Silent Monkey, Roaring Fox

In the center of a destroyed city stood two young figures. As the sun slowly set on West City, smoke could be seen rising from the destroyed buildings and vehicles. A large group of people could also be seen being escorted away from the village, surrounded by many blondes in orange jumpsuits sporting a headband with the leaf symbol.

The tallest of the two in the city was a blonde. He stood with his palms outstretched towards the smaller boy. His face held a furious snarl as he stared at the younger fighter.

Goku looked at the boy with a wide smile. He was lowered into a stance while holding a red pole in his hands. The boy seemed to not be aware that this battle could very well cost him his life.

This small detail only furthered the anger of his opponent. His face twisted into a feral scowl as he looked at the kid."Hm! You arrogant little prick!" he shouted as he threw two small birds at the boy,

Goku smirked even wider. He watched the birds approach and jumped when they were inches away. The birds flew past Goku as he flipped in the air. While Goku was upside down, he saw the birds returning. The young preteen quickly thrust his pole into the ground, forcing him higher into the air.

Goku twirled and nimbly dodged the birds, he could feel the wind from their rapidly flapping wings on his skin. "Here I go!" he yelled as he cocked the pole back and swung it like a baseball bat. A loud crack could be heard loudly as the pole connected with one of the birds.

Deidara smirked as he looked at the display. "Idiot," he said under his breath as he saw a familiar glow from the bird.

Goku's face changed from a smile to one of curiosity as he watched the bird glow. In a quick burst of light, the bird exploded in a loud bang, resulting in a scream from Goku. He was sent spiraling backwards into a building.

Goku slowly rose out of the rubble, brushing the dust off of him. "Oww, that hurt!" he yelled at the blonde. Deidara's only response was a grin and a point towards the boys direction.

The remaining bird followed suit as it too crashed into the building, causing a similar scream and explosion as before. This resulted in the entire structure collapsing on top of the boy.

Deidara smiled at his handy work, more than excited to see his explosions doing damage. "He won't be getting up from that any time soon!" He said with a small chuckle. "And now, I have a fox to catch!"

XxxoxxX

Neji was breathing hard as he stood in the training facility of the Hyuuga compound. He was completely fatigued as he strained to hold the Byakugan. The single dummy that he was attacking burst into a pile of splinters as if it just realized the damage dealt.

Neji closed his eyes as he fell to the floor. He didn't know why he was training so hard, his match was going to be quick and easy. First training with his over enthusiastic sensei and then doing his own personal regimen was very strenuous on his eyes. Neji had been training non stop since the end of his match with his cousin Hinata Hyuuga.

The teen sucked his teeth at the mention of the girls name. He was full of rage at the pain that his thorough defeat of the heir to his clan brought to him. His mind couldn't help but to wander to his first return after her defeat.

At the end of the administering of the match ups for the next round, Neji was the first to leave. He was filled with disappointment of his two teammates, they both lost in their matches.

Neji was especially upset with Rock Lee. He watched the boy go from a pathetic excuse of a ninja and blossom into one of the greatest taijutsu users that he'd ever encountered, even considering him to be a rival. Now to see him destroyed by a rival ninja village was an insult.

The boy beat Lee with very little effort. He barely moved out of his standing position, and he even looked bored through most of the fight. Neji was more than sure that he could have defeated the boy without a single problem.

In a swirl of leaves, a shinobi appeared in the front of Neji. He recognized him as Zuko, one of the branch members of his clan.

Zuko was what you would expect from a Hyuga, stern, quiet, and damn near the most unfriendly guy you would want to be around. He had a short haircut and wore a white robe.

"Neji, you are requested by Hiashi-sama," the messenger said. As Neji nodded as a response, the man disappeared just as quickly as he came.

A few minutes later and Neji was walking through the compound into the familiar room of Hiashi. He ignored the glares he was given by the Main House members, as well as the looks of grief from the Branch House members. He stoically looked forward as he stood outside of his uncle's room.

"You may enter, Neji." Neji hesitated for a second, and then pushed open the slides. Inside the room Hiashi was standing facing Neji. His eyes were shut tight and his arms were folded across his chest. Behind Neji stood the Hyuga clan elder.

Neji quickly knelt in front of his leader. "Did you request me, Hiashi-sama?" he asked with slight annoyance.

Hiashi looked at Neji with a stern expression. The young prodigy held so much promise, but he was just so hard to deal with. He easily let his emotions control him, and Hiashi was tired of it.

"Neji, I'm sure you know why you're here," Hiashi said, which caused a visible cringe from Neji.

"To congratulate me for my spectacular victory?" Neji asked with feigned innocence. Unfortunately for him, his lord could hear it.

"Don't act oblivious, Neji!" Hiashi yelled uncharacteristically. His face showed a flash of anger, and a large blast of killer intent was felt throughout the entire compound. "How dare you hurt Hinata in such a way, and in front of the entire village no less! Do you have no respect for your superiors?"

Neji trembled at the anger Hiashi displayed. His breathing was ragged as he shuddered from the killer intent displayed. He fought with all of his will but he could not stop the shaking.

Neji flinched as he felt his leaders foot shuffle. He prepared himself for the familiar pain that came from the cursed mark being released. He realized that the pain never came.

"Get up." Neji glanced towards his uncle and was shocked to see him in the gentle fist formation. "Attack me," was the low order given by the leader.

Neji looked at Hiashi with wide eyes. He was being ordered to directly attack the leader of their clan! As much as he wanted this opportunity at one point in his life, even minutes ago, he was completely frightened by the man now.

"I-I can't Hiashi-sama," he said with a quiver in his voice.

"Do you dare deny an order from me, Neji? Did your victory from my weak daughter delude you in to believing that you are better than us?" Hiashi yelled as he took a step towards the scared boy. After a few second of silence, Hiashi stomped his foot. "I said GET UP!" he yelled.

The genin scrambled to his feet; he shakily moved into the gentle fist form. Neji gulped as he moved into the gentle fist stance. He stared into his opponents eye and was shaken even further.

Hiashi's glare intensified. "Well, attack me! Just like you did my seed." As he saw Neji's reluctance, he decided to push him even further. "What kind of prodigy are you? A real prodigy would always take the chance to best his superior."

Neji glared at his uncle ; the man was right. Neji waited a long time to be able to beat this man. The man that branded him. The man that forced him into the life of a servant.

The man that killed his father.

Neji's resolve strengthened as he looked towards the older Hyuga; his Byakugan activated subconsciously. He released a low growl as he charged at the older man.

He wished he didn't.

As Neji swung forward, he saw Hiashi move in seemingly slow motion. "Two palms!" He was quickly caught in the gut with two quick palm strikes, resulting in him releasing a scream. Neji coughed up spit from the impact of the attack. "Four palms!"Before Neji could hit the ground he was quickly attacked, causing him to choke on his spit. He could vaguely taste vomit on his tongue.

"Eight palms!" Neji's feet finally hit the ground, yet he regretted it. His body was being knocked back, being hit rapidly was causing him a great amount of pain. "Sixteen palms!" Neji could feel his consciousness slipping away, only to be woken back up by more strikes. His knees could barely hold him up.

"Thirty two palms!" The screams of the young genin could be heard from miles out. Neji's body felt like jelly. He was unable to access his chakra, or even feel anything. As the last hit landed to him, he flew back a couple of feet and landed hard on the wooden floor.

As Hiashi finished, he looked down at the pained boy. He was shocked to see Neji still awake after the assault. The one thing that caught his attention was his eyes.

Neji's eyes were lit by an invisible fire. As he lay on the ground, he continued to glare with his last bit of strength. Blood and vomit stained his teeth, and his breathing was labored.

"Should I take him to the infirmary?" the elder asked with a concerned look on his face. He could see the boy fighting to maintain his consciousness

"No," Hiashi held his hand into a single seal that Neji knew well. His eye's widened in fear before the pain attacked him.

"GGGGAAAAAAAAURRRRRGGGHHHH!" The previous attack that the elder sent toward Neji was nothing; he would redo that pain tenfold instead of dealing with this pain. He could feel burning in his skin, and his head felt like it was being assaulted by hundreds of Uchiha fireballs at once. As much as Neji wanted to grip his head, he couldn't move his body at all. The boy's screams echoed loudly throughout the village.

After thirty seconds of agonizing pain, Hiashi finally released the seal. Neji quickly fell into a deep slumber, obviously fatigued from his injuries.

Hiashi stepped towards the exit. "Now you can get him medical treatment," he said as he walked out of the room.

Neji groaned in pain and frustration. It has been over a week since his encounter with Hiashi and he still wasn't over it. All he could do was wonder why did fate seem to be against him.

No matter how strong Neji got, he would always be a servant. He was fated for this life, just as his father before him. Hell, his children were destined for the same treatment.

Neji exhaled, he could feel his body tensing up. He looked to the window as he heard a bird singing. He looked at the small creature, imagining if he was free like the creature. The further the bird got away from the compound, the angrier that he became.

"I can free you."

Neji quickly jumped to his feet and activated his Byakugan. He stared down his assailant. There was a man, he looked to be around forty years old. The man wore pink long coat with the kanji for kill on the front. Right on top of his heart. He had small beady eyes, a pointy nose, a small thin mustache, and a long black ponytail. The man's face held a confident smirk.

"Who the Hell are you?" Neji demanded. He was surprised when the man began chuckling.

"Neji Hyuga, prodigy of the Hyuga clan." Neji's eyes narrowed as the man began speaking with a high pitched voice. "A member of Team Guy, teammates Rock Lee and Tenten. Son of Hizashi Hyuga. Must I go on?"

Neji stared at the man with a glare. "That still doesn't tell me who you are!" he growled. A thought then came into his head. "And how the hell did you get past the guards?"

"Ah ah ah!" the man said as he wagged a finger in the air. "I have one question and one question only. I know your condition. I know the feeling of being caged, being someone's servant. Do you want to know the difference between me and you?" Neji looked at the man with slight interest. "I freed myself!" he hissed.

"What are you talking about?" Neji asked through grit teeth. He was curious to know exactly what the man was speaking about.

The man turned around and looked over his shoulder. "I can show you power, a way to get out of this Hell you call life. When you are prepared to get stronger, you will find me."

As the man finished his story, he jumped out of the window. While standing on the windowsill, he glanced back and smiled at Neji. "You will find me." he said as he did the unexpected.

He flew away.

Neji's face showed shock, something that was rare for the Hyuga. His mind raced as he thought about the man that recently left.

Who was he? How did he know so much about him? And why did he seem so damn familiar?

And more importantly, how the Hell could he fly?

Neji figured that he was finished training for the day. For now he was going to rest and think things over. The more he thought about the man, there was only one thought on his mind.

His freedom.

XxoxX

"This is soooo boring!" a disgruntled Mark yelled as he sat beside Kiba's bed. He was beyond aggravated. He had to sit and babysit two stupid humans, as well as a vomit scented pup while Naruto and Goku were out playing hero. How was he supposed to show the world his ultimate moves if he was reduced to this?

"Shut it, shrimp," Kiba said, "you aren't trained to combat shinobi, you'd only get in the way." he looked down at his bandaged body. "If only I wasn't blind sided by that bandit I'd be out there too!"

"Don't talk to me like that, pup! I could kick your ass!" Mark yelled while pointing at Kiba.

This irritated Kiba, and he growled low. "Watch your mouth, you're nothing more than a kitten trying to play with the big dogs."

As the boys argued, they didn't hear Hinata stirring. She slowly opened her eyes and tried to sit up. Akamaru barked to catch Kiba's attention.

"Hinata! I'm sorry, did we awake you?" he asked. Although the boy was usually a hot head, he stayed calm around Hinata. He hated to upset the shy girl.

"K-kiba?" she said weakly. Hinata raised a shaking hand and saw that it was bandaged. "What happened?"

Kiba opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Mark jumping in front of Hinata. "Hey there, pretty girl! I'm Mark, and I saved you all from the big bad bandit! He thought that he was tough, but I showed him the moves I learned from watching Bulk Bogan and I totally domin-oof!" Mark went crashing to the ground as Kiba punched him on the top of the head, causing a large knot to appear.

"Don't you lie to her, you peace of trash shinobi wanna be!" he yelled angrily. "You didn't save us! I'd rather accept being saved by that loser Naruto than you-"

"Naruto?" Hinata said in a surprisingly loud voice as she sprung to a sitting position. She remembered being saved by a person, she just didn't think that it was him. "Where is he?"

Kiba smirked. Even when Hinata was beat up, she still worried about her crush. "Apparently he's out there fighting some B ranked ninja." As Kiba saw the startled look in Hinata's eyes, he quickly continued. "Relax, he's with Kurenai-sensei." this caused Hinata to calm down, just a bit.

Hinata looked at her body, just realizing the extent of the damage. Her hands were bandaged heavily and her chest area was as well. She was scared for the safety of her friend, and was sad that she couldn't help him.

Mark crawled to his feet, still a bit groggy from the attack on his head. "So, this Naruto guy... is he your boyfriend?"

Hinata's eyes widened and her face turned a bright shade of red. "M-my... my b-b-b-boyfriend" she said as the heat in her face intensified.

"Here we go," said Kiba nonchalantly as he watched Hinata faint into the bed.

As if on cue, Bulma walked into the room. She walked right over to Mark.

"what happened to you?" she said as she pointed to the mark on his head.

"I fell," he said with a look of disappointment on his face.

"Yeah, onto my fist," Kiba said as he went back onto his bed.

"Anyways, I have a question," she said, "where does this hospital keep there drugs?"

Mark looked at Kiba with a sly smile. "I knew you were to pretty too be that innocent," he said. He wasn't expecting the vicious punch that was delivered onto his head, leaving him with a matching knot.

"Tell me where the damn drugs are!" she yelled this time, losing her calm demeanor.

"Alright alright! They're on the-"

Bulma gripped Mark by the back of his shirt and pulled him out of the room. "Show me, because I don't have time to be looking into every room for these things."

"I... I can't breath!" Mark hissed out as he waved his hands in the air.

"If you can talk, you can breath! Now hurry!" her voice echoed into the hall.

Kiba stared at the door as the two disappeared down the hall. "Man, and I thought Ino was a bitch..." Kiba said under his breath.

Akamaru whined in agreement.

XxxoxxX

In an abandoned capsule store, Ino was sitting over Naruto. She was slowly channeling chakra into his weak body.

Naruto was angrily glaring at the wall. "Dammit! How come I have to be low on chakra!" he said with an angered tone.

"Well, I'm not sure if you remember, but you kind of created around five hundred clones. Plus you were tired from traveling the desert, and not to mention that you used chakra to carry Kiba-"

"Alright! I get it!" Naruto said as he crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm just mad that Goku gets to save the day!"

Ino couldn't help but chuckle. Even in the direst of situations, Naruto still wanted to be the hero. "Well I'm going to channel you as much as I can. You can use it much better than I can."

"Thanks Ino," Naruto said with a smile. "Hey, Ino?" Naruto started as his face took on a sad tone. "How come you were never mean to me?"

"Hm?" Ino said with confusion. She didn't expect that question to come from the boy.

"I mean, everyone else was mean to me except a few of you. I just want to know, why were you so nice?"

Ino thought for a moment. "Well, honestly, you're a sweet boy Naruto." This caused the boy to blush. "You were always nice, and you're a blond like me. And besides," Ino said with a slight smirk. "You're kind of cute too!"

Naruto's face turned into a deep shade of crimson. Did she just call him cute? "R-really? You think so?" Naruto said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, all of us Blondes are!" she said with a laugh.

"Aww, so does that mean me as well?"

Ino froze as she heard the voice whisper in her ear. She turned slowly and saw the sick smile that Deidara held on his face. "I must thank you for the compliment. For that, I won't kill you."

Naruto quickly sprung to his feet and faced the boy. "Where's Goku?" he demanded.

"Please, step aside and I won't hurt you," Deidara said with a smile. "We could actually have some... 'fun' after wards. 'Cause honestly, your cute too hm."

Ino stared at the boy in shock. She couldn't stop the shivering in her legs if she wanted too. She slowly took a step back, bumping into Naruto.

"I asked you a question, dammit!" Naruto yelled.

"He's dead, you'll meet him shortly," Deidara replied nonchalantly This caused a gasp fro both Naruto and Ino. "The clock is ticking," Deidara said. "It's either move or die."

Ino was terrified beyond believe. She could feel the killing intent flowing off of the boy in waves. If she didn't move, he would definitely kill her.

Deidara sighed. " Very well!" he said as he raised a hand to smack her.

Ino held her eyes shut, preparing for the impact. To her surprise, it never came. Ino opened her eyes to a sight that startled her a bit.

There stood Naruto, holding the guys hand in the air. As much as he tried to push, he couldn't move the boys hand by even an inch. Ino could see a shroud of orange chakra oozing off of him.

"N-Naruto?" Ino said under her breath.

Naruto glared daggers at Deidara, whom looked terrified of the boy. "I will not let you harm the second person that called me cute," Naruto said. Ino could hear a darker tone to his voice. This made her think of the day that he left the village. "Ino, run."

"W-what?" Ino said as she looked at the back of her blonde comrades head.

"I'm going to kill this guy, for Goku!" he said as he cocked back a fist and quickly punched Deidara through the wall of the building.

Ino was awoken from her fear as she heard the building trembling. She quickly ran out of the door, and looked back to see Naruto running towards a shocked Deidara.

"N-Naruto... what are you?"

XxxoxxX

And that's that. Another chapter out of the way. I hope you guys like the way the stories going, I'm trying to keep the plot as original as possible. This chapter was mainly to introduce what's going on outside of the fighting. I'm trying to pick up my writing pace, even though I'm doing it terribly. Once again, in need of a beta. Any help would be fine.