The shroud of the doom stone's ahead of us weakened; Hakari and I had already shattered our rocks. It was left to Amoroto to eliminate the last of the gloom stones that darkened our thoughts with doubt despite our efforts to repel its malevolent power. The world shaded with the nightfall of our insecurities, darkened only from our perspectives, with minds muddied by insignificant details we were blinded by the pettiest inconveniences. Our existence paled grey, the air turned stale and no longer fey, sensation had died and the glory of living felt as a burden leaving only a dull outlook in splendour to the majesty of his mouth open in song.

Amoroto's song:

All of the pain and anguish that I see before me is such a terrible sight and I hope that I can make it right

Make what is lost before me right,

Make oh what is lost before me magnified.

Break this dark night into day with the power of the sun and reverse oh what the universe has done!

…

The heavens opened and shone out a beam of light, to hover and descend upon the burning blight.

…

All I could see in my sight suddenly turned blindingly white, and then I opened my eyes. There in front of us all was the last remaining boulder, its colour petrified and dulled, bleached by the sun. A sudden wind blew and the boulder crumbled, cascading rubble and dust and then that too was turned to nothing until all proof that any such boulder was; vanished from existence.

"You destroyed it…" My words fell from my lips without any thought, as if carelessness had overcome me and my mind and mouth had joint into one; unabridged from concealing my intentions in thought or action. "but… that's impossible, there's nothing left." I stepped forward but halted, fearing running up to inspect where the stone had been would rip open a void and suck me in too.

"I asked that creation remove what had been done... so it did." Amoroto stepped away from me but then stood his ground unopposed, for surly who would dare oppose him now!

"You can't do that to a person can you?" Hakari asked and it was a question I had tainted on my inner most thoughts too, my face held in a façade of confidence.

"I think?" The returned uncertainty in Amoroto's voice brought me ease. It was strange to say it but knowing that he lacked confidence in his ability brought me relief, that he and people like him couldn't destroy the world with any number of words. "When I sing the feelings mix and build in my chest gathering stronger and stronger until I can't hold them anymore. If I sang a song that is too powerful for me to perform, I wouldn't be able to finish it and my jutsu wouldn't execute. This is how I know my song is complete, when the built up emotions release, my ninjutsu is done."

Hakari dropped her shoulders and we all felt the stress leave us. Not only Amoroto's shocking power but the trial itself brought on a heavy strain that now washed free from us. We have passed.

It wasn't long before Tensue returned…

"Now class, I want you to inspect each one of these boulders and tell me exactly how they were destroyed." Tensue returned to our trial with a troop of followers, all in white coats carrying clip boards with pens. "Agh, I see that you are still here?" The medical ninja looked over us as if he expected us to be elsewhere, he was just about to turn to be elsewhere himself when!

"I believe congratulations are in order" Hakari intervened, and my first team mate was not alone. I held my fist raised and was just about to bark at Tensue like I had seen Naruto do, in some instances that knuckle head was right.

Tensue, with his attention still on his class of coats, ignored Hakari to instruct his troop. "Examine your subjects and determine how they died, you must dissolve how Argies and his team were able to destroy the boulders." To the question in my eyes Tensue replies with a condescending tone to match his air of superiority. "Surly you didn't think you are my only students, I have many charges within the Ninja Hospital."

Lowering my fist I decided a semi-polite approach was best "I feel at a loss here, what exactly do we get for passing your trial? The Chunin exams offer a versatile vest, the Jounin exams offer a liberal pass of the Village walls, tell me Tensue. What do your exams offer?" I folded my arms and remained calm and in control. I was angling on my earlier threat to kill him if he failed us as teacher, by the dismissive yet compliant look in his eye, I took it that a passive yet menacing question held sway.

"Although it is not in my power to grant you any such rewards, I will offer you this Ages." A flash of daring gleamed off Tensue's glasses and I knew very well that his offer had a gain in it for him. "You and your team will be granted leisure time until a point when I have fashioned a proper team training routine. We do have a schedule to keep after all." He cleared his voice and turned to set an order to his fellow lab coats. "I want a full assessment of their abilities on my desk before tomorrow morning, gather all the remaining evidence found here to ground your detail." Turning back to us he added an interesting tad bit of information. "In the meantime while you enjoy your time off from your affairs as a ninja, take solace in my one remaining gift as your sensei." Arcing his arm across the haunted place of our trial he said with a smile "From hence forth, these will be your official team training grounds."

"Here?" Hakari voiced unsure of the point of celebrating.

I lowered my head. "Uhm, suddenly I feel like shutting myself out from the rest of the world and sleeping for an eternity." I shuddered, the icy chill of our trail still quacking my inner self.

"Cool" Amoroto's remark was the happier of ours both yet we stared at him in shock, even if it was more neutral than positive he showed the least ware from our ordeal.

…

"Report, what did you find?!"

"It's hard to say…"

"What do you mean? Didn't the jutsu work?"

"My mind melding technique was able to manipulate them into self-doubt, yes, but, although it make their thoughts more willing to look to the past for solutions to their predicament. It did not make him further susceptibility to my mind reading technique. It's hard to approximate but if I were to place a word on it I would say, Argie's mind is -inactive. "

"Hmm, I'll have to inform lady Tsunada. Return to the intelligence sect and write a full report on what you have gathered from his team."

"Yes of course Ibiki Morino." The rookie Intel ninja vanished in a blur of chakra leaving Ibiki to ponder on the results of their intellectual infiltration.

"This Ages boy just might be a threat to the Leaf. His mental defences can only mean one thing. His thoughts have a sealing jutsu placed on them. A very powerful seal which can only mean he has a very dangerous secret to hide." Ibiki turned to another of his subordinates. "I want you to follow Ages home and try another attempt at reading his mind while he sleeps. Do not hold back, probe as deep as you can without harming him of course."

"Yes Ibiki... what should I to do if he is alerted to my presents in his mind?"

Ibiki shot a scowl at the elite mind infiltration ninja "Tell him it's a dream and retreat if he presses harder." The Ninja bowed and vanished to Ibiki's order leaving the scarred faced Shinobi to stare off in thought again. "*Sigh*I thought at first that Lady Tsunada was mad for ever considering a boy like Ages, but if his mind is sealed he has a lot to answer for and it means something else too. That I haven't been paying enough attention to my duties in the Leaf and that it's time I use a more aggressive approach."

The single remaining Shinobi in Ibiki's office gulped so hard that his throat could be heard creaking as he straight and tried to avert his widened eyes from his already intimidating superior. He couldn't imagine how a shinobi of Ibiki's rank, a torture expert, could scale up his approach any further.

"Get me Inoichi Yamanaka…"

"The flower shop owner!" The shinobi shouted incredulously "what does he have to do with…" the younger generation shinobi stopped talking, his mouth still open in question but now his body too stiff to follow on with his thoughts.

Ibiki's jaw line clenched and his lips parted to reveal a stomach-churning smile "Tell him it's of code four importance." The shinobi was off before he could open his mouth and land into any further trouble, wisdom makes you wonder if he left to follow orders or to pack his bags.

Ibiki tightened his hands into fists, the sound of his leather gloves creaked unnervingly, his Interrogative mind formulating a plan that would equally bring unrest to any remaining unforeseen snags in his sector of duties.

…

That early morning, when time had passed only a little beyond twelve, Argies lifted his hands from all his hobbies and went to rest. His mind quitting down from the unsure thoughts of his Sensei's trial and of the celebratory meal he took his team mates out on. His thoughts tucked away the conditioning tool, his walker beads, he used to harden his body before bed. His heart whispered down the day and came to a steady love love dove of an easy-going dormancy.

With his hand under his pillow, his Kunai cuddled to his body with comfort. The warmth of the blanket around him carried him into safety, with memorable and encouraging thoughts of the day soothing his rest. He was in a moment of blissful rest when he should have been at the tempest of distress.

The pitch dark in the form of a man standing over him stepped into the dim moon light coasting through a nearby window. Sprinkling powders to induce an unnatural sleep, the ninja got to work probing the young boys mind. Entering the mind of Ages, the intelligence division Shinobi found a world of oblivion. His forehead creased and sweat beaded his real world face while his spectral self, in the mind of Argies, fell under the loom of a Giant sealed door made of light in a world purple and black. Pressing his hands against the door, he marshalled his concentration to remove it. It would not budge. Instead he stepped back and inspected the door once more, removing a scroll to take down what he found in his study of its unique seals.

"How strange? These seals aren't made to keep me out but how curious, it was made to keep him from accessing part of his own mind, his own thoughts. Is this why the other intelligence unit wasn't able to break his mind, because Argies thoughts aren't even available to him?"

The now distracted shinobi was caught unaware when an apparition appear to confront the intrusion he posed.

"Are you trapped here too?"

Turning from his scroll the intelligence division shinobi faced the voice unconcerned, there was no harm posed to him in entering a mind. "Who are you?" His brow wrinkled, not seeing the face he expected.

There in front of him stood a man in his mid-twenties, plain cloths but with the symbol of the Leaf on his shirt. "You are not one of the others are you?" The apparition struggled to remain visible in this plain of existence, shifting in and out of sight like a rippled image in a pond.

"Others?" the inspecting shinobi questioned, an increasing worry settling in to replace his assurance 'I can not be harmed here.'

"Oh… you are from outside" The shimmering man whispered "Does that mean you can leave this place. Oh yes" He smiled and because they were not in the real world his smile extended far beyond what was human, until the overextended grin was no longer inviting but frightening. The picture of the man shimmered again, just as it did multiple times before, but this time for a split second there was a picture of a bloodied shinobi in place of the plain cloths man.

"What are you?" The Intel ninja stepped back, looking around, the shinobi instinct of self-preservation now overwhelming his senses that told him this place could not harm him. "How did you get here?"

"I am Legion, for we are many!" Thunder could be felt more than seen or heard from within the confines of the Ages mind. Small erratic clouds descended out of the oblivion sky, cascading, whirling and swishing down to join the apparition of the man who smiled ever further.

His eyes began to glow with blue light, his mouth opened in a scream and light shone from it too, his body stretched and grew. The shimmering continued, but now with each split there was a different ninja in blood with mortal battle wounds screaming. The wailing torment of the souls who twisted together into this one form struck anguish into this world of oblivion outside the gates of the Ages mind. So much so that the walls of this limitless mindscape cracked with red and blood began to run down and fill its quarters.

"What is happening here, I can't-leave?" The mind melding ninja whispered before he was engulfed by the body of souls, crashing down to consume him. "Agh!" His voice stretched to its final.

…

"You show too much progress in your school work, your uncle and I think it would be unwise to show any further ability." Anisue poured Argies a further cup of cold herbal tea as she shot him daggers in a stare that could make a dog whimper.

"Yes I understand" Argies bowed lightly, averting the direct brunt of her piercing eyes. From his position on the ground behind the small raised table that sat on the wooden flooring, he asked his Aunt a question that made him thankful he was already seated to match his plea. "Aunt Anisue? Why do I have to- 'remain hidden' even when in the academy? Won't I…"

Anisue smiled kindly to her nephew while pouring herself a cup of tea. "You are of the Hidden Winds Argies. You cannot allow yourself to grow soft by learning pre-existing arts forms. Your time in the academy must be extended so that you are able to gather all that is necessary to learn your own techniques." A hint of pride lingered on her lips; she raised her cup to take a sip of her strong brew of herbs. "Your enlightenment in the academy can only be achieved if you are held in teaching a further few months. Like the art form of brewing, your leafage hasn't steeped long enough in the tempered waters to draw from you your greater values."

"*Sigh* It's just that…I sit in class all day unable to raise my hand and answer the question no matter how much I want to. Not because I don't know the answer, but because of these rules. Can't I just tell them I want to stay a few extra months in the academy?" Argies twiddled his fingers together in frustration and discomfort in how much he wanted to show what he knew he was capable of.

Anisue looked at her nephew and smiled with wrinkles about her eyes, placing a hand to his fidgeting. "You are not the only genin that feels that way Argies, there are many clan ninja who practise similar customs. The Aburame parasitic insect clan for instance hold back their trait talents until they see a fitting team for them to join, that child is far too tall to be twelve." At the sight of her nephew's ears perking and excitement entering his eyes Anisue continued. "Some clans have even firmer rules that go against what would be deemed decent in most opinions. Like the Ino-Shika-Cho clans formation which asks the married couples to birth their babies within the same year of each other. Clans like the Hyuuga family value only their first born male heirs whereas clans such as the Inuzuka ninja hound family value female heirs and take on many mates to insure more females are born into their line. As you can see Argies, our clans teachings are not so bizarre in the greater scheme of the ninja world."

Argies beamed a smile and rocked back and forward at his place on the floor, shacking the small wooden table. Then a sudden thought came to him. "How do you know so much about them? Our clan's rituals are kept secret, aren't theirs?"

"Come now Argies, you should know your Aunt and Uncle are ninja. We know a lot of what we shouldn't and I am sure you understand how important it is that you keep these secrets too. You're Uncle and I would be very displeased if any undue attention was drawn to us." Anisue's face angled her attention on Argies fiercely, nevertheless at the same time she pour yet another cup for the young boy to drink.

"My throat was feeling sore earlier but its fine now, is it the tea?" His Aunt tilted her head please with his discovery. "Could you teach me how to make herbal teas as well?" Argies pleaded even while squinting to the bitter taste of the brew he drunk. 'Is it truly their intention to make me steep for so long in the Academy until I become as bitter?'

"In time Argies, in time you will be taught many secrets"

"I still can't believe Naruto became Genin before me, I know I'm not worse than dead last but… no one else knows that"

"Naruto Uzumaki the red fox, he is a dangerous student, it is best that he be promoted before you. I do not want my nephew to be crippled within the team that has to carry his presents"

"Red fox?"

"That is a secret for another day"

"I've heard some of the locals call him a fox demon, everyone treats him rather nastily but they don't even know him. To be honest he is extremely annoying but… I still don't think he deserves to be called a demon."

"Foolish Child!" Anise's face contorted and her arms thrashed violently knocking over the tea pot and its remaining content

"I don't understand… Aunt Anisue? What is wrong?" Argies would normally shirk back and apologise but something was wrong, his Aunt was strict but never violent.

He stood there a small boy, not knowing whether to try and sooth his Aunt's violent spell or to call for help. Her face augmented and her fingers twisted and bent crooked. Her eyes began to glow and her hair thundered as if caught in a storm. Her jaw widened and her teeth extended into a savage snarl. Argies stood up, decided that it was best to run for help, but the ground beneath him would not let his feet travel, he tried to scream and hope that assistance could hear him but his voice suddenly choked off. He was forced to watch as the hair on the head of his Aunt turned red and grew to cover her body. Her muscles bulged from under the cloak of red, and she howled a blood curdling scream. Argies had never heard his Aunt in pain before, and so rightly his heart raced and his flesh ran cold.

The walls of his home ripped free and suddenly he was in a different place. A place he did not recognise. It had buildings and people, it had stars above and in the distance his Aunt, she had doubled in size and now took to a new form. The Fox Demon!

With a howl that run through the air like a gust of galling wind, and footsteps that shook the door frames and windows nearby, the sight of his Aunt now turned demon terrified him.

…

I stood there, in this new land that was all so different from the Leaf yet somehow still the same. In the distance I could see the Hokage monument, it was night but the pale moon light still reflected off the faces carved into stone. My movement was free once again and I was no longer my younger self but instead a Chunin fully armed and strapped with ninja gear I did not know I had.

The people scattered and entered building I had never seen in the Leaf before, but I had no time to think on this. The Leaf was being attacked by a demon that was likely still my Aunt.

A ninja in white jump down from the roof tops to radio in to Headquarters "One quarter of the city has been destroyed, send in third company!" He was a tactics division Ninja, of the ninja relay sect, informing the ninja headquarters of what was happening on the front lines and reporting back their orders in response. "You! You shouldn't be here, what happened to the first and second company?"

My mouth spoke without my permission "They are all dead sir, I was ordered back to inform you of their failure." With a voice that was not my own, telling of things I knew nothing about.

"All of them?" The man's face washed with solemn disbelief and with grief he gave me orders that I knew couldn't be easy to say "Alright, join third company on the front lines!"

"Didn't you hear me?! They are all dead! Third company is probably already dead as well"

"It doesn't matter, we have to hold them off until the third Hokage can get here."

"What are you talking about!" I suddenly realised that these were my words, I had control over my own voice and actions again. "The third Hokage is dead, where is the Fifth?"

"I don't like these orders any more than you do and I doubt claiming insanity will work here Chunin. Now get back into line before I have to declare you a traitor."

"Right!" I blurred away to the front with a chakra burst of speed. Even if I don't know what is going on, I know being declared a traitor wouldn't help. From a roof top close to what I deemed an unnecessary death, I watched as tens of shinobi ran face first into it. They lasted but a moment on the battle field against my Aunt the demon fox. All sorts of weapons were being deployed, the Leaf was certainly trying but it was losing the fight in delaying the fox spirit. Catapults shot strings of paper bombs that wrapped around the fox, detonating with no effect. Kunai and giant shuriken were being thrown, still nothing could cut through the demons hid. Elemental jutsu's and elemental weapons I had never seen were being castoff from the monsters fur as if they were only a nuisance to be itched away.

The fox demon opened its mouth and a mass of dark black, blue and red matter began to gather within its gape. With a surge of energy it launched the matter at the Hokage monument. Electricity sparked out of the mass, now a blackened ball of energy, killing citizens and shinobi in its pass.

It was then that a ninja that looked all too familiar appeared like a flash of lightning. The blackened mass of energy collided with a force field in mid-air in front of the Hokage monument, before vanishing into a void. In the distance an explosion ruptured the earth with the same evil energy as that black orb, collapsing trees around its epicentre, gusting a wind that removed all sound from the air for a few seconds. It was then that the Fox demon cast its full attention on this familiar Shinobi.

He summoned up his strength once more and drew the beasts attention far away from the crowded village. I looked out from where I stood. I could see the devastation of our village. The Leaf was in ruin, rubble stretched out for kilometres, places of celebration were slued with bodies of ninja and citizen alike. The old, the young the humble the rich, all were trampled underfoot by the beast.

"This could not have been…" My aunt, I could not bear to say those words out loud. To even think it tainted my mind with revulsion. So many are dead, my aunt would never do such a thing even if she was possessed by a demon.

It was then that I knew I was dreaming, but I could not wake myself no matter how much the sights sickened me and I could not change was I could see within my own mind. The world changed once again of its own accord, this time I recognised the sight of the dead.

It was the gate of Konohagakure, not three days ago I was there. Only this time the faces I saw slew where talking in quite conversation, their bodies broken and bloody yet they walked around like they were alive. In a howl like that of the fox demon, the Beast master made himself known. Brandishing his axes he cut forward timbering the first of many shinobi before his brothers could join him and thicken the blood they waded through.

Their cries and slow deaths etched into my mind as I could feel them, not only hear them. Their pain became mine as I watched the Beast master walk my way and cut me down as well. In frustration I could do nothing but watch him walk away through those gates while I drowned in my own blood.

As my life burnt away I could see my existence snuffed out like a fire extinguished, but in that burnt out flame I could see something more and 'they' told me of it.

'In the beginning there was darkness, and in that darkness power, and with that power the visions.'

'We were not alone, there were other spirits other victims, flying through the void like a plague.'

'They would destroy us!'

'In the void I possessed the power, the chakra flowed through me like fire.'

'The time for peace is over, now is the time for war!'

'Some will live, many will die, but in the end we will defeat our enemies!'

'and I, I will become The god.'

…

I opened my eyes and in horror, I knew I was in the world of the living again… but where am I? Taking a step forward, pain burst in my thigh like a bomb of fire. "Agh!" I looked down and there on my leg was a gash cut in long and wide by the bloody kunai I still held in my hands. Was I sleepwalking or was what I saw a genjutsu I had just now come out of?

It was strange that the night I decided to sleep in sleeping attire, would be the night I sleep walk. Ninja of the drifting mist make it a habit to sleep fully cloth in their ninja outfit, with or without the weapons it was good practice for ninja readiness. Still now in my sleeping cloths, offering no protection from the outside cold air, I shivered both in dismay and confusion. The woods around me told me I was still somewhere near the Leaf village, but the strange siren in the distance said I was very much lost. I travelled, a limping retreat to the call of the siren hoping to find a place of refuge in order to see to my leg. Finally early day break broke through the boundary of trees, passed it was open land overlooking an ocean and island in the distance. I was high above sea level, on a cliff face that only went down, far away from people and help. I did not know the island in the distance but it was clear to me that they were in distress. Beacon lights shone through the foggy air searching for their cause of alarm within its borders. From my distance I could see the figures of ninja scattered in search as well, but my eyesight was too poor to determine any symbols of nationality or clan. Red and black stuck out among the detail of these men and women, noting the colours cycled the thoughts in my head until my location hit with recognition.

I know that uniform, they are the same people Shino said could have conducted the interrogation on him and my fellow bukijutsu company. It was ultimately determined that it was the seals department who interrogated my fellows while I was in hospital, but I researched markers and uniforms just in case. Black and red squares was the symbol of the Konoha Strict Correctional Facility located on a volcanic Island off the shores of the fire Nation. I don't quite know where that is, but at least now I know where I am.

The prison houses murderers and missing-nin, so what am I doing here? I looked out over the cliff, keeping away from the edge as I could not trust my balance while injured. A small boat had just arrived, four shinobi jumped out of the row boat and scouted the coat. On looking up one of them spotted me.

"*Sigh* good, now I just need to wait for them and hopefully there won't be too many questions before a medic is called" I limped over to a nearby rock, there was a distant light house on the cliff face I didn't notice on arriving and to my surprise the place was occupied. "Good, help will be here sooner than I expected." I pressed a hand against my wound, the blood was dry because of my body's rapid healing rate but I did not want to risk it reopening. I looked on at the people within the Light house, through the only windows in the building right at the top. One figure stood inside looking out at me, the other was walking up behind the first.

Looking on like a theatre of horror, I watched as the first person was stabbed to death by the second grisly form. Now I know I cannot stay here, whatever is happening it will soon come to me either way. I walked over to the cliff face and waved erratically at the scouting ninja there. Ripping the loose thread from my open wound, I waved the material like a flag warning of murder before binding my thigh with the cloth.

Alright, they will defiantly prioritise this place first. I marched on towards the tower. I may not know all the facts yet, but murder is always worth investigating and preventing. If there are more lives that could be killed, than it is my duty to try and save them.

Though the journey was long and my wound reopened along the way, I made my way to the tower eventually. My reassuring kunai in hand, I entered through the door way.

I cannot sneak, not with a wounded leg, I would not be able to dive out of view before they would catch a glimpse of me. I cannot set a trap without material; this light house only has stairs and one way out for anyone who isn't a ninja. I also do not know who might fall into my trap if I set one. I only have a kunai and a blood ability that likely cannot be cast when I have already lost so much blood. Still, I have to try. "Blood mist jutsu" I voiced and the strength leaving me nearly crippled me as I felt faint yet determined. "I saw you! I saw what you did, and I know who you are. Come out of hiding and face me coward, so that I may find retribution for your wicket crime." I do not have the strength to find my opponent, so, I will make them find me; While I wait for the coast scouts to arrive.

"Well well, look who it is brother"

"The blood user in all his glory, augh I see he is injured Kuma, seems the great Kami shines favourable on us. We will get our vengeance for the death of our brother Tora sooner than I thought."

The beast masters, the biggest one and his last surviving brother. I opened my mouth to defuse the situation, but an uppercut cut across my tongue as it was lashed under my parted teeth. Down the stairs I fell, the crashing roll a blessing to be away from two ninja who are so dangerous, but soon I heard their laughter as they came to collect me in torment at the foot of the tower; Throwing me out for my face to collect the rough grasses and unkind earth.

"You see how things would have turned, if it was not for the collective mass of the bloods you stole, you would have failed against me and my brothers long before you could take a life."

'You must defeat them'

'Take their lives like they took ours'

'Kill them!'

'Get up'

'make them pay'

From the ground I spoke, with my words stirring up dust at my breath, confronting the demons that whispered in my mind; Phantasms that crowded my dreams. "Is that the voice of an Oni, must you torment me too even while I labour in breath and face a beating that leads on to death?"

"Ha ha, looks like you hit him too hard Kemono" Kuma said to his elder brother before kicking me in the ribs at full swing, I could feel my ribs break to his bare feet. "I want us to have our fun with him before his brains leak out."

'Get up you fool!'

'Don't let them kick you like a dog, have some respect for yourself'

'What are you doing, fight back!'

'We brought you here to prevent his escape, not to die'

'Do something!'

Visions of the dead, the ninja guarding the gate of Konohagakure, bit and gashed their teeth at my failure to defend myself, my inability to avenge them. "But I let go of your blood, then why do you cling to my soul, what possesses you to remain here in madness to beat at a child" my words slurred with my bit tongue.

"Those are some strange last words" Kemono took loose his axe. I don't know how he managed to get hold of it in a prison, are they so foolish to keep the prisoners weaponry handy for their escape.

I rolled over so that the prominent feature on my bruised face could be seen, a smile "Blood burn jutsu" Crippled by my surprise, they fell each to a knee. A trap was the plan I set, I may not have had material but I myself was a trap in disguise. The bait I used and the trigger pin pulled was all the same, me. When I summoned up my technique, called forth with 'blood mist jutsu', my skin became primed to deliver my blood with each blow they struck against me, and then when I uttered in my beaten state, 'blood burn jutsu' the blood on them burnt off to strengthen me.

But… it was not enough.

Standing up to take command of my situation, the pain in my leg still raw, I struck my elbow across the head of the greater of the two. His stone face and hard oak bones would not be quaked so easily, so I slung my kunai at his brother to try and eliminate my problem if not all together one at a time. Again my plan struck to air only to be thwarted as if my motions were done in slow efforts to their quick actions. My kunai sparked against the axe held up in defence of his brother and my face burnt with outrage, my blows to them as soft as puppy kisses by comparison to the jarring attacks they made against me in jest.

"You are truly a wounded animal desperate to survive if you thought your ploy would defeat me" The beast master stood up from the ground, his height towering over my small form.

With blood met to my lips, my teeth lose in their sockets I spat at my fears "Do your worst" I activated my gentle dance, hoping my defences would last until the coast scouts arrived. Still in the back of my mind, as I saw the first swing meet my gut, I raked my senses for another way out. His firsts were near the size of the width of my abdomen, even with my gentle breeze activated and with me drifting away from his attack, my body was brutally shaken with every blow. Cut to the heart of it, I was about to die, I plotted my fading time instead of fighting against my death.

Without weapons, without any explosive tags, there was not much I could formulate as a plan. I would have run away long ago if it was not for my injuries to my leg. If I had known no one was left to save within the light house, I might have let them be, but to quite the voices pestering my mind it was a worthy endeavour. My blood mist jutsu is incapable of stopping them completely, in part because I lack the quantity of blood required to drain them of chakra and stamina. My own skills in combat, taijutsu, are inadequate against their superior bulk. My only option left is…

"Are you ready to die leech?"

Flung to the floor I hoisted my body up onto my back and elbows. "Not quit-yet" My mind was a fog and I could barely hold my head up, but I could still… "Summoning jutsu!" Kinjo sprung into existence to stare up at the ninja holding an axe over our heads.

"Krrr!"

"Kinjo, take me to safety"

The world spiralled out of control and somewhere along the way I fainted.

…

When I opened my eyes I was welcomed into a world of warm springs and sun light. My pains had vanished and I looked around wondering why? Kinjo who sat purring on my side flicked its tail intimidatingly against the ground, warning of danger. "Kinjo where are we?" I moved my mouth around trying to find the pain that wasn't there, my tongue was un-bit and my teeth firm once more.

"This, child of Ages is one of the cat summons realms. A place of meadows and heights, bright colours and warm nights, it is one of our pocket realms made for fun and nothing else." Kinjo's elongated pupils narrowed to something in the distance, my summons whole body froze for a moment as its ears perked to what I couldn't see. Relaxing again Kinjo focused on me and the cat like demon's voice softened into a murmur of warning. "Your kind is not welcomed here Argies. The energy you give off changes our nature, causing conflicts within the cat summons realm, which is why I had to stay near you in order to absorb any signature of your presents here." Kinjo who still had the Ages scroll strapped to its side, do not seem very pleased with me.

"I am sorry for the risk I cause you…" I sat up with a grunt, a lingering pain still remained but considering how badly beaten I was, it wasn't that bad.

"You, child of Ages, do not know a whisker of the risks you cause me. Did your Guardians neglect to teach you of my nature, of the nature of all cats?" The summons voice raised but then softened again, my cat was defiantly trying to keep us hidden but I wasn't sure why… How bad could the punishment for inviting in a human be? "Summons creatures all have their reasons for taking on contracts and their conditions they are willing to serve under. Cats unlike hounds hold no allegiance to honour. We cannot be tricked into loyalty for we hold no allegiance to any cause for the Greater or the lesser. We are unique among the summons realms because our natural alignment is influenced entirely by choice. When a cat is summoned into battle, we make the choice of which side we fight on no matter who summoned us. Our choice is solely our own, even in that we can choose not to fight at all. For you see when a cat joins to the one who summoned them, they gain the abilities and attributes of whoever they come in contact with, Meow. Our alignment and our will become yours; which is why humans have been forbidden in all cat summons worlds for over ten thousand years."

I said nothing but whistled, a little too loud as deemed by Kinjo's instant reaction to claw my wounded leg which was still tender yet healed. "How did you heal my wounds" I felt around my chest to find any source of pain. "Even my bones are healed"

"This realm has a hot spring with healing waters, this is the reason why I summoned you here, meow meow."

"Healing waters? That's the second time I've heard mention of healing hot springs… hmm" I hummed looking off at the butterflies flying playfully in the meadow we were in, while I myself was in distant thought. "Hmm" Hakari.

"Do distractions often pull your mind from current tractions" Kinjo brushed a paw over its silver white whiskers, quoting a saying I often heard my guardians use, apparently my cat summons was listening in. With my full attention grasped my summons continued "Once attached to a master, a cat's will is no longer its own. Like other summons we lose the ability to decide what alignment we possess once influenced by another. It could be said that we adopt he nature of our masters, but by choice we give up that power. Cats gain power when giving up free will and likewise control is granted to them when offering up great power. It is the story of the two tails cat which I speak of. Long ago in ancient times cats where used in war and in the home to judge a person's character and to bring about power and luck. It was said that in order to determine who a person was, you should judge their cat as cats adopted the charm of their owners. However a time passed when cats grew tired of their owner's personalities and it was then that the two tails cat was born. The two tails cat held sway over their masters and reversed the scales of persuasion, turning their charm against their owners and possessing them instead. This lead to a hunting period within the shinobi world where cats were amputated from their tails to prevent them controlling their masters, and it is why today cats are still seen as symbols of both Good luck and bad luck."

"You mean you could control me if you grew two tails?"

"Yes child of Ages, but I could only control you if you granted me sway in exchange for great power." Kinjo purred mischievously, the summons repeated its tale of 'great power' "You see Argies, I sacrifice my own will to be imbued with your power but you can likewise give of your will allowing me to control your body in exchange for even greater power."

I placed a finger on my chin in thought, bunching my brow in confusion. "Why would I do that? Sure I would gain supreme power, but I wouldn't be able to use it if you were in control of my body… hmm actually come to think of it don't you do the same thing? You sacrifice control while I gain your agility, superior eyesight and a healing factor. What do you get out of it? Actually, what does any summons animal gain out of fighting for the one who summoned them?"

"It has been a long time since any human has asked such a question, and as a cat summons I maybe the only creature with the ability to answer. Tell me Argies, do you know the story of the Great Kami?"

"You mean the one who created everything before disappearing from existence after his creation disappointed him by creating war?"

"Yes the very same, Meow, so you do have insights of your own. When Creation was born, all life was immortal, but the Creatures of Creation were not satisfied with this blessing and revolted for power over their kami's lands. As a punishment the Great Kami cursed them to an existence of death and suffering and told them nothing from his lands would be given up easily. The Kami also revoked their power over the sixth element, life, further sealing away immortality from their corrupt hearts. It was told only through strife would we gain back the knowledge of Chakra as well as the sixth element, and so we summons animals toil for generations towards that solitary cause. All reptiles studied the elements of fire, all mammals studied the Earth, all birds studied the winds and storms, all fish studied the waters and all amphibians studied nature. We all dedicated our years to finding the source of the sixth element but we knew one key element was missing. In order to fulfil the prophecy we needed conflict to satisfy our pledge, strife was the only means to discover the element of Life, which was how the contract was formed. Turning against each other using the powers we gained through our studies, reptiles clashed with birds, birds fought with amphibians, amphibians attacked mammals and mammals warred against the fish. It was this final act that triggered the discovery of the sixth element and lead to the immortality of summons creatures."

"So? What is it Kinjo, how is the sixth element gathered and used?"

"That I am unwilling to say. I will only say that through our contracts with humans we gather the energy need to power and create the sixth element. It is what keeps our realms secret from humans and helps hide us from our predators. When a human summons an animal or creates, a contract, they bind their chakra to our world and power a Great seal into harnessing the sixth element. Entering battle is the only use you humans find in our contracts fulfils our oath and sealing our part in the prophecy, through strife the sixth element is gained."

"Wow, that explains so much!" I rocked back and forward in excitement, it was something about the meadows that made me want to roll around all day. I stopped swaying when I thought back on my losing battle against the Beast masters, I would likely have to face them again in future but there was something else that came to mind. "When I was injured, why did you decide to save me? You could have joint the beast masters, they were winning weren't they? They probably have a whole lot more chakra too."

Kinjo simple turned to show the pouch on its side. "Meow" and meowed in a very displeased drawn-out manner.

"What? I don't get it… oH! Ha, I suppose you can't get that pouch open without me can you?" I reached back to clasp my hands behind my head, feeling very much like Naruto at this point.

"Meow, it would do you well to catch your grin before it flies insult in my direction. Abuse of my summons contract will lead to a gauntlet of forgotten niceties, and you may find the next time you call for me I will not be summoned." Kinjo poised half stood, indignant with its pink noes in the air, so I held my grin mute and tried not to laugh to its cute upset pout "My pouch can only be opened by the one who sealed it, moreover, I grant control to the ones of my choosing. I wouldn't pick an animal trainer as my master."

"Here let me help you with that Kinjo" I unsealed his pouch and grabbed the Ages scroll, the instant I had the scroll Kinjo's pouch puffed out of existence. "Hey where does that go anyway? I would have thought it goes to the sealing realm when it disappears like that but since we are in the sealing realm…"

"Not one person has been acquainted with such knowledge"

"You mean nobody knows?"

"Us cats do, your statement is false whereas my statement is absolutely accurate"

"What was that? I wasn't paying attention." I mocked while reading through the scroll. "Question, is Naruto the Fox demon or by chance is Aunt Anisue a demon?" dreams happen for a reason after all.

"It would be wise to keep such knowledge to yourself, your Aunt may become upset if you accused her of such."

"Ha ha very funny, just answer the question ok?" I kept on reading, the scroll always seemed to have some further insight I somehow missed the last time I scoped over it.

"Yes the child called Naruto holds the Fox demon, but I do believe that is forbidden knowledge in the Leaf"

"Uhuh, forbidden knowledge… very nice Kinjo, good job"

"Could it be possible that you Kichi forth sight jutsu has matured already?" Kinjo purred and brushed passed me, gaining my attention once again.

I rolled up the scroll and put it safely aside. "Hmm, you are being unusually nice today… is it because you are adopting my attributes and personality too? After all cats…"

"Perhaps." Kinjo interrupted. "It is my duty to guide you on your journey while your guardians are away. The Kichi forth sight can be a perilous and confusing jutsu, insights revealed of the future past and present can at times crook the mind. The Kichi forth sight is a journey jutsu, meant to help you find the safest path on your route to a destination. When trapped within a village the dreams and feelings it inspires you to feel can on occasion be misleading. I think it best from now on that you write down whatever you see so that you can reflect back on it and rule out the folds in time that have already passed."

"Folds in time?"

"Details for a future time. I will simply say that this forth sight jutsu does not always show a true path in time. Once in a while you will receive visions of things that will never pass, never happened, or has already been prevented. A fork in time that is not the true path yet still a part of time depicting what could have been if that path was chosen" Kinjo circled around and around me.

"That sounds super confusing… you say I don't need to worry about all 'this' yet?" I picked up the ages scroll again

"Yes, a future lesson to be learnt. It is absolutely necessary that you record what your visions foretell in the event that in future you will need to revisit them in order to determine which path you are on."

I read into the scroll but kept my focus on our conversation this time. "You know I'll have to summon you each time to do that, because there is no way I'll ever get away with writing about the future past or present while within the Leaf."

"…and why might that be young one? Have you exposed your clan's name?"

"Look! Look at this! I swear this was never in the scroll before!" I pressed my finger on the new depiction dealing with herbs. The scroll was never ever ever about herbs, it was just about ninjutsu's and Fuuinjutsu. "How is this possible? I know I didn't see this before… there wasn't even room for anything else before!"

"The scroll has many secrets gathered through generations."

"I don't get it though, why would Tsunada or anyone else want the scroll? I'm sure she already knows how to make seals and of course she knows herbs because she is a medical expert. I don't see why we have to keep it secret, besides the fact that it uses Fuuinjutsu which is a forbidden technique, I'm sure there are plenty of people who already have such knowledge. Why would my guardians risk their lives to keep it hidden?"

"It is the scroll of Ages young one, it is not one scroll but a thousand techniques. The techniques gathered over an eternity by the Ages clan. Not a single relic but a hundred tomes of Knowledge. Not a single jutsu but an entire collection stretching on for eons. One scroll could never have as much value as the Ages scroll's infinite source."

"Even so, what is so secret about that? Any veteran Shinobi with a high enough rank can gain access to the forbidden secrets of the Ninja library in the Leaf. If it was so easy to obtain power, no one would have trouble defeating the strongest opponents. If the scroll is just knowledge, it's not enough."

"The Ages scroll changes to match the desires of its holder, revealing to them what they want to accomplish. 'Your heart lie where your treasures are' and by that I mean to say the scroll shows what you hold in your heart, your ambitions, consequently envisage what would happen if someone with hostile intent acquired the scroll"

"They would see how to fulfil their ultimate goal." With this new found knowledge I looked over the herbs trying to figure out why they were shown to me. "Each element corresponds to a different 'taste' in herbs. Fire is the taste of spice, earth is the taste of sweetness, metal is the taste of pungent, water is the taste of salt, wood is the taste of sour. The organs of the body each possess a different elemental affinity, when consuming the correct taste you can enhance the element within each organ. By eating spicy foods you strengthen the fire in your heart, in taking in sweet foods you fortify the earth in your spleen, when ingesting the pungent you enhance the metal in your lungs, through tasting the salty you gather more water to your kidneys, from the sour do you increase the wood in your liver." I wonder, what about bitter herbs? Anisue's herbal teas were always bitter. "*click*" I snapped my fingers. "In my dream I was drinking herbal teas with Aunt Anisue, that's why I see them now on the Ages scroll."

"I see you are beginning to learn how the Ages scroll works, although time is short I see great potential in you Ages." Kinjo flashed me a grin that inspired pride in me despite how sharp toothed in was.

"It's just all so much to take in you know?" I began rolling up my scroll, Kinjo seemed eager to see me off and maybe it was because of those sounds he could hear in the distance. I tucked the scroll back into the pouch that reappeared on Kinjo's side. "On paper it sounds great. With the ability to see into the future, a scroll that can teach me anything my heart desires and a cat summons who gives up great power, but in reality it's all just a lot of responsibility. I'm only twelve and already I'm a Chunin, I'm supposed to lead Genin into battle all on my own and I…"

"You need to become stronger boy, in your present state you were too weak to face the adversaries who would have killed you if not for my intervention. You are going to have to learn to grow up very quickly Ages. Not many years from now you will be facing ninja more powerful than your greatest champions… after all they captured your guardians" Kinjo leapt into my lap and placed a paw against my chest, and in an instant I was suddenly home.

"I just don't know if I can do it all…." Sighing saddened and sullen, I headed to bed but…. with my hand hovering over my door handle, my senses alerted me to something inside my room

*Thud*

*Thud*

*Thud!*

…