His hands were red with blood as he continued to run through the forest that covered the fire country. Naked, he had gotten rid of his heavy blood stained cloths earlier they were only constricting his movements. He tasted blood on his tongue, he didn't know if it was his or someone else's. He ran faster unable to remember if he was a wild creature or a person he didn't care either way.

He leapt over a fallen log, as he lands his bare feet hit twigs. They snap and he falls in to a muddle puddle, even in the dirty water he could see his red slitted eyes staring at him reflecting from the murky surface. Scowling he raised from the dirt and started running again.

"Naruto…"

The name didn't immediately register within the boy but he eventually remembered that this was his name. Or it used to be once, sniffing the air but all he could smell was blood.

"My you're quite the demon" a raspy voice taunted from the darkness of the forest.

Naruto growled angrily he hated that voice, he wasn't the demon. He was good it was everyone else they were bad, the real demons.

"You can't find me" the voice teased.

He roared in to the darkness that seemed to shroud the forest before he lurched at the bushes he thought the voice had come from. He tore through them but there was nothing on the other side.

"Wrong" the voice laughed and Naruto whirled round looking for it.

"Over here" it whispered from the right.

He slowly edged towards a tree on his far right, he was squinting but he couldn't see anything. He came to halt as he felt something, the whole thing felt wrong like a trap. But he couldn't back away from it. He was being driven on by his sheer hatred of that voice as he knew who it belonged to.

Movements to his left just as he rounded the tree and Naruto quickly gave chase. For a couple of minutes he felt invincible Legs of steel, iron lungs, running faster than he had ever thought possible an unstoppable force. He didn't even care if he never caught it as he was completely caught up in the thrill of the chase.

But he started to slow. Pain swept through every fibre of his body, he stumbled something snarls at the back of his head. He lay on the cold hard forest floor, writhing in pain while sobbing weakly.

Naruto could still hear the voice mocking him; laughing at how weak he was while bathing in his pain and sorrow as it watched him cry out in agony.

All it's words helped fuel him once again as he felt his rage grow and the intoxicating power return with it, raising his head he took off sprinting again. Everything that got in his way was reduced to splinters in seconds as he tore his way through the forest, his only thought was to destroy the creature that had been haunting him for months.

A part of him hesitated, as he was more self aware than before and it was eager to return home. To feel the soft comforting embrace of the old man while telling him it would be alright. To go out and play some pranks on some of the bad people that polluted the village, to feel the warm comfort and safety of his own home.

Something in the back of his mind flared up at his hesitation and he was reminded of the last few months of living in fear from it. Scared to leave his home and all the bad people as they went about there daily business of trying to bring him down. His anger burst through him seeping through his whole body as he realised they had succeeded and he had been reduced to there level.

With a cry of rage and sorrow he lurched through the forest at blinding speed, he didn't notice all the deep scratches or scraps he received from all the tree's and thick hedges as he rushed through them. He couldn't feel pain, the only thing he felt were hate and rage towards the village but more towards the faceless creature that had destroyed everything he had held dear. Keeping his eyes locked on the white cloak that continued to evade his grasp, he grew more frustrated as every second past as it didn't seem like he was advancing and it continued to taunt him.

He hissed in pain as he charged through a particular thick briar patch which covered the floor of the forest that almost shredded his lower legs. The thorns were incredibly thick and sharp and easily piercing and tearing the skin on his legs. Ignoring the burning pain in his legs he continued on and he soon came to a halt as it stood at the edge of a cliff with its white cloak bellowing in the strong winds.

It stood there its eerie black featureless still smiling as though he had just been for a pleasant afternoon run rather than running from his life from a half-crazed child/demon.

"Poor Naruto" it murmured with genuine sadness in its voice, "All alone, no parents, no friends everything you cared about gone"

Naruto wanted to reply, to verbally maul him before actually mauling him but he couldn't his vocal cords had been twisted so all he could get out was a low growl.

"You should remember all the good times" it told him with pity, "Recall all the memories of you and the old man, cherish them all of the happy ones. Naruto cry for them give me your tears"

Naruto lowered his head thinking about all the times the old man had treated him to ramen or when he would yell at him because of his pranks before forgiving him and treating him to ramen. As Naruto felt the rage slowly draining away as he thought about how he must of let the old man down and all the disappointment he must be feeling.

"He thought to protect you from all the cruelties of the world, a good caring man who will surely miss you" it said its smile growing while taking a step forward. "I'm sure you miss him too but don't worry it won't be for long so cry for him Naruto in these final moments"

Naruto looked up at hearing those and something yelling at him to strike now to finally gut the freak that had destroyed his life but he couldn't he was captivated by its voice.

"Your sorrow shall be short lived as in a moment I will finish what I had started" it said morosely still walking towards him at a calm pace. "There will be pain, great pain but the total peace" it smiled eagerly and its right hand reaches out for his face. Naruto came out of his Trans when it brushed its black fingers across his left cheek beneath his eye, though trying to charm tears from him.

"Death will come as a blessing, Naruto you will welcome it in th-"

A guttural roar drowned out its voice and Naruto was on all fours, his face a dark mask of furious lines, teeth bared his red eyes gleaming through the narrow slits of his eyelids. It stumbled backwards and Naruto grinned savagely while starting to circle it, sniffing and growling.

With a howl he charged forward, it's knocked to the floor and Naruto immediately started claw at its chest but before he could do any real damage it was able to push him off with surprising strength. Rising up again Naruto quickly ran towards him and twisted and drove his shoulder in to its chest, it fell again.

Naruto was on it before it could rise a second time, he drove a claw in to its stomach and red began to ooze out staining his cloak red, pulling back his fist he brought in down in to its face. He repeated this several times while his clawed hand grabbed something inside it before giving a sharp jerk, his hand shlups out trailing guts, blood splattering on the floor. All through this its smile never left its face increasing Naruto's rage so he started to pound it's featureless pace with both fists.

Raising both hands he brought down both his claws in scissor movement across its neck, blood erupted from the wound and rained down on Naruto. It struggled for a minutes all the while Naruto stood above it watching feeling satisfaction a finally getting his tormentor. When it finally died Naruto walked to the edge of the cliff and took a deep breath, as he exhaled he felt all power drain away from him. All the wounds he had received and healed flared up and pain swept over him, his whole body hurt and burned like no pain he had experienced before. Without all the energy running through him he was protected from the freezing winds from being at the cliffs edge and his whole body was frozen thanks to been naked and covered in blood and sweat. He fell to his knees crying in pain and shivering while wrapping his arms around himself.

"How pitiful" a voice from behind him and he came slowly turned to face the owner of the voice with wide eyes.

"Bye" was all it said before a pitch-black hand connected with his forehead and gently pushed him over the edge.

Naruto felt the air rushing past him and he felt completely weightless almost like he was flying. The wind was deafening whistled around him, he looked up at the sky open and bright with stars and for a brief moment he felt at peace, that this was it and he closed his eyes in wait.

His flight ended and he hits the water hard, the impact shakes his bones to pieces and knocks his guts bits. He opened his eyes and mouth to scream and water immediately pours down his throat. Naruto started to struggle but the current was too strong and was swept away by the cold churning water that roared like a thousand lions. He covered his face with his arms to protect them as the current spun him round bashing him in to rocks.

He washed up against a mass of thick roots he quickly grabbed hold, they were slippery and they felt like dead fingers clutching at him and Naruto struggled to keep hold. Pulling himself up by them he took a deep gasps of breath but current took hold of him again and he was too cold, tired and sore to fight it.

Tumbling over and over he struggled to keep his head above water and he spat some water out of his mouth but only more gushes in, Naruto thought he must have swallowed half the stream. The current drags him against a wall and sharp rocks cut deeply in to his thighs and hips but thankfully the cold water numbs the worst of the pain and stopped the flow of blood.

Naruto panicked as he felt a sudden drop, he plummeted in to a deep pool and was held under by the force of the falling water. He began to panic as he began to run out of breath and he started to thrash widely, his foot connected with a wall and he propelled himself forward. As soon as he broke the surface he began to gulp down the cold air that stung his lungs but he didn't care he was happy to be breathing.

The current quickly worsened as he entered some rapids and he was thrown about like a rag doll, Naruto almost wished he could just drown as his body felt like it was being turned in to putty. Thanks to all the sickening drops and jagged rocks sticking out of the surface of the water, it was impossible for him to exert any sort of control over his course.

Naruto felt like his lungs were bursting, he continued to protect his head with his arms as he continued to bash about his back, legs, back, shoulder, belly, head he quickly lost count of the collisions. He couldn't feel pain any longer which he was grateful for as his body hurt before so he knew it would be unimaginably painful later if he survived.

The current slammed him in to another jagged rock and the air burst out of him but the force of the crash popped him upwards, his lungs sucked in the air greedily. He floated on the surface for a few moments but the water quickly took him again and dragged him under. Naruto was moving at incredible speeds and it just kept on increasing, his back was scraped raw along the bottom of the river bed.

Naruto knew he was losing as he was running out of breath and water was creeping up his nose, he automatically coughed and water poured in down his throat. He didn't have the strength to fight anymore he couldn't close his mouth, he knew this was the end as his lungs filled up with water.

He was waiting for death when there was a sudden turn in the river and he collided with the wall with such speed he was immediately blacked out.

Sarutobi silently sat behind his desk gazing at the picture of the fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze. He kept going over the last few months in his head, trying to figure out if had missed anything. There must have been something, some clue as to why Naruto had acted like he had.

But he couldn't find some grand solution to his problem. Naruto had told him that someone or something as he had said was following him, but he had assumed that the boy was simply seeing things. Maybe he was wrong and one of his villagers had broken his law and took a more direct approach to Naruto rather than silently glaring at him.

No that couldn't be right his Anbu would have seen it and the boy had never said that they were hurting him just stalking him. Sarutobi took out his pipe and tobacco and carefully filled his pipe before lighting it and taking a deep smoke filled breath.

Naruto had been a lot more sullen the last couple of times they had meet and was always fidgeting in his seat though he was preparing to run at any moment. And from his Anbu had told him Naruto barely left his home over the last couple of weeks and when ever he did it was only for the bare essentials. He was never out a few minutes, sprinting there and back.

Sighing, the ageing leader got up and walked round his desk so he was standing right in front of his successors photograph.

"What would you do?" he asked the photo, of course when he got no response he walked back to his desk and his eyes drifted down to the report on his desk.

After Naruto had fled the village while seriously harming the chunin's on gate duty he had immediately sent his Anbu to investigate his home. They had found the remains that had once been a man, even the hardened leader found it disturbing to think a mere child of five could do such a horrific act. The man who had been the boys landlord had his entire chest cavity brutally ripped open and his organs shredded, the entire home had been covered in bloods and pieces of the man.

Sarutobi closed his eyes in sorrow as he recalled all the small blood handprints and footprints on the floors and walls. What could have caused such an innocent child to murder and in such a brutal and inhuman way?

Sitting back behind his desk he put down his pipe and waited. He had sent his best trackers after Naruto in hope they would find before he did anymore damage to himself or anyone else. He thoughts quickly turned back to what could of cause all this chaos and how Naruto had ended up in the meddle of it all.

The only plausible reason he could find for Naruto suddenly becoming what he had was if he was under the influence of the fox. But the fell short as well as surely he would have noticed if the demon was controlling the boy as there would be no doubt that he would signs of possession. He had complete faith in the fourth's sealing technique as he himself had helped him in inventing it and there was no way that the fox would be able to take over Naruto without some sort of sign.

He wished he could speak to the two chunin's as they would hopefully be able to shed some light on what had happened. But unfortunately they were both unconscious and he wasn't permitted to wake them as the seemed to be suffering some sort of chakra poisoning and the pain would be too great for them to answer questions he held. The only actual witness they had was a woman who shared the same building with Naruto and all she knew was that the boy had ran out of his apartment covered in blood and was trying to attack her. She had defended herself had stabbed the boy in shoulder before running.

His Anbu knew even less, as they had been ordered to stay at a distance at all times so the boy would not get suspicious. And all they had seen was the boy burst of his home talk to some woman before running as though the Shinigami himself was after. They had quickly lost him in all the back alleys of the village as they were not expecting him to attempt to flee the village.

Leaning back in his chair Sarutobi looked out his window gazing down at his village. Night had already fallen and there were still no signs of either his trackers or Naruto had he hardly took that as a good sign. They should have reported back hours ago and time was of the essence, he had managed to contain what had happened today but it wouldn't be long before his old partners found out.

He held no doubts that Danzo already knew, the old war hawk had ways of finding out effortlessly he wouldn't be surprised if he had his own men follow Naruto. Sarutobi brows narrowed as he thought it, maybe Naruto really was being followed and his paranoia was justified. But even so that hardly a cause for what he had committed today, maybe he had finally just snapped.

It was hardly easy for a child to grow up without parents and it was obvious that orphanage he had placed the boy in neglected him. So was really hard to believe that a small child finally gave up against trying to earn some acknowledgement, he was isolated from all of the children his age and without being at the academy he hardly had a chance to meet new children. Plus everyone in the village practically ignored the boy's very existence and if they did acknowledge him it was with a cold glare. Naturally there children had picked up on there parents hostility so they were hardly inclined to talk to the boy.

Sarutobi quickly cleaned his head of such thoughts, he knew Naruto he would never give up. He was Minato and Kushina's child it was in his very blood to fight until the end. Sarutobi instantly sat up in his chair as felt someone else's presence enter his office.

"Report" Sarutobi barked out and watched as a cloaked figure with a dog masked seemingly appeared out of nowhere before bowing to him.

"We were able to find his tracks" the masked figure began, "It wasn't really hard he practically tore his way through the forest."

"So where is the boy now?" Sarutobi asked his eyes narrowing slightly at the cloaked figure.

"Unfortunately we were unable to locate the target Sir" the Anbu didn't react when the Hokage's hand slammed against the desk.

"The trail when dead at a cliff near the border with River country" the cloak figure continued not wanting to anger his leader. "We found evidence of a fight and we believe that the boy fell over the edge, we then followed the river below in hopes of finding him but we were unable to."

Sarutobi clenched his fist and eyes quickly glanced at the photo of the boy's father, "You said you found evidence of a fight?"

"Yes, there were scruff marks as long with claw marks near the edge and I currently have my men searching for anymore evidence of the presence of an enemy nin" the Anbu answered.

Sarutobi stared at the figure for a few more moments before letting out a tired sigh and started rubbing the bridge of his nose, "Kakashi your dismissed and I want a full report on your findings tomorrow."

"Yes Hokage-sama" was the only answer he gave before vanishing leaving the old Kage to his thoughts.

"Minato did I fail you and your son?" he asked the photo.

When he didn't receive an answer he briefly wondered of he was actually expecting one; with a tired shake of his head Sarutobi decided to go inform the old team mates before Danzo was able to manipulate them.

Consciousness gradually returned to Naruto. Slowly sounds started to strikes his ringing ears; first the roar of the water, much softer than when he first fell in almost lyrical. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open and the first thing he saw were the stars shining brightly in the inky darkness of the night sky. He drifted on his back staring up and the stars wondering if it was luck or his body natural defence's that had saved him from drowning.

The current wasn't strong and knew he could easily swim to the bank, pull himself to safety and begin his trip back to the village, except he didn't have the strength. He tried rolling over to swim but he couldn't. His arms and legs were like dead blocks of wood. He had survived the ride so far but he knew the cost had been high too high; he was completely limp and helpless.

He studied the landscape while the stream swept him further away from where he had once called home. It was rugged and unspectacular but it was beautiful to him after what he seen in the last couple of das. He knew anything would be beautiful after all the blood and death he had seen.

He wondered if he was dying, for all he knew he could be, no feeling, no control, at the mercy of the stream. Maybe he was dead already dead and he just hadn't realized yet and secretly wished this was the case.

No he knew he was alive as ice cold splashed up his nose and he started to splutter. This shook him out of his self loathing as he realized he wouldn't give up, not after everything he had been through. He tried summoning his strength from somewhere so he could make it to the bank.

He knew he couldn't drift along like this forever, he knew the longer he left it the harder it would be. He tried forcing energy in to his exhausted limbs, he though of dying young and what a waste it would be but it failed in giving him any extra strength. Strangely he though about all the villagers as gazed coldly at him as though him being alive insulted them. All the kids that refused to play with him and mocked him cause of his poorly fitting cloths and all he had been through. The thought that they would all get away with being bad and would continue to do so and that he was the one being punished for the corruption. The idea of the injustice being served to him succeeded in spreading a burst of fire through his icy bones spurring him in to action.

He raised a weak arm and flapped feebly for the bank, the action didn't do much apart from spin him around a little. But the fact he managed to move at all filled him with hope. Gritting his teeth, he faced the bank and forced his legs up behind him, they responded sluggishly but they did respond. He tried to swim freestyle but failed miserably, he rolled over on to his back and kicked weakly with his feet. He tried to guide himself gently with his hands movements. He slowly pulled towards the bank, it takes long a time and he had he been swept much further from the fire country but finally he was in shallow water, out of the current.

He half raised himself to his knees before collapsing, lying face down he turned his head sideways and spluttered. Rising back on to his knees, he slowly crawled out of the water on to the muddy bank. He quickly collapsed again as soon as he was on the bank; he closed his eyes and wept in to the mud.

He wanted lay there and simply die as it was easier than moving but his feet were still in the water and he didn't like the feeling of them drifting behind him. So he pulled them clear and the effort goaded him in to further action, groaning the small boy propped himself up then raised slowly and painfully to his feet.

Standing up he looked around, everything was different and new. Day was breaking but the stars were still shining and the moon was still shining lightly in the sky. Sighing he started to move obeying the same insistent inner instinct that had kept him alive so far. He dragged his feet forward and every few steps he pause, shake his head, straighten up and lurch away from the stream. The river frothed and hissed angrily behind him, annoyed to be cheated of its latest victim.

There we go the second chapter, I must say I'm slightly disappointed for my last chapter as I had over 1200 hit but so few reviews. But never mind I don't know when I'll update this next as I've got another story now plus a social life and Christmas is around the corner but anyway let me know what you think. Sorry about any grammer mistakes i'm still looking for a beta.