"Father. . ." trailed off the boy in disbelief.

"Ah son, and Shuji-san. You are back" spoke the man calmly.

Arata ran quickly over to his fathers hospital bed and didn't care his father was in a leg, and arm cast. Both in a sling to keep them positioned correctly. He hugged his father holding the man close and sniffled.

"What happened to you dad?!"

"Well we had some problems is all." the man said offhandedly rubbing his son's back in a comforting manner.

"Arata. . . Your dad is hurt. . . You really aren't making it better" spoke Shuji seeing the boy grip his father tighter and tighter by the moment as if he would never let the man escape his grasp.

The young Uzumaki released his grip slowly on his dad as he stood up straight.

"Ah I can breath again!" chided the man to his son with a warming smile.

Arata bit his lip at the man's antics. He was just glad his father was okay. Getting back to the village and finding out a attack had occurred on them was horrifying but to then learn that his father had gotten injured had almost made him faint.

"So did the mission go according to plan?" asked the Uzumaki head.

Shuji nodded but before he spoke he went to the wooden door of the room and locked it before placing his hand on the door to channel chakra in to it leaving a burned palm print that looked to have writings sprawling around it.

"Sir the Tea daimyo was very pleased on the bargain and so to speak played ball. I have acquired the needed resources sir."

Arata's eyebrows went up in confusion "What are you guys talking about?"

The wounded Uzumaki looked to his son then gave a sigh "Son. . . I got wounded today. From fighting a battle that surely was not like one I have ever fought. I was not suppose to make it away from that battlefield today"

"Dad! don't talk like that you are the strongest guy I know! And plus with our clans healing seals you will be up and about within a week or so!" encouraged the boy not liking his fathers usually up beat now sad tone.

Shuji stayed silent as he saw his hopeful student look at his father with what was nothing short of hero-worship.

"Well son with the battlefield cleared and our wounded. . . and dead. . . gathered. And even the dead of our enemy gathered I learned something today. The leader who was tasked with this attack was but a seventeen year old Hyuga boy."

"An you beat the hell out of him didn't you dad!" cheered Arata not seeing what his father was trying to say.

Shuji looked down at the scene that was unfolding out in front of him. He could see where this was going and did not want to but would support his leader and student. Besides deep down he knew he needed to be here. . . His idol would not let him leave anyway.

The older Uzumaki carried on not acknowledging his son's words. "For much of that battle the boy proved to be of exceptional skill. He read fluently all of my moves and it was but experience that kept me alive. Yet I can not completely say that. For I know it was a bit of luck too. Or the seal our clan members wear"

The man stopped speaking to rub a spot over his side with fondness.

"In that battle I was not able to use most of my jutsu that would have decimated another opponent. The boy's eyes were just too good. Almost unnaturally so as I had already beaten a few Hyuga to cross the battlefield to get to him. His eyes were close to proving my death, then the interference by another Hyuga would have killed me if not for the Deceleration animation seal, to slow down my injuries direct relay to my mind. Giving me the ability to function as if I was not hurt at all."

Shuji sighed interrupting the dead silence of the room that crept in with the man who no longer spoke but looked at the wall for a small while.

"Goro today. . today he died in a maneuver I had saw him perform hundreds of times before. . . The Fuma clans double guillotine boomerang drop, a technique he had made himself. . . He saved my life with that maneuver even if it went wrong. . . Goro had went in like he did many times before, a throw of his shuriken. . . The opponent would be blind sighted by the shuriken and dodge then be hit by him from his speed and power alone. Sent high in to the air, the opponent would have to come back down. . . "

The Uzumaki head looked over to his shocked son with sad eyes as he continued

"Except there was a slight variation but this was Goro. . . he always said there was nothing better then a bit of excitement. . .A Hyuga came at him from below. . Goro had, had that happen to him one time too many to count in the past so it was all still manageable. . . An with that double attack, from below and above. I and Goro knew that his signature move would be ignited, the double guillotine boomerang drop."

"Dad. . ." spoke Arata a bit scared at hearing the story but went silent as he saw the intensity in his father's eyes.

"A attack that draws the foolish bastard who attacked him from below in the right position to take what was the returning boomerang like motion of the shuriken right after the other who had been previously sent in to the air had been chopped-up first. That happened like so many times before and the guy was split to pieces. Yet Goro nor I ever expected the first Hyuga to ever somehow stay up in air longer then what he was suppose to be up there for. That cost Goro his life as the Hyuga blind sighted him in a attack that was the epitome of blindsiding!"

Arata hung his head at the tale. It was almost impossibly heart-wrenching. He knew Goro-dono. As that was one man who always treated him like he was not a powerful man's son but another villager just living their life. And it was a plus that he was his father's best friend. But now he was dead. . .

"We unmasked those Hyuga... The one I fought was 17 the other was 32. . . A combination of experience and the new generation cost Goro his life. . . It is a deadly combination when something new can blend with the old and work together. . ."

"Yes sir it is. . ." spoke Shuji reaching behind his back to show the giant scroll he had yet since his return to let out of his sight.

"What does this mean though father, what are you saying?"

"Son. . . I might not look it and thank God for it and our Uzumaki longevity but it is certainly slowly becoming obvious. . . I have reached the peak of my power. My body may not dull for a long time because of our Uzumaki blood but I damn sure won't reach a new level physically and barely skill wise especially at fifty-five. Today I saw that. . . I had to rely on the techniques of our fuinjutsu to get by. A resort that had become my life line."

"Dad of course your old but your DAD so that doesn't matter! Your the strongest person in the village! Stop talking like this!" warned the boy looking at his father. He saw the man at his age was still fit and even well built. He even looked young enough to be called his older brother, not his father! The man was old in age not body!

Arata the third smiled at his son. He could almost feel himself sliding in to a flashback of when his father had told him of the heights a man could reach and how far they could go but at last be reminded they were just a man.

" I ain't dieing or nothing son but I will ask you do you really believe I am still the strongest in the village?"

"Of course!" yelled Arata enthusiastically thinking his father just needed some more encouragement to cheer him up.

"Son. . . In some ways I will probably never be matched. But in some other ways I have been vastly outmatched. . . The new generation is here son. An it is like my grandfather Arata the first once told me they will always surpass the first. Remember son those who come before the ones of the present were but pillars to the future. Cherish what they gave birth to and build upon if not revolutionize what they have made."

Arata backed up away from his father as if he was the devil himself.

He knew those words. . . He had read them. . . but never heard them. . . He had saw them as who had not, upon a memorial dedicated to Arata the first and they were the beginning of another set of words. He feared he was not ready to hear.

He turned around as he looked to his sensei who had already went down to both his knees with the giant scroll laid on the floor beside him and his head bowed submissively. His sword was present in front of him but inches away.

He turned frantic as it seemed his world began to slow around him his stomach feeling like a bubbling mess.

"I Arata the third. Son to Arata the second and proud grandson to Arata the first. And even prouder father to Arata the fourth here by deem Arata the fourth ready to lead the Whirlpool village and clan. May the one who leads the many tides form a great whirlpool able to destroy any strife" spoke the red headed man with a stern but some how kind face.

Arata still stared in disbelief at what was happening. The unbelievable magnitude of what his father had said was mind blowing. HIM who he was quite aware of was no where close in power to the man before him.

Had been given a title as head of the clan and village. A village that was once ruled over by the strongest Uzumaki, so powerful his exploits were thought to only be myths but had been witnessed by elders.

He could never fill his shoes or even measure to the others that had once ruled. Even living up to his father's legacy would be probably be impossible.

This was the man before him who was known by all in the country for his quick planning and radical strategy that built most the strategical plans in which the village followed to function from day to day all the way to year to year.

With a turn Arata looked at his still bowing sensei, he was about to speak to his teacher to get his father to recount the statement that surely was something made from maybe the medicines he had taken.

But he soon realized it had all been planned.

"I Shuji Uzumaki, head-senior warrior of the Uzumaki clan do hereby accept the leadership of Arata the Fourth without question. As a member of this village and on behalf of all the Uzumakis who accepted this proposal. I bow to my leader Uzumaki-sama"

BOOM BOOOOOOM BOOOOM

Arata was the only one who looked over to the window and saw the bursting of fire works going high in to the evening sky and the center of the village. . .

Those were the call sign and tell tell way of saying a new leader had been chosen. . . That was something he had only read of in books as someone as young as him would have never been around to see the dazzling orange and red sparks that signified the choosing of a new leader.

"Arata. . . new, fresh. . . That's what you will be upon this village in your reign. . . as the ones who had carried that name before you son"

Now stunned in to complete shock, Arata did not know what to say even as his mind went blank and he slowly fell to the floor fainting from the awing announcement.

The concerned words of "Uzumaki-sama!" didn't even register to him.

AKASUIKAGE'S DOMAIN

Arata blinked his eyes surprised as he fell threw the air and towards what looked to be a ocean of red water.

Bracing for the impact by putting his hands out in front of him, he was almost shocked by how he did not impact the water but simply be caught in it's cool embrace as if the water's surface tension was thick as mud but yet still wouldn't let him sink in to it.

Quickly he stood up and looked around, wondering where he could possibly be and growing even more confused as everything was a bleeding fresh blooded red, with the sky taking on the same deep red as the ocean yet what little clouds there were stayed a feathery white.

It was a short moment before he spotted the standing very dark figure in the distance that was obviously the only thing there. He then after feeling himself start to sink in to the ocean and took a step learned it was best he kept moving or be sunk in to the blood red sea.

Running towards what he figured to just be a figure unrecognizable by the distance between them he had to stop and marvel as he saw that this person if it could even be called that was not a black figure from a distance but instead a actual being made completely of darkness with not one feature on it's body.

No nose, hair, eyes, mouth, or anything. It was a true dimensional shadow; as that was the only way to describe it.

"Surprised? Shocked? Marveled at my extreme magnificence?" spoke the being without any explanation of how it could do such.

Arata was everything the dark being said he was; figuring the living shadow was such by the male voice it had. Shocked he may of been, on the defense he was too as he heard pure undertones of ill intent and promises of death in the being's voice but to him it did not seem the promise had been made to anyone particular.

"Who? What are you?"

"That is rude to answer a question with a question. In turn I will tell you nothing" replied the living shadow calmly but with the same undertones in his voice of the promising death to be given. Lingering like a bad smell.

Staying calm Arata made a faked sincere apology "I am sorry"

The shadow walked towards the boy who stood his ground then grew from it's rather modest five feet in height to a tall nine feet with a form of a thickened nondescript body to match it's sudden growth.

"You lie to your own zanpakuto, that is just pathetic. You are not sorry you excuse for a filthy wielder. I hate you" condemned the shadow

"You are my zanpakuto! Well then I am sorry! Please forgive me!" apologized the boy fearing he had already messed up his chances to have a good relation with his soul sword's spirit.

Turning his back the shadow kept walking away, to where he was sure to not tell.

Chasing after the now large shadow Arata shouted "I'm sorry! Let's start over! My name is Arata! Arata Uzumaki the fourth! What is yours?"

The shadow did not turn around as he kept walking ignoring the boy.

Catching up with the ignoring him being he grew mad he couldn't tell not one emotion the shadow was feeling as it had no face just a outlining that was completely black. Never before had Arata realized how helpful reading a person's face could tell of their mood.

"You aren't going to tell me of your name?" questioned the boy abruptly but soon changed strategy as he remembered the shadows last offended words.

"I did lie to you I apologize. Answering questions with questions is rude. Excuse my ill behavior I hope that the many times I polished you may pay penance"

Looking over the shadow spoke "It does not. You do not deserve to wield me. Your very hands dirty my greatness. Your words sully my ears and your skill is atrocious. If suicide was a option for me I would have done it since day one"

Saddened the boy whispered "You can't mean that?"

Unmoved by the heartbroken tone the sword continued "Yes I do. With all of my being I wish for you to become less of a weak foul!"

"Alright" breathed Arata looking down sadly

Damming the shadow spoke "Even now you think I will show pity to you then dare ask my name? The sheer foolishness for a ant to talk to a God"

Continuing his interrupted sentence Arata looked up and swore "You are a real asshole you shadow but I am not stupid! I know your name YOU ARE THE FOOL!"

"What! How dare you boy assume to know, NO , even think your mind let alone lips could possibly conceive my name!"

Laughing Arata informed "This! This place! see if I was like you which I know I am I would design it to my liking or make it a piece of my personality. Clearly what you have done. Then even more to taunt people I would make it personal like say a name I would not give up or believe others would ever be able to figure out!"

"I don't know what you are talking about" retorted the shadow stopping in his stride crossing his arms.

Arata unobstructed launched himself at the large shadow and hugged him.

The impromptu hug was quickly but fruitlessly tried to be broken by the angered being "Get off of me!" the shadow shouted decisively seeing his physical efforts were useless.

"You don't know how long I have wanted to talk to you then know. . . You were like me is just. . . out of this world. An you're so cool!" bragged the boy happy

"I am not like you!" corrected the dark being

Arata shook his head in the shadow's hard abs "No you are like me Aka, red for this world, but oh so bloody which I suspect you are good at making others. Sui, for this watery place, and I bet your water nature. An finally kage, because you are a shadow. Akasuikage. The red-water-shadow."

"You little idiot! Smart bastard cretin!" sneered the shadow as he was forced to announce "Drown all in the bloody shadows. Reflect on to despair."

Then pushing the boy off of him asked "Are you happy? Well you won't be fool! There will come a day when you realize you should of never! Called upon my power or wanted it, only death comes from me boy. . . only death"

"Huh?" asked the boy abruptly

"There is no turning back now. . . be happy with your shikai. Arata, we will see how much despair it'll bring others let alone your conscious. I was not telling a lie when I said despair shall be brought. . . in many unconventional and conventional ways. . . let us see if you will figure that out!" said the shadow ominously before sinking in to the water and disappearing.

Arata was left standing there confused. Not sure what had happened or was going to happen but knew he had to prepare for something.

For what he did not know, but guessed it had to do with him and his new leadership role accompanied with a harshly hating him uncooperative zanpakuto.