EIGHT YEARS AGO.

Jiraiya and Hiruzen sat on a small bench facing a small pond. Hiruzen tossed a few bread crumbs into the water and sighed, "So...how did it go?."

Jiraiya said nothing for several seconds. Staring at the bobbing ducks with extreme concentration. "I wanted to see what he looked like, to see if he resembled Minato or Kushina...I tailed him for only a few seconds and for the first time and the last time he was aware of my presence. Turned around and spotted me in a crowd like it was no big deal."

Hiruzen waited for him to continue, usually the man would've cracked a joke by this point but he didn't. "His chakra...if you could even call it that was...it was...most ninja can train their entire lives and still have less chakra then that brat." He continued, "but I should've known I was in for something interesting when I found out about the prophecy."

"Has it been altered?."

"No...a new prophecy, a power strong enough to unseal the darkness that slumbers, the linchpin that shall determine the fate of creation...strange things are happening Sensei. Those new religious nuts popping up in wave, the Akatsuki, the purges in Mist...things are turning for the worst."

Hiruzen nodded, throwing his last bit of bread in the water and sighing. "The best thing we can do is wait. Danzo's best men are currently aiding the mizukage and his...streak of bad luck." He said, "I'll try and keep my eye on Naruto. See if anything strange is going on with his seal. You continue running your spy network...how are you and Tsunade?."

"We've...parted ways." Jiraiya said simply before standing up, stopping for a moment. "This civil war...won't affect us directly will it?."

"if Danzo plays his cards right then we should be fine."

Jiraiya offered no response.

PRESENT.

kakashi sat up in his bed and gave Naruto a quizzical look, "shadow clones?." He asked quietly. The boy had woke him up in the middle of the night asking him to write down the step by step instructions for the shadow clone Jutsu. "Naruto...can't this wait till morning, I'm going to take you guys out for some training anyway."

"Chakra control, yes, yes. My chakra control is good enough. If you just give me the instructions I'll never bother you with anything relating to Jutsu's again...I promise." Naruto whispered, Kakashi sighed, flipping over to his side with a groan. Still sore, two days after the battle with Zabuza. "Do you have a blank scroll and brush?."

There was a light rustling sound before Naruto handed him the requested items. Kakashi in his groggy state stared at the paper for a moment before he began writing. "I'm guessing you won't be joining us in the morning."

"I'll be nearby."

"hmm, well I guess you can give me a call if you need any help then.

(Quick Authors note: Don't worry, Mizuki and the great seal will come later, I promise

"climbing trees?." Sakura asked as she looked up, "Yup."

"That doesn't sound very interesting." Sakura said, "Well yeah, but can you do it without hands?."

"No I guess not."

"Alright kids, gather chakra to the bottom of your feet, once you get the hang of this preforming Jutsu will be much easier." Kakashi said as he sat on a log, "Alright hop to it. Oh and, the amount of chakra has to be small but it has to be exact."

An hour later a dejected Sasuke was kneeling at the bottom of a tree looking up at Sakura. She frowned, "Sasuke doesn't look impressed, oh no. Am I making him feel bad?!"

"Woah Sasuke...look at that...your teammate beat you in an hour. Maybe the uchiha clan isn't worth much."

"Shut up!." Sasuke snapped.

They returned home at dawn, Naruto didn't come with them. Instead staying in the forest and training with only a few breaks to simply catch his breath and track the chakra output for each attempt.

He fell asleep out there. Waking up an hour or so after sunrise and stretching. "I know you're there. If you come out quickly I won't blow you to pieces."

A light shuffling sound made him look back, "hmm so I was right." Naruto thought as he brought his hands down, Zabuza hadn't left wave, and his partner was indeed the fake hunter Nin. Luckily Kakashi had come to same conclusion, A boy, no older then sixteen. Long black hair that was cut neatly near the waist, he gave Naruto a smile that was returned. "Are you a Shinobi?." He asked.

Naruto stared, "playing dumb...okay, two can play at that game."

"yeah."

The boy knelt and began picking herbs, "Ah, were you training?."

"Yes."

"Incredible. Why were you training?."

"I want to become stronger...so strong that I won't have to rely on anyone."

"but you already look quite strong."

"I'm not strong enough."

"Ah, well are you growing strong for someone else?, is there someone you want to protect."

Naruto frowned, "No." he said simply. The boy looked up, "When someone has someone or something to protect that's when they can be truly strong."

Naruto sighed as he sat down, "it's such a pain to look out for the weak."

"Hm, those who are strong should look after the weak, the weak after all keep the strong in check. A Shinobi exists to protect the weak."

"Righteousness...I hate that kind of stuff."

"excuse me?."

"Guys like you, who try and make strength seem like some noble thing that needs responsibility applied to it...makes me wanna vomit. Don't get all uppity and proud for spewing that garbage." Naruto said as he imitated a gagging sound, the boy said nothing for a moment, only staring at Naruto for what felt like an eternity before standing up. "I see...goodbye." He said simply.

Dinner that Night was quiet. Tsunamis son Inari, grandson of Tazuna joined them. Naruto joined them as well, "So how's your training going?." Kakashi asked, "Good. I was able to summon six this morning so I'm making steady progress." Naruto replied, stretching and yawning.

"Why do you bother?." Inari asked, "Come again?."

"Training...Gatou will just kill you anyway, he's unbeatable."

Tazuna rubbed his temple. "Inari please. Not tonight."

"No!, Gatou's has an entire army. He'll tear you guys apart. Who do you think you are, coming in here acting all cool saying all that stuff about getting stronger. Those words don't mean anything!, just looking at you makes me sick, you don't know what it's like to suffer!."

Naruto yawned again, "What an annoying little turd. The only thing I can't stand more then a self righteous hypocrite is a pathetic little coward, sitting here and complaining, Gatou is no ninja, he's an obese businessman with an army that will turn on him at the drop of a hat. And yet here we are, in a country full of cowards."

Naruto grabbed a kunai from his tan waist bag and tossed it to Inari, "Go ahead, kill yourself, that should save you some breath and should save me from hearing your annoying, pathetic and incessant whining."

Sakura slammed her palms on the table, "What is wrong with you, you can't talk to people--"

"Maybe you should join him, seeing as you're just as useless as he is...more annoying then he is too." Naruto said as he stood up and stretched, smiling and "I'll be out training." He said simply. Leaving the dining room and walking outside while whistling.

He stopped and let the sound fade into the night, it was quiet tonight. Very quiet, he looked up and down the trash filled streets and felt a slight sense of confusion, it was only seven o'clock at night and the village had gone quiet.

The silence was shattered by light footsteps, down the street is where he looked, frowning at the strange feeling. A man, he couldn't see him very well despite the lights. He was murmuring to himself, "Hagaromo...Hamura. Blood crazed murders. Atonement for their sins, cursed by lord Shin. Mercy for his poor child, mercy..."

He paid Naruto no mind, slipping past him while muttering. "A curse for the children of those brothers."

Naruto caught a quick glimpse of the strange symbol stitched into the front of his long jacket, a ring with a solid black dot in the center.

Naruto brought his hand up to his forehead, "Sweat?!..." he rubbed his forehead for several seconds before heading to the forest. Trying his best to stop the shaking.