TimeShifter: It is, indeed, a sequel. I'm just very sneaky! Sorry about the confusion. Because I ran out of space, I couldn't write what I wanted which was Violence and Suggestive Themes. Instead, I used the television equivalents. AC is Adult Content, and V is violence.

Chapter 1:
Future March

The week after, unbeknownst to the denizens of Konoha, Sasuke left went quickly. Because they were unable to identify the technique used on three leaf nin plus Sasame, they were left off active duty and under watch for the week. Though the week passed quickly, it was far from uneventful.

Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, and Sasame were all victims of Sasuke's Tenganyume. They spent the week given by Tsunade to train. On the first day, it was just the four of them. They found out, however, that Naruto's energy required additional resources. They felt they needed to train his chakra control and fighting techniques as much as possible, so the enlisted the help of Neji, Tenten, and Lee.

When they came, Neji somehow convinced Naruto to wear and promise to continue wearing his new, less atrocious battle dress. It was a boon to everyone's eyes. Now they just needed to fix Lee's…choice of clothing. They decided to stick with the doable. Hinata was relieved to find Naruto's rapid advancement. With so many people, he never lacked partner to train with.

On the third day, Kakashi and Yamato found the teens practicing. They joined in to help all, not just Naruto. They gave lessons on elemental manipulation. The first thing they did was find each individual's natural affinity. They already started teaching Naruto, so they knew him to be a combination Fuuton and Suiton wielder.

To nobody's surprise, Sakura was a combination Katon and Raiton wielder. They found that generally a personality matched an affinity. Sakura was fiery and unpredictable. Hinata was flexible and steadfast, so nobody was too startled to find her suited to Suiton and Doton. Sasame was unpredictable and unruly, so they were welcoming to a Raiton and Fuuton wielder.

Neji was hesitant to find his elemental affinity, but his determination and strength made him a welcome addition Doton and Fuuton. Tenten followed his lead, eager to see her natural affinity. Her face crinkled at the idea of Raiton and Suiton. She wondered if flexible and unpredictable was an oxymoron. Lee, of course, was left out, but most agreed he was probably Doton and Katon because he was headstrong and determined.

Later, Kiba and Shino joined their 'little' training group. The contradiction that was Kiba found he was a natural for Raiton and Doton. Shino wondered at being somewhat opposite Hinata with Doton and Suiton as his natural affinity. It was no surprise that each had two affinities, for how strong they were. Kakashi held no doubts each of them could probably learn techniques from three or four chakra elements.

The week was fruitful to their efforts. They learned a lot. If it weren't for a mission, Naruto was sure team Ino-Shika-Cho would have joined them. However, near the end of the week was when details of that mission were revealed. The morning of the sixth day, Sakura never showed up. When Kakashi and Yamato finally showed, any jovial mood instantly died.

Naruto was called to see Tsunade, and he had no idea why Gamabunta and other toads were at the Hokage's tower. He soon found out… Jiraiya was dead, and his world shattered. The rest of the miserable day was spent alone; though, several people tried to shake him from his funk.

By the end of the next day, he came around, helped solve the riddle Jiraiya left behind, and was offered the Toad Sage training. Before any answer could be given, Tsunade had one last thing to relate. She dismissed everybody but the toad sage, Shizune, Kakashi, Sakura, and, of course, Naruto.

When the door closed behind Yamato, Tsunade sighed heavily and opened a drawer to her right. She reached in and quickly produced a scroll. It was the scroll Jiraiya left her to give Naruto if his death was confirmed by the toad sage. She carefully looked at the blond genin, worried he might still hold a grudge against her. "Naruto, Jiraiya left this for you. He said for me to deliver it…if he died."

Naruto looked down at the mention of his tutor dieing. Though a pervert, he became one of his precious people. He, however, understood Tsunade did what she had to do. He had to be truthful to himself. Jiraiya probably insisted on the mission. "What is it?"

Tsunade wore a relieved smile. There was no malice in his voice. "I'm not exactly sure, but he said it had to do with the Kyuubi's seal." Even with the windows closed, it felt like a cold wind tumbled through the room. She locked eyes with Naruto. "He said it is needed to complete it."

Naruto's eyes went wide and fell to the floor. He gripped his hands into tight fists as he looked to the ground. He was at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and closed it again. He carefully looked up and released his fists. "He always said he didn't know what effect that would have."

She carefully stood up and walked across the room to him. After a moment, she handed him the scroll, and he solemnly took it. She took a deep breath to consider things. "Naruto, he said you would know what to do with it."

The toad sage looked from Tsunade to the scroll to Naruto and back to the scroll. He felt the immense chakra even while contained by the seal. It was similar to the chakra in the boy, but he knew nobody else felt it. He didn't know what Jiraiya planned, but it seemed that 'completing' the seal meant giving the Kyuubi his full power.

Naruto unfurled the scroll to look at the intricate seal. He blinked as he watched the center. There was a circle with jagged bars inside it, like a cage. He hardly believed his eyes. The seal seemed to be alive. Moving within the circle and behind the bars was a gingitsune. It was two-dimensional, like one of Sai's paintings, but it paced behind the bars like any kitsune in a prison.

His eyes glazed over. He felt compelled to place his hands over to moving seal, so he did. Before anybody realized what was happening, three chakra signatures blazed around him. His blue chakra was joined by the red chakra of Kyuubi and white one emanating from the scroll. The fact that they could see all the chakra startled and frightened them.

Kakashi rushed to pull the scroll away from Naruto, but he was pushed back by an unseen force. Shaking the cobwebs from his head, he stood and revealed his Sharingan. He only stood there, dumbstruck, at what he saw. The chakra wasn't just surrounding Naruto. It was converging on the seal over his naval. The white and red chakra were mixing, or struggling to mix, as the blue chakra fought to maintain a rough balance.

He didn't have long to marvel at what was going on. He quickly saw the results. The Sharingan was able to read chakra and predict what was going to happen. He quickly processed the information his eye was feeding his brain and called out the only thing he could. "Get down!"

Of course, it was also guessed he meant to get cover. Tsunade, Shizune, and Sakura ducked right along with Kakashi. They found cover and added extra protection with chakra. The toad sage merely watched on as the expected happened. The white and red chakra collided into one, final form. He was the only one to see the splash of color, and he watched for a moment longer to see the blue chakra take full control.

The toad sage hopped off his perch and made his way to Naruto. The boy was already wavering as he dropped the scroll. The toad sage caught it and looked over its remaining contents. He knew what it was holding was now gone, but he wanted to read the seal. His lips twisted into a smirk as he rolled up the scroll and signed. The scroll disappeared to his house in a plume of smoke.

"Naruto!" Sakura called out as she lunged for her teammate. His eyes fluttered closed, and he fell forward. She caught him before he hit the ground and gently laid him down. She looked worriedly to Tsunade. "What happened to him?"

Tsunade wore a frown. She looked at the toad sage as he hopped back onto his perch. She sighed before shaking her head and giving Sakura a shrug. "I have no idea. I'm no expert with seals." She wanted to know as much as anybody else.

Kakashi cleared his throat as he leaned against a wall. "I have an idea." He felt a nervous bead of sweat as all eyes were on him. "The scroll seemed to hold a portion of the Kyuubi's chakra; though, I didn't feel the malevolence I was expecting." He rubbed his chin for a moment in thought. "It also seemed to hold something for the seal… I couldn't make it out, but it looked like extra words."

The toad sage slowly closed his eyes and considered what to say. The room was silent with Kakashi's revelation, but the moment wouldn't last long. "It's been a long day." He felt somewhat contemptuous glares fall on him. He wasn't surprised. His tone betrayed no concern. "I think it best to get the boy someplace to rest. I'll retrieve him in a few days for the training."

Before Tsunade could say anything, the toad sage disappeared from whence he came. She shook her head. "All right, you heard him. Get the knucklehead back to his apartment." Kakashi went to pick him up, but she stopped him. "Not you! I need you to get one of the chunin on guard duty."

Naruto moaned as his head started to clear. He had no idea Sakura was carrying him back to his apartment. He stood and looked around. He was in the dimly lit, dank sewer that, for some reason, constituted his mind. He noticed the light was moving and looked up to see a ceiling lamp swaying back and forth. "When did this place get lighting?"

He heard a loud, familiar roar coming from the back of his…mind. He blinked a few times and took off running. He needed to know what that kitsune was up to! As he rounded the last corner, he swore he heard Kyuubi rolling around in pain. He confirmed his suspicions when he saw the bijuu clutching his ears with his massive paws.

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto was surprised to find concern on his voice. He looked up to the seal parchment. He always thought the piece of paper looked too thin to keep anything from opening the massive gate, let alone a mighty demon.

Kyuubi's eyes shot open, and he gave Naruto an icy glower. "Kit! What did you do?" His lips twitched as he fought back another bout of pain, but he soon reared back his head and let out a howl. Whatever was wrong, Kyuubi was in intense pain. After several seconds, the howl died. He looked to his side of the cage. "Why does the seal say 'judgment' now?!"

Naruto blinked in utter confusion. "Huh?!" He looked to the parchment on his side again. It said the same thing it always did. "The Kyuubi must be going insane. Hey! Maybe the completed seal dims his mind!" He felt hope well up, and he decided to answer in dopey confusion. "It says the same thing over here. Maybe you're just stupid."

Kyuubi felt rage, and he opened his eyes to glare at his warden. However, his eyes widened in pain before his glare could have the desired effect. He bellowed in pain and hit his head against the gate. Naruto was starting to look worried. "Hey… I know we never got along, but, seriously, are you okay?"

An unfamiliar voice rang throughout the dank sewers. "Kyuubi no Kitsune, you stand trial now before my completed seal." Naruto looked around for the source of the voice, but he found nothing. "You attacked Konoha, killing shinobi and civilian alike. The final seal is that of judgment. Your memories will be your salvation or condemnation. Reveal yourself to the seal in human form!"

Kyuubi shook with another tremor of pain, but he forced himself onto all fours. He closed his eyes in concentration, and his kitsune form soon started melting. In a few, short seconds, a red-headed man was standing behind the prison bars with silver ears and nine tails. "My…memories…?"

Naruto was extremely confused. He swung his arms in open defiance as he called to the unseen voice. "Hey! What's going on here! I think I have enough 'voices' in my head without somebody too cowardly to show themselves!"

"Silence, kit!" Kyuubi barked out, surprising Naruto. "I recommend a show of respect for the man who sealed me. He was, after all, the Fourth Hokage of Konoha." He bowed his head slightly, but it was hard to tell if it was from respect, fear, or rage. "He defeated me by sealing me into a newborn with an undeveloped chakra system. I'm…starting to remember…"

The unfamiliar voice called out again. "Naruto, I cannot show myself because I no longer exist on this plane. This final seal only carries out my wishes. My wishes are for you to be seen as a hero and see into the heart of Kyuubi no Kitsune. Now, answer for your crimes."

Kyuubi opened his mouth with a snarl, but he found no words. As his the rest of his memories filled his spirit, he wondered at many things. "Why did I only feel hatred before? I hated the Uchiha and Orochimaru. I never knew what exactly I felt for Naruto, and I was conflicted on Konoha…" He found himself questioning a lot of his experiences.

The incorporeal voice addressed the unspoken questions without hesitation. "I could only seal roughly half of each your power and memories within Naruto. I intended for the less malicious to reside within him, but I failed. Now, why did you attack Konoha?" There was a slight hesitation like another question was about to be asked.

"I…" Kyuubi stopped himself. He closed his eyes and shook his head. "My family was killed…a human woman…" He paused and opened his eyes in realization. "…your wife!" The fog surrounding his memories was lifting, and he could clearly the last moments before Namikaze Minato sealed him. He hung his head.

Naruto tilted his head. "Do you mean you killed the Fourth Hokage's wife?" He was curious, and he was pained once again remembering he held a creature responsible for tearing so many families apart.

"No!" Kyuubi barked with anger at the very thought. "Orochimaru and an Uchiha killed her! I sought revenge against Konoha because that snake wore a leaf hitai-ate!" He was visibly shaking. His fists were clenched tight, and his clawed fingers drew blood. "Orochimaru…took everything! She was to give birth, and he killed her and the child with the help of an Uchiha!"

Naruto was taken aback, and he was about to say something before the incorporeal voice spoke again. "She might have survived if you hadn't killed my student as she tried to save her." Kyuubi looked away, possibly ashamed. "Rin could have saved her."

Kyuubi scoffed. "You expected me to trust her?! I smelled the stink of Uchiha on her, and I felt an Uchiha extract me!" He shook as he tried to rein his anger. "Then you name this kit after…" He couldn't continue as he turned around. "I don't care any more! I'm sick of this prison. Do whatever you want, shatter my soul for all I care."

The incorporeal voice rang out after a moment's silence. "You don't seem to understand. I made this seal in order to create the original arrangements you held with Whirlpool and the Uzumaki clan. I just couldn't replicate their unison seal."

Naruto was struck silent, but Kyuubi still had a few things to say. "I have no interest in what you have to say. I was loyal to Uzumaki Kushina, and I attacked in rage over her loss…and the loss of her precious kit. After that Uchiha stink, I was tempted to eat you for betraying her!"

The incorporeal voice sighed. "After all these years, you don't recognize the chakra? What I'm about to say makes it impossible to hide the truth from Naruto, but Rin managed to save the precious kit you speak of. Because I didn't want to betray her memory or the Uzumaki, I sealed you in the child she gave her life for."

Kyuubi lurched forward and grasped the nearest bars. He could almost see the man who sealed him inside Naruto all those years ago. "You can't… He couldn't have survived the trauma!" There was a long silence. "Answer me!"

"He might not have." Kyuubi growled at the answer. "If Rin weren't there, he definitely would not have. She smiled as she handed me the child. She said, 'I did it. Naruto's safe.' You never even recognized the name?" The voice sighed. "No… That part of your memory was probably sealed in the scroll, too."

Naruto fell to his knees. "You mean… Kyuubi, the hated demon, attacked the village for a reason? He attacked because of Orochimaru?" He blinked as tears filled his eyes. "He ruined so many lives! I never even got to meet my parents because of that snake!" He shook with rage.

The voice spoke out again. "I'm almost out of time. It will take the rest of the day and all night for your body to adjust to the new chakra. Kyuubi no Kitsune has been returned to his former stature, and the seal of judgment has not shattered his soul. Take heed Naruto, you have many lessons yet to learn. Know your parents loved you and everything has been done for your and Konoha's benefit."

There was an unnerving silence, and Kyuubi bellowed in the pain of sorrow. After a moment, he closed his eyes and turned his back on Naruto. "I am not pure evil. I am more like humans than I'm given credit. I can never repent for what I did, but I fought believing my family was betrayed. My mistake was that I never stopped to ask questions and let rage take me."

Kyuubi disappeared into the darkness of the cage, and Naruto found himself too weak to follow up with his questions. His eyes felt like lead, and he swayed back and forth before falling backward into the half-inch deep water. He fully lost consciousness.

Kakashi was at a loss for words as the red-headed kunoichi at the gates spotted him and stopped arguing with the guards on duty. She quickly launched into a flying kick which sent the copy nin flying. The guards were flabbergasted, but they quickly recovered. They drew kunai and lunged for the kunoichi…only to be stopped by Kakashi.

They looked confused, and the kunoichi sauntered up to Kakashi and the two guards. She eyed him warily before throwing her arms up in the air, and the 'Kakashi' sprawled out behind her disappeared with a plume of smoke and the sound of displaced air. She threw her hair over her shoulder before pointing an accusing finger at Kakashi. "You have a lot of nerve!"

The guards gave her a glower, but Kakashi actually…hid behind them. He carefully placed his little, orange book in the relative safety of his vest. "Sorry 'bout that Kanaeru-chan. I didn't know you were coming." His eye curved to show his smile. He released the guards and ushered them back to their post. "Don't worry, I'll watch her."

They eyed him skeptically, but he outranked them. One pointed to an armored figure standing just outside the gate. "What about that one?" They waited for the jonin to respond.

Kakashi looked at Kanaeru in disbelief. "You brought a kousotsu?" At the mention of his honorary title, the armored individual looked up. He was unnerving because nobody present could feel his chakra. A fleck of light darted from one side of the stranger to the other.

She rolled her eyes as she approached the guards again. "As I was trying to tell them, he's just a servant. I need him to accompany me, and I came here on important business." She gave the guards a cold glare. "I need to see the Hokage! The old man owes me an explanation!"

Kakashi scratched his cheek. "That's right… Sarutobi said something about writing to Kanaeru…" He sighed as he straightened up and shrugged in defeat. "I'll vouch for both of them. I'll even take them to Hokage-sama, so you two stay on duty. By the way…" He turned to her. "…what's his name?"

She carefully pointed a finger directly into his chest. "No ulterior motives. I'm a respected sumitsuki." She backed up from him and looked to the armored man and waved him in. "His name is Gayt. He's the last surviving member of his country. Don't know what his real name is, but what he calls himself means 'eternal warrior' in his tongue."

Gayt approached Kanaeru and Kakashi. He gently bowed to each of them in turn; though, his bow to Kanaeru was more pronounced. He noticed something very odd about Gayt quickly, despite having no detectable chakra. He could see bandages protruding from the armor, and he only saw one eye underneath the thick helmet. The rest of his face was covered in the same bandages which seemed to wrap the rest of his body.

Kakashi took a step back and decided to appraise the two. Kanaeru he hadn't seen since she was prepubescent, so she changed a lot. She still had barely discernable freckles along her cheeks and nose. Her hair was long and brilliant red, and she had two hair pins to hold her locks over her right ear. She had piercing green eyes. She stood a head shorter than Kakashi and was easier lighter and lither than him. She wore a velvet, sleeveless dress cut off at mid-thigh. A wide slit ran up to her hips, and she wore mesh, skin-tight pants underneath. Her right arm was wrapped lightly in chains.

Gayt was another story. It was hard to tell anything about him through his armor. With it, he stood two heads taller than Kakashi. The armor was intricate, and it looked to have been made by a master craftsman. His eyes and hair were dark, but nothing more could be said. There was also the matter of a strange fleck of light which seemed to either dart around his form or rest atop his shoulder.

As Kakashi turned to lead, he saw the one sight he dreaded most to see. At least he dreaded it most with the circumstances. Lee was jogging along the inner wall of Konoha straight for them. In a vain attempt to keep Kanaeru from noticing, he moved behind her and Gayt and started pushing them along. She leveled her eyes to chew him out when she saw the green spandex.

Kakashi nearly fell over when Kanaeru bolted towards Gai's youthful clone. It was too late. Lee stopped when the red-headed kunoichi obstructed his path. Being polite, he stood at attention to address her. Having a thing for any red locks, a blush took his face. "Yosh! If it is not impolite by my asking, could you kindly move, so I may continue my youthful morning exercises. I would also not mind if you would like to join me."

Gayt raised a hidden eyebrow and looked over his shoulder. He wondered why Kakashi was hiding behind him. The explosion of sound and dirt answered the unasked question. Kanaeru's fist was firmly planted where Lee stood not a split second ago. His mouth was agape as he twisted in midair to retaliate. He marveled at her form as she moved gracefully from ferocious punch to a reverse, back flip kick.

Lee flew backward, but he wasn't out of control. He struck his legs against the ground and brought himself to a skidding halt. He rubbed the bruise on his cheek. She was strong. "I-I'm sorry if I offended! I did not mean to. I must have said too much in my youthful exuberance! If there is anything I could do to apologize…" He was cut off as another fist nearly connected with his jaw, and he just barely dodged that. He didn't know who she was, but she was faster than him.

Kakashi curled his hand around his mouth to act as a microphone. Though he acted like he was yelling, he still had that lazy drawl. "Lee, I'd recommend removing your weights and running away as fast as you can." The spandex clone looked at him confused.

Kanaeru gave him a furious glower. "You think a little weight is going to help!" Unlike other opponents Lee had in the past, she already knew exactly how much he wore just through the small exchange.

Kakashi looked to be in careful thought even as Lee followed his advice. "On second thought, you better remove those weights, open as many gates as you can, and run for your life." If possible, Lee's eyes actually widened in surprise.

Kanaeru's rage grew further and she released a feral growl. "He could open all eight for all I care, and it wouldn't be enough!" Lee was already a speck in the distance with a trail of dust.

Kakashi only grinned. "Oh, it's enough if you keep blabbering away with me." His eyes went wide as he recognized the glint in her eyes and curl to her lips. "You wouldn't…" She showed no hesitation in turning in the direction Lee went and preparing herself for a sprint. His jaw dropped. "She would…"

With a sigh, he pushed a hidden switch, turned the volume to the minimal setting, and dialed his radio to the frequency he knew his self-proclaimed 'eternal rival' would be on. He stifled a growl before he coolly addressed Gai. "Hey, Gai, I recommend rushing over here before your precious student gets himself killed."

He felt like ripping the earpiece away as the self-proclaimed 'green beast' somehow managed to bring his voice well above tolerable levels. Gai let out a long laugh before answering. "Let me get this straight. You think some punk ninja who picked a fight with my precious student, Lee, has any chance of beating him. I dare this fool to try. Lee's youthful…"

Kakashi wondered if Gai knew what 'restraint' meant. He depressed the switch for his next chance to speak as Kanaeru sauntered over. Her grin widened to bear her canines. "Did I hear you say Gai? …as in Maito Gai?"

Kakashi noticed dead air, and he released the switch. After another second, he heard the telltale hiss of somebody on the other end depressing transmission switch. Gai nervously spoke. "I'll be right there…" Lee was spared…for the time being.

If there was anything positive to say for Gai, he was punctual and true to his word. In record time, he ran from his 'private' training grounds to the gate where Kakashi, Kanaeru, and Gayt still were. A quick glance to the chunin on guard duty was enough to confirm their fear and confusion. There were a tense few moments as Kanaeru cracked her knuckles.

Gai nervously approached the red-headed kunoichi. He nervously rubbed his hands in front of his chest and bowed his head. "Ka-Kanae-chan… It's been too long, how've you be-…" He was interrupted when a sword nestled snugly at the crook of his neck. Gaia and Kakashi were frozen for similar reasons. If it were just a sword resting dangerously near beheading the green jonin, nobody would bat an eye. The problem was that Gayt moved faster than either could follow.

The fleck of blue light hovered over his shoulder, and his lone, visible eye focused on Gai's nervously down turned orbs. "I recommend Kanaeru-sama or Kanaeru-ojou. I can accept Kanaeru-chan or simply ojou-sama. However, you will show her your utmost respect." Gai carefully nodded, and Gayt backed way still clutching his sword.

Gai carefully shifted his stance. He knew better than to take an offensive front, but he was more than willing to run at a moment's notice. He wore his goofy grin before addressing Kanaeru again. "I see the kousotsu are as well trained as ever. I applaud the youthful selection…"

"Tell me why I shouldn't beat you to a bloody pulp right here and now." She knew better than to let him continue on unabated. The fire in her eyes told just how much she hated his 'youthful' speeches.

He coughed into his hand. "Look, I meant to apologize all those years ago. You left the village in such a huff I never had the chance to…" She moved so fast he never saw her. He only felt what happened, and only barely. The first was a fist to his jaw stopping just short of breaking it. The blow to his gut was much worse, and he felt his stomach churn. Only years of experience prevented him from…displaying his lunch.

Kanaeru stood over his limp form rubbing her hand in a mock gesture of cracking her knuckles. She wasn't sore from hitting him as hard as she did. "I'm not in a 'forgiving' mood. You don't grope an Uzumaki and expect to get away with it."

Kakashi's face dropped, and he rubbed it in his palm. "I was hoping to avoid getting the family name out…" He paused for a moment. "Nah, scratch that. Her resemblance to her sister is too uncanny to go unnoticed. Somebody was going to notice regardless." His thoughts were interrupted when Gai rolled over to kneel before Kanaeru.

On his hands and knees, he bowed his head all the way to the ground. "I promise, Kanaeru-ojou, I have changed since then." His tone was a rare quality of serious. He felt he had to be careful with his words, so he restrained his usual boisterous speech. "What I did when last we met was completely unacceptable. I accept full blame. Please do not take out your anger on my precious student."

She couldn't help it. "Pfft!" She half-chuckled right into her fist. She wanted to see Gai humbled for once. She waved her hand, done with his formal apologies. "I wasn't gonna hurt the boy." Gai warily stood as she continued. "I just didn't think they would allow you to reproduce, and certainly not clone!"

"Rock Lee is my precious student." Talking about his student, he was less bashful. "He is full of exuberant youth, and he fights for his dreams. I have instilled in him all my youthful lessons, and his youthful spirit shines above others. He is a genius of hard work, and…" Obviously, talking that way was a mistake. …or he said too much. He was sprawled out twenty feet away with smoke rising from the top of his head. He twitched to show he was still alive.

A very proud Kanaeru exaggeratedly clapped her hands in front of herself to clear the dust. "Well, that's all taken care of! Let's go see the old man!" Kakashi and the chunin could only stand there with their mouths agape. Blackmail!

Kakashi was nervous as he walked the streets of Konoha with Uzumaki Kanaeru and her kousotsu, Gayt. He hoped he didn't bump into anybody who recognized her. He didn't feel like explaining anything. He stifled a sigh and crushed any thoughts of pulling out his little, orange book. "No, that's not it. It was hard enough believing that the Uzumaki clan was probably wiped out if somebody was brazen enough to go after Kushina…"

Fortunately, he didn't have any awkward run-ins on his way to the Hokage mansion. He looked up as he searched the building for the familiar chakra. Kanaeru didn't seem impressed. "I don't sense 'im." She sounded really impatient when her speech slipped. "You sure'e's in there?"

Kakashi rubbed his cheek. He never did tell her. He turned to her only to be surprised. She was leaking red chakra, and single tail protruded from behind her. She squatted slightly and took aim at the window with the strongest chakra. He rolled his visible eye. "Of course she'd do that…" She catapulted herself straight to the Hokage's office. Kakashi politely turned to Gayt. "Care to take the stairs?"

Tsunade leaned back. "You sure about this Hiashi?" The stoic man only nodded. "I can't say I agree with you, but I suppose a promise is a promise. The timeframe for the mission is over. The primary objective of defending the targets was a success, but the secondary objective of capturing the perpetrators was an utter failure. As such, I'm tempted to not take the full payment."

Hiashi wore a small grin. He knew what she was doing. He had no desire for pleasantries at the moment. "Please, Tsunade-hime, I give my full…" He was interrupted as a true look of surprise took his face. A red-headed woman landed on the windowsill with a wide grin on her face. "…payment for services rendered…" He finished slowly with obvious confusion.

The red-head's grin quickly turned into a frown as she looked around the room. The first thing she noticed was a woman sitting behind in the chair reserved for the Hokage. The second thing she noticed was who the woman was, Tsunade. The rest of her observations were fairly quick. She recognized Hiashi as the former heir and likely current head of the Hyuuga clan, and he was flanked by two branch members. One flanking branch member happened to be Neji.

Kanaeru was surrounded by five ANBU even as the acceptable entrance to the Hokage's office opened, the door. Kakashi grinned at the sight, and Gayt stepped beside him to view into the open portal. Kanaeru stared intently at Hiashi and completely ignored the ANBU. Kakashi cleared his throat. "I'd recommend backing off."

An ANBU in a hawk mask carefully reached for his sword. "I'd listen to him, ma'am. If you come peacefully, we won't have to torture you." Gayt tilted his head in mild amusement.

Kakashi chuckled. "I wasn't talking to her." The ANBU, Neji, and other branch Hyuuga all looked at him in dumbfounded confusion. His visible eye curled with his smile. "She won't hurt anyone unless provoked, and I doubt she'd even break a sweat with just the five of you."

Tsunade sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. She wasn't ready for a visit from one of Naruto's relatives. "You can go. She's a little brash, but I think we can all name at least one person like that." Her emphasis wasn't missed. The ANBU bowed before disappearing with plumes of smoke.

During the entire exchange, Kanaeru never took her icy glare off Hiashi. With the ANBU gone, he finally decided to address her. At least he was until Neji interrupted. "It is rude to stare. This is Hyuuga-sama, the head of the Hyuuga clan." He managed to sound more prideful than hurt. "State your business."

She scoffed. "Are you just some dog who rolls over for his master?" Neji was taken aback by that, but he quickly lowered into his fighting stance. She smirked. "Trust me, pup, I'm not afraid of your juuken." He did not seem impressed. She quickly ignored him and turned her attention to Hiashi. "Greetings Hiashi-san, it's been a while."

Hiashi politely bowed. "Greetings Uzumaki-san, I trust you are well." She nodded, and Neji straightened slightly. "If you have business with Hokage-sama, I can leave. We were discussing details of a mission I commissioned, but meeting with foreign dignitaries takes precedence."

He turned to leave, and the branch members followed suit. Kanaeru wasn't about to let that happen. "Stop right there!" He stopped his lips from twitching as he turned to face her. He was never talked to that way by anybody in Konoha. She didn't care. "What are you doing still using that disgusting seal?" She pointed to Neji's forehead.

Neji looked down in shame. It was the one thing he could never forgive. Hiashi heaved a breath and crossed his arms over his chest before answering. "I assure you this family tradition is only for the protection of the Byakugan." He had a feeling he knew where she was going. He was right.

She puffed her chest and took two strides to reach him. She pushed two fingers into his chest in obvious defiance. "If you were so concerned with protecting that kekkei genkai, every Hyuuga would have the seal which makes it useless instead of that mutilated form which can be used to kill unjustly." She was fuming.

Hiashi allowed his confident smirk to decorate his face; though, only those who knew him best saw it. "I suppose, then, you are a full sumitsuki, unlike the last time we met." His statement almost sounded like a question.

She drew back and matched his confident stance. "Hmm, I suppose I am." If their eyes weren't closed, everybody in the room would have sworn they saw a staring contest.

Tsunade cleared her throat. "I think the adrenaline rush is over." Hiashi and Kanaeru sheepishly look to her. She sighed. "Look, I'm sure there's plenty of things to discuss later, and a heated debate on the seal the Hyuuga clan uses can be conducted at another time at another place. I am not about to get in the middle of it!" She made sure she had all eyes on her and full attention. "Now… What business does Whirlpool have with Fire, let alone Konoha?"

Kyuubi was still in his human form as he sat in a corner to think. It was strange to be whole again. He was confused by flood of emotions, most of which felt alien to him after feeling only rage for fifteen years. He shook his head at another headache. "Naruto really is that kit? If that's true, where's the tane?"

He stood up deciding Naruto was silent for too long. He walked towards the massive gates to look at the limp figure of the blond. He snarled slightly. As he came within two feet of the gate, he felt a painful convulsion run up his shoulder. He grasped it in pain and his eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me!"

He growled and leapt for the bars in hopes of reaching through and somehow shaking the unconscious genin. "If I don't reach him…" His thoughts were interrupted as the gates swung open, the paper seal disintegrating. He stared blankly into the distance. "This…can't be good…" He pushed his trepidation to the side, and two, quick strides had him besides Naruto.

Kyuubi shook his jailer, if he could be called that any more. He felt another painful tremor, only this one traveled up his leg. He nearly fell backwards at the loss of balance. "Oh, I am not dieing like this! I better get this kit some help." He growled. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm sorry kit. I need to take over your body." He closed his eyes and concentrated.

A red chakra seeped from Naruto's sleeping form. He slowly rose to a seated position and opened his eyes. His body was slowly transforming under the Kyuubi Cloak, as it was coined. "Tch, never thought I'd take control like this." The Kyuubi-possessed boy threw the covers to the side.

He looked around the familiar surroundings. He was in Naruto's bed, but he wasn't entirely sure how. He looked at the blonde's body. "Well, he's still dressed…" He sniffed an orange sleeve. "Pinky?" Naruto's eyes rolled at Kyuubi's annoyance. Kyuubi felt the pain in Naruto's body, and he quickly fought to counter it. "Kit better thank me later!"

He leapt from the bed to the balcony. Before he made his way to the rooftops, he concentrated on his chakra. He didn't want to alert every shinobi in Konoha to his unmistakable chakra. It meant he had to fight the first tail from appearing. His chakra was so thick it actually bubbled with heat, and he never saw it like quite like that before.

He took in a breath of the cool, evening air before jumping to the nearest roof and proceeded towards the Hokage and her chakra. "Scratch that, kit better get on his hands and knees and worship me!" He was not looking forward to dealing with Tsunade. As much as he dreaded it, Kyuubi made his way as quickly as he could in Naruto's body.

He made it to the mansion quickly enough. He even stared in through the open window for several long minutes debating how he was going to do this. It didn't help that every, passing minute caused the pain to grow worse. He couldn't see who was inside, but he was aware of more than one, additional presence. His elongated canine bit down on his nervous lip. "Well, I'll either be really lucky or really dead."

Tsunade couldn't help it. She rubbed her temples with the encroaching headache. Kanaeru was too similar to certain other red-headed kunoichi. "Why wait so long? Sarutobi died over three years ago, so I'm sure you've been without correspondence for at least that long."

Kanaeru narrowed her eyes. "We still received coded messages from Jiraiya-sama. We were assured the heir was alive and well and receiving the best, possible instruction. Some months ago, the weekly messages went dry." She paused in recollection. "It wasn't unusual; nee sometimes went months without as much as a word."

Tsunade, Kakashi, and Hiashi lowered their heads slightly at the mention of Kanaeru's sister. Tsunade looked up to address the red-headed kunoichi. "We didn't even know he had living relatives. I suppose we assumed the worst, that Akatsuki finished the job and wiped out the Uzumaki."

Neji interjected, curiosity piqued. "Pardon, but this is the second time I have heard this foreign kunoichi referred to as Uzumaki." He didn't flinch as the eyes in the room fell on him, and he felt prepared to sate his curiosity. "Hiashi-sama also referred to her on equal terms. Why, then, does he not extend this same courtesy to the 'heir' she seeks?"

Kanaeru smirked, stifled a giggle, and then nearly fell back in raucous laughter. She wiped a mirthful tear from her eye before answering the young jonin. "Knowing nee, she probably never wanted him to in the first place. Besides, a clan head outranks an heir." She smiled brightly and confidently.

Neji didn't back down. "The heir still takes over the clan one day. That so, does it not foster better relations?" His eyes narrowed. He didn't believe for a second that the Uzumaki clan from a foreign land could hold similar sway to the Hyuuga clan from the significantly larger Fire.

Hiashi cleared his throat. "The heir she seeks still doesn't know. It was in…his best interest to hide this information. As Tsunade-hime said, we feared the worst. Whirlpool is very small, barely a peninsula and three islands. Sarutobi and Jiraiya may have been the only two in the whole of Fire who knew it wasn't annexed or worse."

Kanaeru's face contorted into concern, and she drew her hands to symbol silence. She crept to the windowsill and looked into the dusk sky. She felt a strange presence, one both familiar and not. As she craned her neck to look outside, an orange and yellow blur rushed past her, turned, and faced Tsunade…only to gape at the red-headed kunoichi. "You!" They shouted at once.

Naruto scratched his head in mild frustration. "Argh! I don't have time for this!" He slammed his hands on Tsunade's desk. "Hey, Hokage, I need two people here pronto." She blinked dumbstruck. "They have to be Hyuuga Hinata and Neji. I don't have time to argue, just do it!"

Though Kakashi started to stalk towards the blond genin, Kanaeru beat him to it. She walloped him hard over the head. "Kyuu-chan! What do you think you're doing?!" The room froze. With exception of Neji and the other Hyuuga branch member, everybody knew what Kanaeru just said. Kyuubi was in free control of Naruto's body…and she just hit him…over the head…hard. Gayt showed no concern, however.

The possessed Naruto turned on Kanaeru as he rubbed the welt under the spiky mess. "What was that for, Kanae?!" Gayt made no move to threaten him as he did Gai.

She leaned over and brought herself nose-to-nose with him. "Return control of the body to the boy." Suspicions confirmed, Tsunade, Kakashi, and Hiashi looked around the room for cover. Neji raised a brow as he soaked in the new information, and the other branch member backed up fearful of the tension in the room.

The blond shrugged. "Sorry Kanae, no can do. The kit's completely unconscious." He was racked by pain in his gut and doubled over. He focused chakra to relieve the pain, and he spoke through clenched teeth. "Just get Hinata and Neji over here!"

Tsunade carefully stood to look over her desk. "Why those two?" She was concerned for Naruto's health, but she needed information.

Kanaeru knelt down and placed a hand on the genin's shoulders. "What's so serious you had to open a gate?" Nobody knew how she was able to tell that, and it somewhat frightened them. They never got to voice their concerns.

Naruto turned his head up to look at Kanaeru. "The kit's body is tearing itself apart… The gates are acting like dams preventing the chakra flow. I need powerful Hyuuga here…" He turned an icy glower to Tsunade. "…to help control his tenketsu." He doubled over again clutching his sides.

Tsunade leapt to the center of the room to begin issuing commands. She pointed to the excess Hyuuga branch member. "You, leave the room immediately." The boy didn't hesitate and left. He didn't even look to Hiashi for confirmation, not that the he would have rebuffed an order from the Hokage. She then snapped her fingers. Two ANBU, one in a hawk and one in a leopard mask, quickly appeared bowing properly.

She flashed through signs as she approached Naruto. When her hands landed on his shoulders, they were glowing green. She gave her orders to the ANBU as she examined the blond genin. "Retrieve Hyuuga Hinata and bring her here immediately. Explain to her that Naruto needs her help; she won't hesitate." They were gone in a flash. A flash of concern washed over her face. "His physiological and chakra systems are a mess!"

Tsunade stood and turned to Neji. There was no way around it. She preferred that Naruto tell his peers, but the circumstances called for something drastic. There was no way he wouldn't walk away from this conversation and whatever Kyuubi was planning without finding out for himself. He was a genius. "Neji, I have to tell you something about Naruto…"

She was interrupted when Neji confidently smirked and chuckled. "I think I've had plenty of time to go over the puzzle he presents." He closed his eyes, crossed his arms, and lifted on arm to start counting down. He raised a finger. "He has two chakras. One looks normal to the Byakugan, but the other is a different color." His smirked broadened as he briefly opened an eye to spy the reactions.

He raised a second finger. "This second chakra felt different from any human I ever met." He raised a third finger. "It also carried emotions of pure, unadulterated rage which Naruto never carried." He raised a fourth as Hinata flanked by ANBU walked through the door. "Finally, Kanaeru-sama…" He added the honorific with false courtesy. "…just called Naruto by Kyuu-chan." He opened his eyes and lifted his chin triumphantly. "Naruto imprisons the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Hinata gasped, and Neji turned to face her when he heard her. He gave her a curious look as he considered how much she knew. He heaved a heavy breath and was about to say something when Tsunade interrupted. "…and what do you think of Naruto now that you also know the truth?" The implication was obvious to Neji. Hinata already knew the truth.

Bleh... The opening is very weak because I didn't want to rewrite how the news affected Naruto... I also noticed after my, oh, fourth reading of this chapter that Sakura has the exact elemental affinities as Sasuke... That said, I don't think I'd describe his personality...quite the same way. To alleviate any concerns, I have not and shall not forget about Matsuri versus Keita. In truth, the prologue actually happens a day after the events here. I also love my cliffhangers. At the moment, I'm just setting up plot.

Goshies, Naruto is going to start using mana! Oh well, I discovered I was right about several things. The summons aren't from an 'alternate' dimension but just very far away.

I hadn't noticed my permission for anonymous reviews was off, so I'm trying a little experiment. I'm turning permissions on. I'll also tell you this. If you want to leave a review but don't want me responding to it in my review section at the top of each story, just tell me so at the end of the review. I promise only to respond through this sites private message system (if you can call it that...). I just feel some questions in reviews are best answered to all readers.

As always, reviews are appreciated, and flames outright ignored.

Story Word Count: 8,053
Story Page Count: 16

Terms:

gingitsune: silver fox - more to be revealed at a later update

kousotsu: armored warrior - a samurai hired by the Uzumaki clan as a guardian for especially important clan members. They are rarely skilled in the ninja arts, but they make up for it with their own, unique variety of skill sets.

sumitsuki: black seal - the second most important member of a given house within the Uzumaki clan. More will be revealed in later updates.

tane: seed or offspring - more to be revealed at later update

nee: sis - a very informal way of addressing one's sister. I may be making this up, but I don't care. It's how Kanaeru talks.