The best that I can figure is that this takes place after Jiraiya died, but before the Invasion of Pain Arc. I guess that the freaking Council got tired of Tsunade not listening, and ended the whole problem. That's the only explanation of I've got for the back story, okay? Okay.
And as for Obito, I'm aware that he pretended to be Madara, really, but I don't know if he really did die yet, or if Madara kept him around as a companion or what, I'm sure that it'll be addressed.
Thanks for the reviews!
PS, does anyone know where the hell I can find prompts? Put the answers with the reviews, it'll be much appreciated, and I'll both address you at the beginning of the next chapter, and love you forever. Thanks again.
Naruto's defection from Konoha wasn't by choice, not entirely at least.
Dragged before that thrice damned council, he'd been forced to his knees and chakra suppressed.
"Uzumaki Naruto, the council has been far too lenient in regards to you." Danzo stated, watching him with that one eye, looking so smug; he had no right to wear that robe, or that hat. The title of Hokage didn't belong to him, the shadow king didn't deserve it.
Naruto had shed blood, sweat, and tears for the title; by all rights, it should be his; but with Tsunade dead, Shizune imprisoned, and the council backing Danzo all the way, there was no question who got the position.
"And what do you mean by that?"
"Everything; from letting you raise yourself, to not punishing you accordingly for those missteps-does the Hokage monument ring a bell?"
"I was made to clean it up!" Naruto snarled; could they really be holding a grudge for pranks he'd done as an academy student?
"That isn't enough!" Danzo roared, slamming his fist down onto the desk; Naruto remembered Lord Third, always smiling at him from behind that desk, showing him how to read and occasionally helping with his homework. He remembered Grandma Tsunade, barking orders at him from behind that desk, but there was always that slight smile in her eyes…
Suddenly, he felt disgusted to be in this man's presence.
"Do you know that when you were an infant, the council and the Hokage argued more bitterly for months than they ever had before?" Naruto blinked and brought his attention back to the War Hawk. "The council wanted you raised in seclusion; they wanted you as a weapon. Had the Village Heads not sided with Sarutobi Hiruzen, you would have been raised beside Sai." Sai; that emotionally stunted teammate, placed in the midst of their new team. Capable, clever, loyal Sai had died fighting at his side, trying to get him the hell away from the ROOT operatives that had been assigned to detain him. "I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have been to one to kill him, in fact."
"Cut the bullshit!" He couldn't take this anymore. Why was he here? "What do you want from me? Are you just trying to mock me, now?"
"No, Uzumaki. I take no joy in mocking you," lies. Filthy lies. "Either you pledge your loyalty to me, or you will be imprisoned."
"Why not just kill me?" Naruto smirked, before being punched so hard he felt one of his teeth loosen; he taste blood briefly, but looked back up at Danzo.
"Namikaze Minato improved the seal; should you die by unnatural causes, the Kyuubi will be released. The Nine Tailed Fox will die with you. Now what is your answer?" Silence. "You will not be allowed outside again; you will suffer, you will be contained in the darkness, never hearing another human voice, never seeing your friends, hearing news, or knowing what goes on beyond your prison. You will not be offered this again-pledge loyalty to me, Uzumaki Naruto, or I will break you at your very core." Naruto could only gape.
"Kit." He'd felt Kurama then, the anger at them, at the people who'd tortured them for so long, who'd damned and condemned an innocent boy to the fate of a demon; at the ones who'd never had faith, who'd mocked and tried-not succeeding, but they'd tried their hardest-to ruin him and take him down.
And it dawned on the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi that he'd been wrong.
He'd pledged his loyalty to the people who didn't give a damn for him.
Kakashi, Sakura, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Chouji, Ino, Shikamaru, Pervy Sage and Iruka sensei, hell, even old man Teuchi and Ayame, they had been the only ones to really care…and even then, only in his later years.
Why had he done so much for them?
"Kit, allow me to help. Let me save you, for once, please!" He'd ignored the pleading before; the old fox had been there since the beginning, trying to help him, and he'd done nothing to listen or heed his warnings. Where had that gotten them?
Beaten…
Attacked!
Stolen from…
No, no more.
"Uzumaki! I order you as your Hokage to answer me now!" Danzo ordered; the little demon had had enough time. Now was his final offer.
Danzo hadn't expected the otherworldly chuckle to shake his core, or the way his once cerulean eyes bled crimson, the pupils slitting, as they refocused on him.
"The kit isn't here now, Danzo. Can I take a message?" It mocked, rolling its neck and grinning, exposing uncomfortably sharp teeth.
"You will become Konoha's strength, Kyuubi-"
"Rot in hell, you miserable load of trash!" Heavy, poisonous chakra began to seep from it, the ROOT operatives drawing back in fear; not even their training to deaden their emotions could kill their self-preservative instincts, it seemed. "We do not bow to the likes of you! We will not pledge loyalty to those who have their own ambitions at heart!"
"What does a demon know of ambition?!" Danzo demanded, making It laugh again.
"Of ambitions? We demons are more ambitious than anything alive, Shimura Danzo. But my sealing has not left me unaffected; I've seen through the eyes of innocence, and shed blood with him. I've seen how this village had become corrupt-it is rotten from it's core out. You are the disease that will kill Konohagakure, Danzo.
"We will not serve you. We will leave-without bloodshed, should you just let us go; You will never see, nor hear from us again."
There was no visible signal from the new Hokage, but suddenly what had been Uzumaki Naruto was being attacked on all sides by his shinobi.
The battle lasted less than 45 seconds, if you could even call it a battle; blood painted every surface of the office, bodies were sliced open, and one Uzumaki Naruto turned to look at the gore spattered, gobsmacked council. He took a single step toward them, and his foot squished obscenely-Utatane winced and even Danzo struggled not to flinch.
Remarkably, the jinchuriki shook his head. "You three are absolutely pathetic! I mean, come on! A little blood frightens you? You really wouldn't have lasted long with old man Jubi running around!" He chuckled at their expense before the mirth in his attitude died. "You've made your choice. I'll be leaving now-but should I come across you again, or you make a move to locate me, there will be no hope for you. Wallow in your disease, for you will bring death on this land, and nothing will save you."
He'd left, rather quickly after that; Naruto abandoned his classic orange garb, forgot about the ramen he'd once proclaimed as God Food. He wandered, travelling; his goal was merely to learn and see all that he could, like Ero Sannin had done.
He didn't particularly care about Sasuke anymore; rather, refused to think of him, because it hurt too much, like thinking of Sakura-chan.
For some time, he was happy-he had big brother Kurama to speak to; the old fox had some interesting stories about the past, about the Sage of Six Paths, and about time before the great nations. Kurama taught him more about fighting together, not just against-the old fox had been telling the truth about being changed from the sealing, but that didn't mean that he'd gone soft! No, Kurama trained Naruto harder than even Jiraiya. But the boy had flourished with the attention.
It was bad at night, when Kurama had fallen asleep, and the campfire had died (sometimes he stayed in inns, but only if it was raining or snowing and he couldn't locate a cave; for the most part, he preferred sleeping outdoors); Naruto would stare up at the stars and think. He thought about avenging Jiraiya, but then thought that he'd rather do it when he was absolutely certain that he could win. He wondered what he'd do if the Akatsuki bothered to come after him; frankly, he dared them to try.
Zetsu had informed Madara of Naruto leaving, and the leader of the Akatsuki had immediately begun tracking the brat down; he didn't trust Itachi to this task (he'd become suspicious of his descendent), and Kisame would likely kill the boy in the middle of battle by accident.
He'd found the boy nestled in the branches of a tree, and he'd been unable to attack.
Uchiha Madara, co-founder of Konoha and legendary wielder of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, was unable to attack the nuisance known as Uzumaki Naruto. He wasn't able to explain it-he was Uchiha Madara damn it! He did not have weaknesses! He didn't hesitate to kill those who stood in his way, or capture mere children who were part of his plans; certainly not children with sun kissed skin, hair like the sun, and with the morning creeping through the forest, an ethereal beauty and inner peace that was like a drug…
And when those eyes, the color of an endless ocean meeting the sky, flew open, he was unprepared for the chakra infused kick that knocked him through about 5 or 6 trees.
Their battle lasted for 34 hours, until the little blonde collapsed, exhausted; just as he was ready to summon Kurama's help, a miracle happened.
He looked into Madara's eyes.
Rather than forcing Naruto into a genjutsu, or taking advantage of his momentary hesitation to attack, Madara did the first spontaneous thing in his life.
He claimed Naruto's lips as his own.
Fireworks exploded, angelic choirs sung, and before he could help it, Naruto had threaded his fingers through Madara's hair as the man plundered his mouth and clawed bloody furrows into his back that immediately healed.
The rest, as they say, was history.