A middle-aged man sat at a wooden table, staring at a piece of parchment as he drank from his mug. He groaned as he ran his fingers through his long white hair, grumbling incoherently as he stared at the blank parchment. He ignored the creaking floorboards, indicating that someone was entering the room; a young blond appeared, yawning and stretching as he entered.

"Are you seriously writing your filth where we eat," He asked incredulously, heading towards the stove. The man's head snapped up in attention, his eyes squinting over at the boy.

"If it weren't for this 'filth' as you so call it, we wouldn't have anything to eat you ignorant boy," He grumbled, "It's not like you do anything useful around here."

"That's not true," He shouted, starting up the stove, "I work with the blacksmith Iruka! I may not be as good as a dwarf, but I earn a little money here and there. Not to mention that you keep training me in swordsmanship."

He waved his hand dismissively, "Just make me something to eat Naruto. And don't burn it this time."

Naruto grumbled, pulling out some of the salted meat as he set it into the pan. The man sighed as the smell of pork wafted to his nose; he could almost imagine the scene that he wished to write out, until knocking at the door caught his attention.

"You might want to get that, since I'm busy trying to not burn the meat." Naruto said, moving the meat through the pan. He groaned, pushing away from the table and heading towards the door. He opened the door, bleary eyes blinking rapidly as he adjusted to the stream of morning light.

"Good morning to you Jiraiya," Kakashi greeted, waving a hand; from the top of his hat, a small black and white bird chirped in greeting. Jiraiya blinked again, before a large grin broke out over his face.

"Why if it isn't Kakashi," He said, pulling the man into a hug, "I haven't seen you since you heard I finished my last novel! Have you come to try and sneak a peek at the newest one?" He questioned, waggling his eyebrows.

"Oh no, I'm actually here on rather…official business," Kakashi stated. Jiraiya's face fell as he realized the meaning behind his words.

"It's that time, isn't it," He asked; Kakashi merely gave a nod. Jiraiya sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Well, you should come on in, get some breakfast in you; I'll tell Naruto to put more on the stove since we'll be expecting more company I presume."

Sakura approached her father's throne, people lining the pathway as she walked. In the crowd she spotted Sasuke; he had been sent by Kakashi to ensure her safe arrival at Naruto's home, despite the fact that she knew exactly where it was since their mountain was so close to his village.

"I am not pleased with this either," She remembered Sasuke saying; she stood up a bit taller, hoping that she exuded an air of confidence that would put his arrogance in place.

Kizashi watched as she approached him, his face a mask of calm. On the inside though, he was nervous beyond any recognition; in his mind, he was practically sending his daughter to the slaughterhouse. But as she removed her helmet and knelt before his throne he knew that this had to be done, for he was far too old to take on a journey like this and leave his kingdom. Whereas she, in the prime of her youth, would be able to take on the journey and most likely come back from it alive.

"May the dorni give the gaugaz to go on Tharki Kakashi's journey," She said, head bent to the floor, "And in my absence, may the dornat prosper and be safe."

"Rise, my child," Kizashi said, standing from his throne, "For you have the gaugaz."

Sakura stood her helmet under her arm as Kizashi approached her. From a table beside the steps to the throne, he took a small bowl, filled with a purplish liquid. He pushed her hair back gently so that her forehead was clear; he then dipped his fingers into it and painted a small diamond upon her forehead.

"With this mark, I ask the vaurmornlos to watch over you, so that one day you may come back to these mountains and wash the mark away with our waters," He said, finishing the painting. He then set the bowl aside and hugged her tightly; she responded, knowing that this would be the last time in a while she could do this.

"Be safe my child," He whispered in her ear before releasing her; she bent to his level so that he could press a kiss on her brow. The room suddenly exploded into applause as she stood straight and, with the paint now dried, placed her helmet back on. She walked back down the aisle swiftly, knowing that there was no time to lose; already she saw Sasuke standing at the doorway, and she wondered if he had even stopped to watch the ceremony. When she reached the doorway, she turned back and gave her clansmen a final wave good-bye before exiting the throne room. She shifted her pack on her back before looking over at Sasuke.

"Let's get going," She said, beginning the journey to Naruto's home. Sasuke watched her back for a moment before following silently behind her.

"You want me to do what," Naruto asked, mouth stuffed to the brim with pork. Jiraiya grimaced, muttering something about manners under his breath; Kakashi merely stared at Naruto, his food having already been eaten.

"You heard me Naruto," Kakashi said, "I want you to go on a journey with me to save the Lost City of Konoha."

Naruto swallowed, taking a sip of his water as well. "Well I mean yeah, I heard you. But…why me? Why not ask someone else from, I dunno, an actual army?"

"That I shall explain to you as soon as the other members of our party arrive." Kakashi said, looking out the window, "In fact, I think the ceremony is well over by now, so they should be arriving right about…now."

As soon as he said that, the door to the house opened, with Sakura walking in, followed by a young man dressed in a blue shirt and grey pants; he assumed that was the elf that Kakashi spoke about. "Naruto? I swear you better have saved me some pork; I'm practically starving!"

Naruto jumped up from the table at her voice. "Sakura," He called out, running over to her. He practically tackled her into a hug, earning a hearty laugh from her as she ruffled his hair. He pulled away for a moment, staring at her. "Does this mean you're coming on the quest as well?"

"Well why else would I be in your house, geared for an adventure," She asked, wrapping her arm around his neck and pulling him into a headlock. He shouted out as she rubbed her gloved knuckles into his head, his arms flailing. Jiraiya carefully moved his food away from the two as Sasuke took a step away from them, edging closer to Kakashi so that he could avoid any bodily harm.

"Oi, I've told you stop with the horse-play in my house," Jiraiya said, "And Naruto, introduce yourself to the young man! Just because you like living in a barn doesn't mean I raised you in one!"

Naruto grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry gramps," He walked over to where Sasuke stood, sticking out his hand. "Name's Naruto Uzumaki; a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Sasuke stared at his hand, keeping his own crossed on his chest. "Sasuke," He said in a monotone voice; Naruto's blinked, taken aback by the lack of friendliness.

"Geez, what crawled up your ass and died," He asked, earning him laughter from Sakura and a groan from Jiraiya. Sasuke felt his eye twitch slightly as he pointed a glare towards him.

"I'm not fond of working with others," He stated, eyeing him, "Especially idiots such as yourself."

"Hey, who are you calling an idiot you pointy-eared basta-"

Kakashi cleared his throat, catching the attention of the two. "Well then, now that we've all gotten acquainted, I think it's time I gave the three of you a history lesson so that you know exactly who we're up against. And in the case of Naruto, why you were chosen for this mission," Kakashi stated, staring straight at Naruto. Naruto and Sakura sat down, while Sasuke opted to stand against a wall; Kakashi tapped some of the trinkets on his hat in a specific order before waving his hands over the table. Instantly the top of the table became misty, with events from long ago playing out on it; Naruto and Sakura's eyes widened in surprise as they leaned over to get a better look.

Kakashi cleared his throat, "Now then, let's begin."

"Long ago, during a time where there was no strife or wars, there was a great kingdom called Konoha. In this kingdom, the true ruler of the land lived; under his rule, all the races were united, and the land was prosperous. One day however, the giant enchantress Kaguya ate from a tree in a faraway land; on that day, her soul became corrupted. She wished to rule the kingdom for her own, and so she gathered an army…"

Sunlight poured through the stained glass windows of the castle, as a young king looked over papers, his head held in his hands. He pushed away from the table, walking towards the windows to glance down at the city. From his vantage point he could see the cobblestone streets; merchants selling their wares, children playing games, and people going about their daily chores. He slammed a fist against the stone wall, teeth gritting together.

"I will not let her destroy this," He said under his breath, turning away from the scene. He walked towards the doorway, signaling to a servant to gather his commanders. He closed the doors, a resounding thud echoing throughout the chamber.

"When Kaguya ate the fruit, she begot a power that had never been seen throughout the entirety of the land. With her powers, she created a terrifying beast; the first ever dragon. With this dragon, she led her armies to attack the city, while the king's armies fought valiantly against her."

Screaming could be heard as the inhabitants of Konoha ran to hide, while men in armor ran towards the gates to join the fighting outside the city's walls. Outside the city, fire was spread throughout the field as men, dwarves, and elves charged at the giants, blood flowing like a river throughout the battlefield. Kaguya watched the destruction from atop her creation, giving it orders to strike wherever there was a large group; archers tried to take it down, but it would block their strikes with its armored body before flames billowed out of its mouth to annihilate them.

"The king knew that it with the beast, it would be impossible to defeat her. So he devised a plan; he gathered the greatest mages of his time and with their powers combined were able to create a spell that would not kill the beast, but instead separate it into nine different entities; these nine entities would then be spread throughout the land."

Kaguya smirked as she saw victory at hand as she saw that the Konoha forces were dwindling. Suddenly, a bright light came towards her, and before she had time to even understand what was going on, the beast below her disappeared. As she fell from the sky, she saw that nine lights shot across the land, each going in separate directions. She slowed her descent, landing on her feet, before giving a loud cry as the army of Konoha charged forward with renewed vigor.

"The battle raged on, with Kaguya fighting the powerful mages while her forces fought the army. Eventually though, the might of Konoha overwhelmed the giants, forcing them to flee. Kaguya retreated, but not before casting a powerful curse on Konoha that made it uninhabitable until she was defeated; she then disappeared after her army. Many lives were lost, and although the battle was won, in the end the cost was far greater than any benefits."

"The king took the mages and devised a plan with them; that temples would be built guarding the Nine, so that anyone who wished to use the dragons for their own gain would have to die trying. However, there would be one exception; when Kaguya would rise once again, the rightful heir would come and bring the dragons to his side. With that in mind, he assigned each mage to where the dragons resided, and then with his family left their beloved home."

"And now, the time has come for the rightful heir to fight for his throne," Kakashi stated, looking directly at Naruto. Naruto blinked, seeming to wake up from the daze that Kakashi's story had put him into.

"Wait…you mean…I'm the heir," He asked incredulously. Kakashi nodded, his trinkets jingling lightly his movements. Naruto looked over at Jiraiya, still stunned by the news. "Did you know?"

Jiraiya snorted. "Did I know? Kid, I was a guard for your mother and father as they watched over Kurama, the dragon of Konoha. The only reason why we moved all the way out here was because once you were born, we were attacked. While we were able to save you, your parents gave up their lives to protect you."

"They…protected me," He whispered, "They…were part of the royal family?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The king's family decided that they, along with a mage, should be the ones to protect Kurama from any attacks. Right now my old sweetheart Tsunade is watching over that beast," He said, smiling perversely at the thought, "Ah…When you see her, tell her I said hi."

Naruto nodded. "I…I will," He said, before turning back to Kakashi. "So, since we've got this journey to go on, let's decide where we'll go first!"

Kakashi smiled his eye crinkling. "Well let's have a look, shall we?" He waved his hand over the table; the top suddenly became a map of the land. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke crowded over it, wanting to see where they would move first.

"Now, as you can see, we are here," He said, pressing his finger in the center of the map, marking it with an X, "Smack dab in the middle of nowhere. As for Konoha and Kurama, they reside way in the southeast over here," He pressed on a different point, causing another X to reside there.

"Alright, and where are the dragons," Naruto asked, eyes practically glued to the map.

"Well, to the south we have Shukaku, in the middle of the desert; to the southwest, on an island, we have Isobu. To the west, hidden deeply behind a waterfall, we have Choumei."

"By the lands of my clan's woods," Sasuke muttered, looking at the map. Naruto looked over at him, eyes wide.

"So we might get to meet more elves," He asked excitedly. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his excitement.

"As long as they don't kill you first," He stated bluntly; Naruto audibly gulped at the thought, directing his attention back to Kakashi's explanation.

"To the northwest, hidden high into the mountains above the clouds, we have Gyuki. To the north, hidden behind treacherous valleys and dangerous mountains, we have Son Goku."

"Ah," Sakura interjected, pushing herself closer to the map, "That's where the Oonoki's clan lives!"

"You know the dwarves of the north," Kakashi asked, mildly surprised. Sakura nodded, her eyes focused on the spot.

"My father and I would travel with some of our clansmen to do trading there," She explained, "I can't wait to see them again! It's been such a long time."

"We're not exactly doing this journey to exchange pleasantries," Sasuke interjected, glancing over at her. Sakura rolled her eyes, looking over at him.

"It would help to get on their good side if we're going to war," She countered, a frown on her lips as she looked at him. Sasuke merely grunted in response before turning his attention back to the map.

"As I was saying," Kakashi said, returning to the topic, "To the northeast, hidden beyond the forests and in the caverns, lays Saiken; to the east, as far as the border goes, we have Matatabi."

"Hey…you said there were nine, yet I only counted eight," Naruto said, looking suspiciously up at Kakashi.

"Yes well, unfortunately Kokuo landed in Kaguya's territory, meaning that she already has one of the Nine." Kakashi explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "The spell was meant to distribute them, and unfortunately Kaguya's territory is part of the land. It lies just beyond the Northern Mountains where, as Sakura pointed out, Oonoki's clan lives."

"Well then, if she's already got one, then what are we waiting for," Naruto shouted, standing up, "Let's go get those dragons!"

"It's not as simple as that Naruto," Sakura said, shoving him back down into his seat, "We have to decide which direction to go first."

"Well then let's go south and work our way clockwise throughout the land," Naruto said, pounding his fist onto the table. Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples as she looked at the rest of the group for help.

"It's not a bad idea," Kakashi stated; Sakura turned her attention to Sasuke, waiting for him to speak. He merely shrugged and gathered his things, heading for the door.

"The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can return to our normal lives."

"Alright," Naruto shouted, jumping up, "Then let's get moving!"

"They've begun to move milady," A giant said, kneeling before her throne. The woman with long white hair stroked the head of the dragon splayed at her feet; its scales sparkled like freshly fallen snow, its eyes closed in contentment. A smirk played on her lips as she decided upon her final answer.

"Then we shall have to beat them to it," She stated, "Have my special forces come to me immediately. I have specific orders that I must give them."

"Of course your majesty," He said, bowing. He immediately left to spread the news among his ranks, closing the door behind him. She smiled, scratching underneath the chin of the dragon.

"We won't let anyone disturb my plans to bring peace, will we Kokuo," She asked, staring at the dragon. The dragon opened his eyes, revealing blue-green irises staring back at her as it growled its agreement.

"No one shall get in your way Lady Kaguya. I give you my word," Kokuo telepathically spoke to her, causing a small smile to grace her lips.

"I'm glad you think that way dear." She purred.

Dorni: king

Gaugaz: blessings

Tharki: mage

Dornat: kingdom

Vaurmornlos: deities

A/N: So who's excited for the next chapter of the manga?! *raises hand excitedly*