly met the Hokage's gaze.
Sarutobi shrugged, "Besides as I am sure you all know he vanished right after the fights for the Chunin finals were decided so even if I wanted to arrest him my Anbu would have to find him first. Besides this Naruto it seems has developed in interesting ways, he also informed me of an impending attack by my former student on this village."
The council blanched as they heard that and whispers' of another sort filled the room.
Sarutobi continued, "Also it seems Orochimaru has conspired with Suna so that it has an ally when the war begins."
That got the council's attention, Sarutobi's gaze hardened as he spoke, "I trust that no one will take any kind of foolish action should Naruto appear in the village before the Chunin exam finals. After the finals and the subsequent battle I pray that we survive, I will ask Naruto to give an explanation of where he has been and the nature of his power."
The council grudgingly nodded in agreement, "However," Sarutobi continued, "Should I find out that Naruto has been assaulted by any Leaf Nin on the orders of this council, it would seem Naruto remembers exactly who it was who ordered the assault on his home."
Half of the council and the two elders and Danzo blanched in fear of what that might mean, "I trust no one currently on my council would as foolish as to try to attack Naruto if they wish to remain alive." Sarutobi released his own killing intent and the council cringed in fright.
"Now I assume there is no objection for my taking emergency powers to deal appropriately with the impending crisis?"
The council did not speak. "Good."
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In the Forest of Death
Naruto sat in the middle of the forest where he had sat four years before meditating; he could sense the two spirits living in Gaara. Shukaku and the corrupt priest that had been sealed with him. It would be possible for him to separate the two but what would Shukaku be like without the corrupt priest? He could not tell, even the dead cannot know all things.
Naruto smiled a cold smile as he thought of the battle ahead. He looked around the forest; here it began, here it would all begin again, here would he build the temple of the Order of the Dead. Of course this temple could not be above ground, but beneath it were the dead resided. In this unholy place would he cast his dark spells with the aid of his mentor the Undertaker and his scarred and masked brother Kane.
There would be others who would come eventually who would come eventually. Others he had met on his travels in the swirling mists of the Nether all had answered his call to once again walk the earth.
Naruto's journey's had not been limited to the Nether, he had also traveled deep into the belly of the earth. The cracks of doom where the demons from earth could pass into the realm of human kind, of course these cracks were far too deep for most demons to get out. Usually the demons just slept in the depths of the earth.
Naruto shook his head of such gleeful thoughts and refocused on the task at hand. Through the grass a fourteen foot python slithered up to the sitting Naruto and slithered up his body until its body rested around the slightly warm flesh of Naruto's neck. Naruto's eyes met that of the snake and glowed for a moment.
Images began to appear of all the snake had seen and heard, Naruto smiled slightly at the consternation he had created in the village. Now it was time to create fear.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
That afternoon in Konoha it began to rain, the rain tapered off towards evening but a strange fog had rolled into the village. The village gate guards were undeniably sleepy but that probably shouldn't have been an excuse when they missed the dark shadow that moved into the village right past the sleeping guards.
Naruto slipped into a few stores on his way to his target, he allowed himself a slight chuckle as he contemplated the mind games he was about to play upon the village. He hoped old man Hokage understood.
In the morning the Hyuuga clan was scared out of its minds when they awoke and black lines were drawn across their throats. All except little Hinata of course, but on the outside of her door was written the disturbing message. Her soul is already MINE.
The Inuzuka clan was in no better shape when they had seen what was in the main practice yard. Tombstones with all the clan's names on one of each of them had left them utterly afraid.
Lastly for the whole village to see painted on the Hokage monument in black lurid figures were the simple words.
REST…IN...PEACE…