(Two Years ago.)

"Naruto please. I swear I was only kidding around!." Shin said as slammed his hands against the rough walls of the massive hole.

Naruto said nothing, his blue eyes narrowing as he brought his hands up to the slightly red tissue that he had stuffed in nose, Shin quickly began rooting through his pockets, "look. I have money, all yours--" he stopped himself. "If you don't let me out of here I'm going to tell Iruka-Sensei!." He shouted.

Naruto stood up, "Tell him...see if I care." He said as he kicked some dirt into shin's face, "maybe he'll teach you and your friends how to be decent people. You morons didn't even give me a chance, dogpiling me like that...you oughta be ashamed of yourselves."

"I barely touched you!."

"and yet you touched me nonetheless."

"Naruto...please."

"you know, a few months ago...Sora and a few other kids caught me by myself after school was done. I couldn't take all of them so I ran, I ran for a long time." Naruto said, "I eventually hit the river and ran for another two miles or so and then I saw it, for about a mile or so it looked like heaven had fallen on earth in the form of these little lotus flowers. I wept, wept like some grandmother."

He paused for a moment, had Shin been standing any closer he would've seen Naruto's eyes start to water. "Have you ever thought about...peace?."

"peace from the opinions and behaviors of others...even yourself?. I read about this thing, called enlightenment...interesting stuff, I don't understand it much right now but I'm learning."

"no suffering...doesn't that sound swell?. No suffering...it may be different for guys like you. Guys who like to pick on those beneath you for fun...I guess no suffering for you would mean a world without the weak...for me, it would be a world without the leaf."

"what the hell are you talking about?!, get me out of here!." Shin shouted.

Naruto kicked some more dirt into the hole, "No." he said simply, grabbing his backpack off a nearby, low hanging branch and walking away. "Naruto!."

(PRESENT).

The members of team seven stared at Naruto. He had suddenly just stopped near the massive bulletin board near the mission assignment office. Naruto raised his hand and grabbed a missing poster, staring at it for a moment before crumpling it up and throwing it in the trash. "No point in having that up in a place like this, with all these sheets of paper. I Can barely see the thing." He said with a chuckle.

It had been approximately six weeks since the bell test. And to say that the members of team seven weren't on friendly terms would be an understatement. No one talked to Naruto much, only acknowledging his existence via a simple glance or hello. Kakashi scratched the back of his head, "...okay...well let's get going." He said slowly.

Sasuke nodded as he handed the small cat he had been holding away from his face to Sakura, who awkwardly took the cat. The entered the office and were quickly greeted by a large woman who quickly grabbed the cat and pressed firmly against her face. "Oh thank you!, I don't what I would've done had you not returned my little Tora." She said. Naruto let out a loud laugh as he stared at the cat, something that seemed to attract the attention of everyone.

"I'm sorry." He said. "I was remembering something that could be considered humorous." He quickly said. Hiruzen stared at Naruto disapprovingly but this seemed to be ineffective, "You're welcome Ma'am...now as for you four." He began. "Now we have bab--"

"I would hate to overstep here, after all I am a mere genin. But, I've had enough of the D-ranks."

Iruka rubbed his temples. This is what he called the Genin ego, he didn't think there was a single thing bigger than it. "Naruto you're just a genin. You ca--"

"I don't recall asking for your opinion Umino. I'm no longer your student and neither are my teammates, if you wish to pontificate about the dangers of the Shinobi life take it elsewhere because quite frankly...I don't care." Naruto said with a small smile, "I mean you no offense Iruka but I hope you understand."

Sakura frowned and crossed her arms. "What a brat." She whispered, Sasuke said nothing, "I...agree." He thought as he inwardly smiled. Kakashi sighed and put his book away, "I'm sorry about him." He said, "it seems he doesn't quite understand how things work around here."

"I don't think we need to be a mission managers to know that most of these are chores disguised as missions. These villagers are just lazy." Sasuke said slowly, Sakura mouth fell open, "Sasuke agreeing with Naruto?!...what is happening?!"

Before a shouting match between the genin and temporary manager began Hiruzen quickly interrupted them and sighed, "one headache after another." He thought as he grabbed another scroll, "Fine, an escort mission. It's C-rank, get the client from point A to point B. Should be easy enough." He said as he tossed Kakashi the scroll before pressing a button on his desk.

The old wooden door slid open and the stench of alcohol immediately flooded the room, "this is my protection?, a bunch of kids?." The client said burping. "And what's that kids jacket?, isn't that a bit bright?."

Naruto smile didn't fade, instead he simply laughed for a second before calming down. "Funny." He said simply, "Anyway. I'm Tazuna, I expect you brats to provide me with exemplary services till I get back home." Tazuna said.

Hiruzen waited until team seven was out of the village before he gave his old friend Danzo the green light.

"How much time do you need?."

"five minutes at most, moving into the empty apartments will take a bit more time." Danzo said, "Are you sure this will work?, hiding in plain sight and what not." Hiruzen asked, "it's the only chance we have, sticking anbu in open spaces will only make it easier for the boy to spot them." Danzo replied. He looked back, a root agent was standing behind them with a brush and a gallon of ink, "Sai are you ready?."

"yes lord Danzo."

"Alright then, head on in."

Sai nodded and quickly entered the apartment. Audio collection seals were some of the easiest seals to apply, but they had to be changed very frequently since they were extremely easy to fill and stored audio would be over written. So Danzo had made sure to cover every nook and cranny of Naruto's apartment with these seals.

"Hiruzen...I don't want to be that kind of person. Especially during a time like this but...you should've let me take the boy, all this could've been easily avoided."

Hiruzen looked over to Danzo, "I doubt your methods would've been better. No matter how hard you try you'll never be able to erase the most fundamental parts of a human being."

"Not erase...control. Much like a dog and its owner. One does not erase a dogs wild nature, they merely control it. Our dogs have the power to wipe entire countries off the map so that wild nature must be controlled by any means necessary."

"And what will you do if that dog bears its fangs."

"...put it down."