Chapter 3: A Destiny Altered

Sarutobi Hiruzen was doing his paperwork in his office like usual. Yesterday was the day he saw Naruto and the boy was fine, if a little bit too focused and calm for it to be usual. Also, his eyes, hair and skin tone had slowly started to change, along with the boy's personality and, were his ears slightly tipped? Sarutobi shook his head, if something had happened, he would have known, the boy would have told him. Suddenly, his secretary notified him that there was someone outside, waiting to speak with him. Curious, and in a way thankful from the break from the endless paperwork, Sarutobi let the newcomer in.

A boy then walked in, with brown hair, brown eyes and overall so ordinary it was unbelievable, mostly because noone was that ordinary. He looked at the boy expectantly and was stared back with matching intencity. A few seconds later, as Sarutobi was getting ready to speak, the boy's form shivered, shook and faded away, like a summer's mirage seen through.

Sandaime, and the ANBU hidden in the room gasped at what they saw.

It was a small... person, a boy if it was human. It... he... looked like a human in that it was bipedal, had two arms and a head with roughly the same features as a human. But it's face was too angular to be normal, the skin was a ebon-gray color that no human had, his eyes were puple along the side of the iris, shifting to pitch black towards the centre. The long mane of hair that adorned the face was a deep, very dark green, almost black. The boy was wearing pants made of black cloth, embroidered with various shapes in gold thread, leaves surrounding a crescent moon with a sword behind it. The shirt looked just as high quality, this one being dark purple with golden thread spelling the words 'Sharti tra fanil, niffi orisa', a language none could understand under a full moon. On it, hang a pendant, the shape of a pointed shield with an eye crying a tear of blood.

A melodious voice came from the elegantly-thin lips, causing the sole female ANBU to blush thinking how the boy would look if he grew up a bit. "Hello Sandaime Hokage-sama. I wish that we speak alone, for I bring you news of your charge, one Uzumaki Naruto or, how he should have been called Uzumaki Nami-"

The stranger was cut off by the Hokage appearing behind him, kunai pointing at his jugular, looking very angry. "Speak, of both the news and how you know of that."

The boy looked calmly at the Hokage, as if there was not a blade just threatening to split open his throat. "I would anyway human. Now let me go and send your guards away. This is highly sensitive information. As to how I know? I met Naruto's parents."

The elderly man released the boy and signaled the men away. He didn't hide the kunai though. With his free hand he motioned to the seat. The boy nodded and gracefully, maybe too gracefully, walked over to it and sat relaxedly on it.

"Speak. Now. If something happened to Naruto-kun..."

The boy laughed and what a laugh it was, melodious, joyful, mirthful and lilting all at the same time. "Relax Hokage-sama. The boy is fine, unhurt and feeling better than ever before. How would I know? Because simply I am, or at least was until dawn today... Uzumaki Naruto himself!"

"W-WHAT? But you're not even human!" Sandaime gasped a bit to himself before looking curiously at the boy in question who chuckled at the exclamation.

"Yes, yes it's true, I'm not even human, not at all. I am what's called a Shadow Elf. How did I become one? Oh, that's a long, unbelievable story. But one you should hear and believe none-the-less. Please, old man, take a seat and listen carefully. It all began when I was going through the woods one day..."

For several minutes Naruto spoke of his actions, what he read in the book though not too much, he wanted to keep Firavel's training secret lest they fall to the wrong hands. But, soon enough, he reached the point where he performed the ritual. Sandaime was already hooked on the story, Naruto had apparently inherited his predesesor's charisma and storytelling skills, at least in part. Somehow, the boy made even him believe it a bit.

"So, when I performed the ritual, I was knocked unconscious so that my mind wouldn't be torn apart due to my body breaking down and being re-created from scratch. Imagine my surprise however, when Kyubi's seal broke off. The demon being free, the adjointed two seals that kept my parents sealed inside also broke. They decided to face off the demon in a final attempt to protect me. Now, imagine how great my surprise was when Firavel Duali himself also joined us!"

"Wait here a second, you're telling me that a dead Shadow Elf from another dimension somehow stored inside a book you found entered your mind when you performed a ritual to become a Shadow Elf yourself?"

"Yes, yes I am. Apparently the book had worked a bit too well and stored Firavel's soul inside, or the closest thing to it anyway. So, when the ritual imbued me with his essense, his soul was dragged along. In there, the demon tried to fight for his freedom, but Firavel... he was too strong, frighteningly so. Through all the stories I had read of him, nothing was as terrifying as his grace and agility, his flashing blades and perfect motions. He was... majestic and awe-inspiring. It was nothing like I had ever seen before. I saw it all from his point of view too, even if I couldn't see his thoughts, I saw how he did it all. When I finally had a body of my own inside there, I spoke to my parents. I will spare you the tearful details, but I forgave them and they forgave me for becoming what I am. Though, I am quite a bit dissapointed at you Hokage-sama."

"Oh, and how so Naruto-kun, if you are Naruto-kun that is."

"You should have told me at some point, at least of the demon. It would have been hard, granted, but I would have gotten over it and forgiven you by now. As is, I don't think I ever will, call it one of Firavel's traits, never forget a slight, never trust a traitor. Also, you should have kept your people in a tighter leash and, as the elves would say 'Menartu wytalimen nilaamin, sil niefendil exanimos nuvendi', or 'some knowledge is perilous, but noone died from a surfeit of wisdom'. I'm sure you realize the meaning of those words, right Sandaime?"

"I... see. Well, for that I am truly sorry but, how do you intend to prove you're Uzumaki Naruto and what will you do?"

The boy sighed. "As much as I would have loved to possess my predesessor's skill, I do not. As much as I would have loved to be unfettered, I cannot. Therefore, I will remain a member of this village and protect it. Apparently, once they learn of my ancestry and Kyubi's destruction, they will flock to me, in a bad attempt to gain my grace, the hypocrites. But, I will give them a chance, maybe when they are not being held down by their sadness and fear, they will understand and truly repent. As for how to convince you of me being Naruto? I will tell you of my tale, surely that will cinch it? You may also find traces of the demon's former prison, now defunct and broken. Take your pick old man."

Sandaime began the ruthless interrogation of Naruto then, one that lasted upwards of five hours, trying to evaluate everything he heard. It was hard, but he managed it and in the end...

"I'm sorry for not believing you Naruto-kun but.. well... it was kinda..."

"Unbelievable, yes, I know. Now, I leave it up to you to break the news in. Send for me whenever you need me, I have work to do. Not only do I have to get training equipment, I also have to start training if I want to reach Firavel's level. I can do no less if I want to be hailed as a legend."

Withe these parting words, Naruto got up, walked towards the door, paused for a second to concentrate and resumed his previous appearence of an average boy. With a sigh, he walked out the door and left for home, leaving an old Kage to curse and try to find a way to bring up the news to his subjects, realizing he should never have told them of Naruto's special circumstances at all.

Naruto for his part simply walked towards a nearby shop to purchase his training equipment. If he understood correctly, he would come to inherit his parent's funds soon. So, in the meantime, he could use his current money to buy himself weights and other training items. Firavel after all had a terrifying training regime, Naruto would have to match, no, out-train the assassin if he wanted to be stronger. He would have to make up for all the years up to then too.

The following two days were extremely shocking to Konoha when Sandaime broke the Kyubi Law and told everyone what happened. It was even more shocking when he revealed just who the boy everyone hated was. Of course, thinking ahead, Sarutobi didn't reveal everything, such as his change of race for example. Instead he just said that the loss of chakra was the price he had paid for the death of Kyubi, one that every ninja and most shinobi cringed at knowing how important it was. Still, Sandaime had said, it hadn't deterred the boy from continuing his training to become as strong as possible.

Naruto's appearence had also sent many of them reeling, meeting the cold, emotionless face of Naruto, his dark-purple eyes that seemed to peer into their very souls, forcing them to remember and mourn the fact that they had hated him for nothing of his fault. Naruto's words that he couldn't care less about Konoha sent many shivers down people's spines, understanding that they had lost the loyalty of their most legendary shinobi out of their own shortsightedness.

So, Naruto lived a double-life of a sort. Taking a leaf out of his Mentor's life, he masqueraded as a human, hiding his elven characteristics and isolating himself from Konoha for the most part. Not that he really hated them, but he didn't feel even the slightest amount of respect or loyalty to those hypocrites. And truly hypocritical most of them were, attempting to suck up to him or set up alliances, even using their own children as a means to appeal to the boy's ambitions. As if. Naruto's ambitions were nowhere near as small as becoming Konoha's strongest clan, not compared to his desire to become a legend amongst legends.

Naruto's alter ego, ironically enough his true form, had also been introduced to a select few people as Elrad Duali. Those people were screened by Sandaime and briefed on a need-to-know basis, including Morino Ibiki, the head of ANBU, Hatake Kakashi and Mitarashi Anko, who by the way, tried to hit on the boy in under of ten seconds of meeting him.

All of them were amazed at the story and accepted several seals and blood oaths to minimize the chances of knowledge getting out. In return, Elrad made sure to both brief them on his up and coming skillset as well as accept yearly mental and psychological evaluations to make sure he remained sane, a danger all to real to the young shadow elf.

And so days, weeks, months and years flew by. And Naruto became an adult by Shadow Elf standards, much earlier than normal too. His human side had aged a bit when he was reborn, meaning his Shadow Elf years became the equivalent of his then-human ones, that of a twenty-year old youngling. Now, five years later, Naruto often passed his nights in the forests around Konoha. He felt more at ease within Nature's embrace than in a stuffy manor, even if it was his parents'. Not that he disliked it, far from it. His parents' estate contained everything a base of operations would need, from weapons, to various supplies to hidden training grounds. But, it was still too... small for an elf, even a Shadow Elf.

So, Naruto spent equal times in the forest and at his home, according to the seasons mostly. He had also added a large alchemical lab as well as poison lab for his uses, seeing as Firavel had listed several recipes on alchemical and poisonous substances, some of which Konoha had come to love to use, such as his thunderstones and healing creams.

Still, the forest was as inviting as ever to the growing assassin, and a very good place to practice stealth and combat too. He was quite confident in his skills, having trained fervently after his rebirth. It had brought him very close to Firavel's own physical body, increasing his strength, agility, cunning and natural charisma, but it had seriously hurt his stamina.

Naruto's attire in the forest consisted of pretty much Firavel's own combat clothing, what he wore against the Kyubi, minus the aristocratic clothing of course. He had fashioned a longbow from a tree and gave it a recurve by using deer bones and a lot of oils to make it strong yet supple. It hung diagonally from his shoulder along with half a score of arrows, which he had all poisoned with his favourite, Blood Leaf Extract, an injury-type poison that caused minor veins to burst while reducing the amount of oxygen blood can carry. Two hits from that could take most jounin down in less than five seconds, if he let it run its course, even one shot from it could prove to be lethal. He held six shuriken at his belt, useful for repeated poison strikes, despite the little damage they could cause. Well, little considering his other options as the shuriken were a revolutionary design, with three hook-shaped blades, made to pierce the skin and tear it out. Of course, we shouldn't forget his second-favourite weapon, a whip-dagger, useful for many situations, including tripping enemies or wrapping it around branches. Finally, Firavel's first short staff was stored in his back, as the bag of holding had several enchantments preventing him from withdrawing items he wasn't ready for.

Naruto's meditation on top of a tree was interrupted when he heard the sound of a man running through the trees. Interested, since this place was far from the patrol routes of shinobi, he decided to investigate. Soundlessly, he got up and leaned backwards, his skilled feat wrapping around a branch to the side. With expert moves he tumbled his way down without making a single sound. Using his sensitive eyes, he easily spotted the runner in the moonlight. Naruto tensed his legs a bit before leaping forward in a blur, his hands helping him along by grabbing and swinging from branches. Coming to a large clearing, he untied his whip and wrapped it around a high branch, using his momentum to leap farther than before, clearing it with ease. He twisted through the air and landed on a branch's edge without a single leaf moving or a creaking sound betraying his voice. He squatted down, unslung his longbow and nocked and arrow onto the string, pulling it back. A few seconds later, the unsuspecting runner entered the clearing and leaned on a tree, trying to catch his breath.

"And what business would a man have, running around in such a peaceful evening? With such a cargo too?" Asked Naruto's voice after he had seen the 'cargo' the man was carrying, namely a young Hyuga Hinata. His voice echoed around the clearing strangely, making it impossible to discern his position.

The man pulled out a kunai and helt it to Hinata's throat as he glanced around in fear. "W-who's there! Reveal yourself!" What he failed to notice however was that the angle Naruto was aiming at, Hinata's head wasn't anywhere near his line of fire.

"I am the one asking questions here human. Tell me, how is this not what it seems to be, a kidnapping? Of the Hyuga clan's heiress none-the-less too. Mayhap my eyes play tricks on me or is it such an expertly made disguise?"

"C-come out or I'll kill her!"

"Oh, I think I'm pretty comfortable here, human." Came the mocking voice from all around the trees. "But you wouldn't dare hurt a hair of her and I know it, kumo ningen (Cloud Person). It would spark another war, one you do not have the possibility of lasting through."

The man was in his last legs. It was a young but merciless voice. He didn't know where it came from, he didn't know who it came from he didn't know anything any more. This whole mission had become a fiasco. In his desparation, he pushed the blade a bit deeper, drawing a drop of blood, believing that the Konoha nin, for who else could it have been, would reveal himself to save the little princess. How wrong he was, and how stunned as well, when a lilting and creepy laugh echoed along the tree lines, sending shivers of fear down his spine.

"Wrong move, human."

Naruto's fingers released the bowstring and it snapped in place with a 'twang!', startling the man. The string's return had the result of pushing the arrow forward with immense strength, causing it to soar through the air and spin thanks to it's expertly placed fletches. The arrow cut through the air silently, heading towards the kidnapper who, due to the sound of the string. The point of the arrow met the man's forehead and broke it, went through the soft flesh of the brain and exited from the back, ramming itself three inches into the ground. The man remained standing for all of two seconds before he collapsed, a fountain of blood and grey erupting from the puncture wound.

Hinata, awake for some time now, rolled onto the ground and her head faced towards the last location of her kidnapper's killer. A shadowy figure dropped down from the trees and her fear caused her to loose consciousness again.

Sandaime Hokage was on his desk, his fingers supporting his head as he waited for his shinobi to update him on the retrieval of one Hyuga Hinata. Imagine his surprise when he saw shadows coalesce in the middle of his office and reveal a familiar form. Only there was a difference, for said form was holding a girl's body in his arms, Hyuga Hinata's body to be exact.

"Naruto-kun! I see you found Hinata-san. Mind explaining me how?"

And so Naruto explained to the old man what had happened, including the location of the kill. Since Elrad was an unregistered combatant that came and went as he desired, it was impossible for anyone to ask of him anything, something that infuriated the Raikage immensely.

Sighing deeply as he re-applied his disguise to walk through Konoha unopposed, Naruto decided to talk a small detour to his home and sat down on a Dango Shop. While the taste was a bit too... strong to his elven pallette, he still enjoyed an occasional serving, especially now, as dawn broke through the mountain-filled horizon and the world was filled with sounds, shapes and scents of people begining their everyday lives. It was peaceful, but not overly so, reminiscent of the metropolises Firavel had traveled through in his centuries of life.

Naruto knew he couldn't dawdle there overmuch, he still had several alchemical proceedures to look after so, after leaving the payment to his food, he got up to return home when an arm, a female arm judging by the softness of the skin, was draped over him and the scent of dango, sake and perfume wafted to his sensitive nose.

"Oh, where might you be going now, El-rad-kun?" Anko's sultry voice came next to his ear, her whispers sending shivers down Naruto's spine, though he still couldn't tell what these shivers were all about, they made him excited for something he couldn't exactly place all the while scaring him somewhat.

"Anko-chan, greetings and salutations, I pray that Luna watched over you this night. Pray tell, how are you this fine morning, if I may enjoy your company over a serving of dango? As long as you keep that name a secret that is..."

Anko giggled and took a chair in front of him, but not before whispering to his ear. "You sweet talker you, I could eat you up..."

Naruto tried to maintain his composure, as Anko's words had several effects he couldn't classify, seeing as his knowledge of social interactions were limited to Firavel's book, who had been very secretive about these things to begin with. "I'm sure I taste worse than the dango this establishment has to offer Anko-chan. So, fair lady, what brings you here this hour of the day, I thought your work begins later, closer to noon than dawnbreak?"

Anko gave him a sultry smile and an equally sultry look. "What, can't I just go look for my favourite elf in the whole wide world?" A no-nonsense look told her that Naruto was serious. "Alright, alright, spoil my fun, why don't you. I was called to look for the Hyuga princess and later on to see if I could get anything from her. And guess what I learned about her rescuer, he was a dark-skinned, ripped, sexy and very, very well-armed elf... Now, where have I seen such a person I wonder..."

Naruto's face immmidiately became like stone. "I hope you are not trying to do what I think you're trying to do Anko."

Anko took a mock-hurt look on her face, the figurative halo of innocence floating above her head, only narrowly missing her devil horns... "Who? Me? Never!"

"Anko... tell me what you want..." Naruto sighed.

Anko grinned widely, thinking 'Score!'. "Well, it's nothing much. I want a plate of dango and us to go on a date. I think you owe me with how many times I saved your butt." She said. 'And what a yummy butt it is Naruto-kun, you shall be mine!' Were her, less than honorable, thoughts. Apparently, the thought of a society's reject with exotic looks and mad weapon skills appealed quite a bit to the less-than-completely sane woman.

"Anko... I told you, we can't... we don't have a future together. You know the circumstances and... I don't want to break your heart."

"So you do care! Aww, Naru-kun, you're so sweet! But, let me decide if I want this or not."

Naruto sighed, giving up. He just couldn't convince the hormonal woman the he wasn't the right man for her, that they just wouldn't 'click' together, but she never, ever listened. Maybe giving in and taking her on a date would satisfy her curiosity and leave him alone. (A/N:Let us collectively laugh at the improbability of that thought.) "Fine Anko-chan, let it be as you desire. Come afternoon I shall come by your house to pick you up. Dress nicely please."

Naruto got up leaving Anko dancing happily inside her head, and smiling widely on the outside. More than a few people shuddered in abject terror and sympathy of the poor fellow who would be receiving Anko's 'tender mercies', if the a smile was anything to go by.

The rest of the day passed as normal, a visit to a weak academy, hours and hours of training, a quick bath before dressing for the night. Naruto decided to go for some 'exotic' attire, selecting some of the aristocratic clothings Firavel had detailed in his book.

Knowing Anko's temperament, he allowed his skin to darken close to his now natural, his true eyes to be revealed and his facial structure to return to his normal. He let his skeletal structure to thin and reform to an elf's and he had created the perfect mix between his normal and elf forms, but one that looked at least partially human, lest he be hunted down. It was a stylish pair of black pants, embroidered with red and gold thread to create patterns of leaves and flames, a dark blue shirt with a long v-shaped cut made of cloth-created creases, revealing his muscled chest, tucked inside the trousers with a red open vest on top, with a black leather belt with Firavel's crest, a crescent moon with a blade behind it. A stylish rapier, one Firavel often wore when playing the aristocrat, was placed on the belt, Naruto's left hand comfortably placed on the basket hilt. Soft, supple black leather boots finalized the look and drew more than a few people's eyes. Not that Naruto cared whether they were looks of lust, surprise, mirth or jealousy.

So, with a deep breath to calm his nerves down, now that he could identify at least some of the feelings he was receiving due to Anko's... actions, he knocked on her door, alerting the girl inside to hide her friends lest they ruin her date by jumping her future boyfriend's bones on the spot. At least they had helped by picking her a nice, red dress with a nice cleavage cut and a cut to the side, revealing her long legs, one of her best assets really. Her hair had been made into a knot, letting several strands of hair frame her face, while the sticks keeping her hair in place were in fact concealed senbon, something he just couldn't do without. That and the wide-bladed knife on her hidden leg just in case an idiot got fresh with her and her dear, cute Elrad-kun was kind enough to leave him to her.

When the door opened, Naruto's eyes were assaulted by the sight of one very sexy looking Anko, causing his face to darken as his version of a full-face blush took over. Anko had an identical reaction to Naruto's appearence, but she managed to hide it better. At least she didn't obviously drool at his muscled chest or arms, no, she was content enough to do so in the safety of her own mind.

Naruto coughed a bit, to refocus himself mostly. "W-Well, good evening to you, my dear Anko-chan, I hope your day has been good?"

Anko looked at his chest for a tad longer than she should, shaking her self out of her reverie at Naruto's voice. "Yes, it was good, but it's going to get better. Shall we, Elrad-kun?"

Naruto nodded, taking her arm and walked with her away from her home, unbeknownst to him leaving a few women glaring at his date's back, snatching that from under their noses. Anko looked back, just long enough to give them a victorious wink and turn back to Naruto to enjoy her date.

Naruto took her to a well-known, high-class restaurant, making small talk as they went. When Anko pulled him on the dance floor, he was forced to cover his lack of knowledge with his natural grace and flexibility, making a very happy Anko have even happier thoughts, thinking of the possible uses of such dexterity. The date continued with a walk through one of Konoha's park, illuminated by the moon's silvery light, creating an image that even Anko had to admit was very romantic.

She had only one disappointment when the pair returned home however, Naruto had brought her no flowers. Not that it ruined the date, not at all, it just seemed that he never thought of it. Once at her home's front door, Naruto released her arm and opened an inside pocket of his vest, pulling out a large, oval-shaped container of some sort.

"I know I haven't brought you flowers earlier, when I should, but I cannot... understand " came the uncomfortable reasoning from Naruto. "such waste of flowers, despite their meanings. Instead, I prefer something... practical. This is something I have created, a healing cream that will heal any wound it is applied to, unless it goes too deep. Knowing how often you come across poisons and venoms, I also imbued it with several counter-toxins, which should greatly reduce, if not outright block, the effects of any poisoned wound. Not much, I know, but I had little other idea of what I should have brought. At least, I made it myself, hopefully it will serve you as well as it serves me."

Anko almost broke down laughing at the boy's apology about the flowers. It was true he never realized why humans would cut a flower and then offer it to someone else, he saw them as living beings no less important than a forest of trees, hence cutting them was something he just couldn't do. She also would have laughed at the gift, until she realized that Naruto was being completely honest. The woman settled for a giggle and accepted the unadorned container and gave the poor boy a kiss on the cheek, her lips lingering next to his ear for but a second longer than they should, whispering something to his ear, making him blush once again. "Bring me flowers next time and I will kiss you on the lips.

Naruto nodded nervously and after a hasty goodbye left, slinking into nearby shadows to conceal himself using his 'Naruto persona'. Anko, who had meanwhile skipped into her house, hoped he had gone far enough to not hear her fangirlish squeal.

Once Naruto was back at his home, safely away from prying eyes, he looked at the ceiling of his room, reminiscing of the date and the kiss. "Somehow, I know she's not going to leave me alone, but for the life of me, I just don't care." This simple phrase would have caused peals of laughter to a certain group of three people, a red-headed woman, a blond-haired, blue-eyed man and an ebon-skinned elf from another dimension.

A/N: A first sign of Naruto's skills as well as a set-up for later plot points mostly in this chapter. I hope you liked it.

Elrad means Guardian Leaf, a mention to Naruto's previous determination to protect Konoha/Leaf.