Explosions erupted around Naruto as he dodged and weaved a hail of fire and metal. He jumped and ducked behind a, hopefully, impenetrable rock formation that was created by the enemy. A quick look over his body and he was covered in cuts and blood. A mixture of his own and probably three others. It had been hours since the battle begun. And he had no idea what the hell was going on.

It started as a simple escort mission. The fat prince of the Crescent Moon Kingdom needed a four-man cell shinobi escort back to his island because all other escort details had quit. The fat prince's, Michiru, condescending nature and poor treatment forced the other guards to quit, leaving Konoha to pick up the slack. The payment was hefty and upfront. The Third Hokage couldn't refuse that. It was the usual operation. The brief was like all other briefs for escorts his team had received. There was no reason to think that this mission would be any different.

Be on the lookout for bandits and thieves.

Stay vigilant.

Place the mission first.

Don't leave comrades behind if situation allows.

But as soon they stepped off the ferry that carried them to the island all hell broke loose. An ambush by the enemy. Three rouge shinobi: Ishidate, Karenbana, Kongo, were hired by a greedy minister who overthrew and killed the king. Having lived in the shadow of the king and his annoying son, the disgruntled minister wasn't about to let the fat prince become the king when he knew he could be a great king. So, using the country's vast wealth, the minister hired some of the best mercenary shinobi on the market.

A mysterious gauntlet wielded by the leader, Ishidate, could turn anything into stone defeated the small army of the Kingdom. Leaving Naruto and his team on their own. The personal bodyguard to Michiru retreated with the ferry, stating that he would return with reinforcements from the neighboring lands.

A load of shit.

He wasn't coming back. The prince was killed almost instantly when the fighting started. Being mere genin, Naruto and his comrades were fighting a losing battle. Doing what they could with the little battle experience they had, Naruto, Ino, and Kiba held their own with the support of their sensei.

That was all until their sensei was turned to stone by Ishidate.

Hayate Gekkō fought all three of the mercenary shinobi at once, giving his team a chance to escape and fight another day. But even he, a Tokubetsu Jōnin, couldn't fight them off. And quicker than the three could choose to fight or leave, they were surrounded.

Fighting for their lives, Naruto and Ino had somehow distanced themselves for the enemy. But Kiba wasn't so lucky. Kongo snatched up the small genin with his massive hands. Despite his best efforts to break free, Kiba was caught in Kongo's massive frame. Ishidate quickly grabbed Kiba by his face and all watched as his body became stone.

Naruto would never forget the way Kiba's body squirmed as his head was encased in stone. Every inch of Kiba's body continued to fearfully fight until he was completely petrified. Then shattered by Kongo's strength.

That was straw. The catalyst for Naruto to reach deep down and fight. He was the prodigy. The top of his class. He and Sasuke pushed each other further and further every day to be the best. Being put on separate teams didn't stop them. It only pushed them harder than before. Going out like this was not suiting his talent and legacy.

He remembered his parents and the day he lost them. He was angry with the missing pieces of that puzzle. No leads. No evidence. Minato and Kushina were dead and that was that. No questions. It always came back to them.

Using every technique, every single ounce of brainpower he could, Naruto was able to overcome Karenbana's deception and kill her. He hated to say it but as soon as he got his hands on her, she practically begged for death. Never had she seen someone so young be so driven to live. Driven to kill those had done bad. A sickening twist of her neck put an end to her fear and life.

Kongo was more challenging than his female partner. His strength was no joke. But Naruto could beat brute strength with his mind. He weakened the big man with evasion and tactics to the point Kongo was wheezing. One mistake was made, and Naruto burned him alive. Hearing the screams of death and smelling the burning flesh was unpleasant, but the kill was sweet.

For Kiba.

Ishidate furiously tried to get Naruto within his grasp to transform him to stone. But it seemed Naruto instantly inherited his father's legendary speed. Or discovered he was capable of it. Either way, Ishidate couldn't lay a finger Naruto. He'd corner the young teen, but he'd simply disappear and attack from an unsupervised angle. It was beyond frustrating. And costing precious time.

Little by little, Naruto's plan made itself known. He was deliberately hitting joints and pressure points to weaken Ishidate's body. Each strike was perfect. By the time Naruto had decided to stop, Ishidate could hardly stand or lift his own arms.

Standing before the defeated mercenary, Naruto slowly pulled the powerful gauntlet off Ishidate's hand. He fitted the oversized glove to his hand. Furiously begging for his life, Ishidate cried as he felt the stone slowly overtake him.

For Hayate.

Ino couldn't stop crying over the shattered remains of their teammate and sensei. How could she not cry? For the last year, the three of them were as close as siblings. Kiba was annoying but his heart was always in the right place. She would constantly berate him for his stupidity, but Kiba knew it was only to help him mature more. In this world of death, blood, and more death, childish pranks and antics had no place.

Despite all that, Kiba's smile was a small glimmer of light in dark times.

There was nothing they could do for them. Kiba was ash blowing away in the ocean breeze and their sensei was completely encased in stone. The entire kingdom was in flames. That bodyguard wasn't kidding when he said he was going for help. He returned with an army and was promptly slaughtered.

The minister wasn't going to allow anyone to overtake him. He set the country ablaze with oil and gas. If he was going to die for his crimes, then the island was going with him. No lives were spared. There was one boat left and Naruto took it. He dragged Ino and Akamaru on it with him, screaming and whimpering for their loved ones.

Nothing they could do.

Nothing he could do.

Naruto reported to the Hokage himself. He left Ino at her front door with the young pup, Akamaru, in her arms. Explaining the downfall of the mission and the events leading up to it weren't exactly the easiest thing for a first year genin to do, but he managed as best he could. Equally, it wasn't easy for Hiruzen, the man known throughout the lands as a God of Shinobi, to tell that same genin he had to keep moving along. To not allow the deaths of their mentor and friend to hinder their lives and that it was their duty to honor them. As unfortunate as the situation was, death is a huge part of the shinobi life.

Naruto knew that. That wasn't lost on him in the slightest.

He returned to the Uchiha Compound where he lived with the same Uchiha family that comforted him when he was a young boy who had lost his parents. Mikoto made him a good, home cooked meal. She had been with the boy since he was fresh out of the womb, and been raising him since he was seven years old. It was heart wrenching and made her want to cry out to the heavens for giving this boy more to deal with.

Sasuke had stopped thinking about Naruto like a friend a long time ago. They were brothers now, nothing to be said otherwise. He hated seeing Naruto so silent, so depressed. He offered anything he could think of to make his orphaned brother feel better. Training. Ramen. Not even spying on the female bath house did the trick.

Fugaku was silent, unwilling to share his emotions. But, deep down, he was sad for this boy. And, of course, Itachi was nowhere to be seen. Another mission for the elite ANBU Captain. But even he, a man who's seen the darkest parts of Konoha, would feel sorrow for Naruto.

Despite the efforts of the family, it simply was not comforting. Now that he was older and understood things better, he felt more alone now than when he first did when he was seven. Five years did nothing to squelch the anger he felt for the death of his parents. Watching his team leader and teammate die before his eyes only ignited it further.

Kiba was his friend. Naruto would go as far as to say he was his best friend. Sasuke was the only other person he could compare in such regard. And he was practically family. No. He was family. The absolute fear that ran through Kiba's body as he turned to stone was the only thing in Naruto's mind as he laid down for sleep. And that thought alone caused sleep to elude him for years to come.

He never wanted someone close to him to die again. If someone became important to Naruto, he would fight heaven and hell to keep them alive.

No one would die if he could do something about it.

A man named Yamato took over their, now, two-man squad, mainly as a supervisor for training. The Chūnin Exams weren't that far away and both Naruto and Ino were recommended. As a two-man team. Which was almost unheard of. Not even the Three Legendary Sannin had taken the Exams separately. The last person to take the exams in another fashion than a three-manned cell was Itachi Uchiha. And he completed it solo.

Expectations were extremely high.

Yamato, and Hayate before he died, had prepared the two for the Exams with great depth. Various battle drills and randomized scenarios gave Naruto and Ino the edge over a lot of the other teams. The initial test of the genjutsu of the classroom number was too simple. Sasuke, being himself, had already figured it out for his team and was on the path to the next stage. His Sharingan made things just as simple for them. All Sakura and Shikamaru had to do was follow in his footsteps. But Naruto knew they were both capable doing things themselves.

It was nice seeing Sakura again. Childhood friends stay forever, it seemed.

The second test was slightly more challenging but Ino, using her clan's mind transfer technique, relayed the point of the written test to Naruto once she figured it out. It wasn't about answering the questions right. It was about gathering the information without being caught. The ability to do so was critical to a shinobi's mission. Naruto kicked himself for not realizing it by himself. But he appreciated the help regardless. They looked out for each other. Teammates through to the end.

That's what he loved about Ino.

And this wasn't just any childish crush that every growing boy developed. No. He knew he loved her. Inside and out. Ino Yamanaka was the girl of the dreams he never knew he had. Everything about her filled Naruto with so many emotions that he could barely process them all. He was lucky that he had enough self-awareness to stop himself from staring at her all day.

But not wanting to ruin the dynamic of their teamwork, Naruto kept his feelings for his teammate to himself. Their late sensei, Hayate, drilled that regulation into their heads from very early on. The regulation stated that shinobi, especially genin teams, should refrain from having inter-team romantic relationships. It could interfere with a mission's success if one was captured by the enemy or killed. Naruto found it ironic because of who their sensei was engaged to. An ANBU Black Ops member, who happened to be is former teammate.

He wrestled with his feelings every day. There were many times when Naruto couldn't take it anymore and came unbelievable close to telling Ino. But he would stop himself just as he was about to speak, letting the words disappear in his mouth. He would tell her one day. But when? He hoped that day was soon.

The next phase of the Chūnin Exams was way more Naruto's speed. The Forest of Death was the notorious training grounds that were strictly for Jōnin and above. The forest housed all kinds of different deadly animals and poisonous plants that could kill with just scent. The terrain hadn't even been fully mapped out yet and Konoha was throwing genin into the fray for a survival test. Seven days in. Only way out was success or death. No more. No less.

Naruto overheard from one of the instructors the current cycle of genin were the test group for using this area as a permanent phase for the Exams.

That would definitely weed out the weak ones.

Naruto was better versed in survival techniques and tricks than his female partner. Using tactics and techniques that the Spy Master Jiraiya the Gallant, one of the Three Sannin and his own Godfather, taught him during his extremely brief return to Konoha before returning to the field to spy on the nation's enemies so that they could sleep peacefully in their beds at night. That was the gallant excuse he used to swoon some bombshell female.

It was so random. It felt almost out of place seeing Jiraiya in the flesh. Naruto could only recall two other times meeting his godfather. The first time was he was a small boy, maybe four years old. The only thing Naruto remembered was how tall Jiraiya was compared to his toddler height. The second time was his sixth birthday. Jiraiya had basically kidnapped Naruto for 'research'. It was just a ploy to get women. At the time, Naruto didn't understand what was going on. But now that he was older, the pervert-super pervert, he would correct-deserved the beating from his mom and Tsunade-Baachan.

This was the third time Naruto had met Jiraiya in person. And that day changed a lot for Naruto.

Over recent years, Jiraiya was in the field causing havoc between Kumogakure and Kirigakure. He was creating reasons for either of them to invade the other so that they wouldn't invade Konohagakure. What those reasons were, Naruto could only imagine the kind of things happening behind the scenes. Regardless of what his imagination could create, the facts were that Jiraiya had been absent from his life since the death of parents. 'Uncle Pervy Sage' was the one person he wanted there but never showed. Resentment was harbored but it disappeared the second he overheard the truth.

Jiraiya was never told. Three years radio silence from the Third Hokage. It wasn't uncommon for Hiruzen to go months, years in this case, to not contact his Spy Master. His work was secretive. Only the Hokage could authorize his movements and plans. Even then, Jiraiya had the authority and trust to do whatever necessary. A license to kill essentially.

But how Jiraiya never came across the news, or even rumors, of Minato and Kushina's deaths were somewhat alarming…

On a whim Jiraiya returned, expecting to see the young boy he raised to be the Hokage. But Minato's face wasn't on the craved on the Mountain. No Fourth Hokage was. He practically destroyed the door into his old master's office and demanded answers.

But was only shown their graves. Jiraiya was absolutely shattered to the point that Tsunade offered to sleep with him to get him to stop his drinking.

But all that was in the past now. Naruto's focus was his opponent for the final stage of the Chūnin Exams. Still, he would never get Jiraiya's rage out of his head. And he thought his mom was scary when she was mad.

"Been keeping up on your training, Naruto?"

The watchful eye through his life. A shadow. A guardian. His dad's former student. "Kakashi…it's been a while."

The dual masked man stayed in the shadows but held a small smirk underneath. "I'm never far. You just don't know where to look."

Naruto scoffed, keeping his eyes on the arena. "That silver hair isn't the easiest thing hide, y'know."

"I manage better than your yellow hair."

Naruto laughed. Kakashi was the older brother he never had. Even more so than Itachi. Both were in the ANBU, the job made it hard for spare time.

"What are you doing here? Security detail for the Hokage?"

"Something like that. I came to wish you luck. Don't let Sasuke have the spotlight."

Naruto turned with his brow raised. "Wish me luck? That's not like you. You, usually, aren't as straight forward with me. What gives?"

Naruto instantly regretted his question. Kakashi stepped out of the shadows, removing his foxlike mask. The boy could see the seriousness in his non-scarred eye. Dread filled the genin.

Uh oh…

"…There's something ominous in the air today. Keep on your toes. Something big is coming."

A warning from Kakashi? An ANBU Captain and elite Jōnin? Very heeded. Naruto nodded, turning back to the arena to watch the current match. "I'll stay vigilant. Like you, Pervy Sage, and Hayate sensei taught me."

Kakashi shifted slightly. Hayate's death was a sensitive subject. For what purpose, Naruto could only speculate. But the boy was not dumb. The timing was too convenient. Hayate was engaged to an ANBU Operative that was under Kakashi's command. Yūgao Uzuki was a beautiful and strong woman. Naruto assumed her and Kakashi started shagging on the side sometime after Hayate's death. And knowing Kakashi, he felt guilty because Hayate was a friend. But it wasn't like Kakashi had many friends.

Not since Obito…and Rin…

Another set of deaths surrounding Kakashi. It was sad. Depressing really. Both died in the waning months of the Third Great War. Their mission was to destroy the Kanabi Bridge. A main MSR for Iwagakure.

Rin was captured by the enemy during the operation. Kakashi and Obito risked everything to save her. But she was already dead and raped to high hell by the time they got to her. Obito lost his mind in rage and killed every single one of her kidnappers. But by that time, the two were surrounded by another company sized element.

The bunker was set to explode. And Obito died from being crushed by falling rocks. But he gave Kakashi his Sharingan before death could fully take him.

A gift for ranking up to Jonin.

Kakashi fought like hell, taking as many of the enemy with him before succumbing to the darkness himself. His saving grace was his master, Minato. He was the leader of the mission and was tasked elsewhere at the time. Minato arrived before Kakashi was killed. Realizing what happened, Minato left no survivors.

And now, Kakashi was the only one left standing.

Naruto could relate in a sense.

Man, he really needed to stop daydreaming.

"You daydreaming again?"

Ino leaned against the same railing as him. Naruto glanced out the corner of his eye to look at her. The first thought he'd always have with her.

Beautiful.

"Yeah, something like that."

She slightly giggled. "Always watching the clouds. You're like Shikamaru when it comes to that."

There was always a slight jealousy towards the lazy genius. Being the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho Formation, those two were friends at birth and on. Trained together with Chōji and their fathers. It would always slightly bother him that she would talk about him in such a regard.

But it was probably the same for Ino. Sakura was closest thing Naruto would ever have to a sister. She could help and listen in ways that Ino couldn't. Like listen about his petty jealousy over Shikamaru.

"…Yeah." He mumbled. He couldn't get Kakashi's warning off his mind.

Ino leaned in closer, rubbed her shoulder to his. His heart skipped a beat when they touch. Ino's simple touch held so much power over him and she had no idea. "Hey, you good? Something on your mind?"

Even with Ino next to him, Naruto couldn't shake Kakashi's words. It was something he really couldn't keep to himself. "Kakashi stopped by. Told me to keep my guard up."

"For your match? An interesting way to wish you luck."

"Not like that. It was a warning."

Ino was just as astonished as Naruto. A warning from Kakashi? Something was going on. That was not to be taken lightly. "A warning? For what?"

Naruto shrugged. "Dunno. Said somethin' felt ominous today."

Ino slowly processed the information. "I mean, I trust Kakashi, but nothing seems wrong today. Do you agree with what he's feeling?"

Truthfully, yes. There was something ominous in air today. Naruto couldn't put words to his mouth because he had no idea what to make of it.

It was familiar.

It was like a long dormant memory that had been locked away and had just been rediscovered through mediation. Something was definitely coming.

But he had no idea what. Or when.

And he couldn't tell what scared him more.

"…I'm not sure. But I trust his judgment."

Ino seemed satisfied with the answer and resumed watching the current match. That Neji Hyūga was no joke. She would have her hands full. A bit of a prick though. A small yip echoed and Akamaru came running towards her with a bag of popcorn in his mouth. She scooped up the small ninja hound in her arms and shared the snack with the three of them.

Ino took in the poor puppy after Kiba's death. She bathed, fed, and took care of Akamaru as they both grieved over their friend. It was good for them both. They found comfort in each other and helped each other heal. The Inuzuka clan granted Ino's request to keep Akamaru. The clan even went as far to offer training for him when he became of age. Ino would honor Kiba in that fashion.

Naruto, Ino, and Akamaru watched the remaining matches together, enjoying the popcorn and each other's company. No matter what, Kiba and Hayate were always with them.

Not before long and it was time for the final match. And it was between Naruto and Sasuke.

Go figure.

Naruto's own thoughts were drowned out by the crowd of villagers' cheers and shouts. Some were screaming for him, the son of the beloved Yellow Flash, others were cheering for Sasuke, the future of the prestigious Uchiha clan. These two were destined for greatness. This match would be a showcase for what was to come.

"May the best shinobi win, dobe."

"Likewise, teme."

The proctor, Genma Shiranui, lazily glanced between the two before dropping his hand.

"Fight!"

And all hell broke loose.

Naruto's chakra went haywire and deep chill ran down his spine. The air pressure tightened as it suddenly became difficult to breath. Sweat soaked his headband and his stomach twisted into knots. A terrifying, nightmare-like chakra filled the atmosphere. He realized almost instantly. That dormant memory that was locked away instantly opened.

Bijū…

Naruto was born from a jinchūriki. His very being was created directly next a walking nuke. At a young age, his father explained to him that his chakra was special. Unlike anything before. Even before his birth, Naruto's chakra signature was powerful. This is a direct result of being developed in the same body as a Tailed Beast. Naruto was gifted an unnaturally powerful chakra and a sixth sense when it came to Bijū.

All hairs were standing up on Naruto's body.

Like a horror movie, the Kyūbi's monstrous head peered over the walls of the stadium. Naruto fell to his knees in utter terror. Those cheers turned to screams as people tried to run. Trying to escape with their lives.

But it was pointless.

The Kyūbi shifted only slightly and a single tail collapsed every building in the area. Death and destruction filled the village as quick as the beast appeared. And only by a few movements.

Utterly terrifying power.

"Let's go, Naruto!"

Sasuke grabbed him by the collar and pulled like hell. It was like dragging an unwilling dog by the collar. By the time Sasuke was able to get himself and Naruto inside, a dark cloud of smoke covered the sky. Konoha had been set ablaze from the Kyūbi's. Unsure of what to do, Sasuke stayed put and watched the destruction unfold.

The Hokage and other elite shinobi jumped into action, trying to fight off the beast and save as many lives as they could. Many were killed in the beginning moments from the Nine-Tails extreme power.

Dozens of wooden pillars encased the demon. The legendary Mokuton ability that was only known to the First Hokage emerged like knight in shining armor. An extremely powerful ability that defeated the equally legendary Madara Uchiha and could subdue Tailed Beasts. Naruto was able to catch a glimpse before Sasuke pulled him inside.

Who on earth could do that?

"What hell is going on?!" Sasuke shouted. His adrenaline was running in overdrive. He couldn't keep himself quiet.

"…It's the Kyūbi…"

Sasuke looked flabbergasted. "Kyūbi?!" The realization hit. "Wait…Naruto, does that mean…?"

"…I don't know…"

Again, mystery continued to plague him. His mother was the previous jinchūriki. When she died, it was believed that the Kyūbi died with her. How was it here? How was it alive? Did that mean his mother was alive?

Answers. Naruto wanted answers.

Anger filled his being. Red hot anger boiled into a power that forced him to move. A feeling deep in this stomach told him to move. His bearings returned, strength filled his soul, and he sprinted out back outside.

"Naruto, wait!"

But Sasuke's call fell on ignoring ears. Naruto scaled the stadium walls, running passed villagers cowering in their seats. For a moment, he saw Ino and Akamaru. They were helping villagers who had been trapped underneath debris.

They were safe. He could do this.

Naruto landed on the rooftop of the stadium's highest point. It was there he saw the destruction.

Konohagakure was in flames. Buildings had collapsed, villagers and shinobi laid dead in the streets. Screams of terror were drowned out by the battle. In a short time, the Kyūbi had laid waste to the village.

But was it really in that short of time? It felt a few minutes. Reality, it had been over an hour.

Towards the main entrance, the Third Hokage and nearly every capable shinobi still able to move had pushed the beast back outside the walls. A snake and slug appeared behind the beast in equally sized clouds of white smoke. It was no question who they were. Two of the strongest had joined the fray.

Tsunade-baachan and Orochimaru. Two of the three Sannin.

But where was that Wood User? He would be the most essential in defeating this beast. Naruto jumped down and ran as fast as he could towards the fight. Somehow, someway Naruto needed to be there. He knew he could help. He needed to help.

Naruto saw the Hokage and landed in the middle of his ANBU guard.

"Lord Hokage!"

The battered old man was astonished. "Naruto?! Get the hell out of here! This isn't a place for children!"

"But let me help!" Naruto shouted back. "I know I can help!"

"Boy, there is only one way you can help and you can't do that!"

A massive roar of demonic rage echoed throughout the lands. Orochimaru's snake summon, Manda, coiled himself around the beast. Allowing the rest of Konoha to unload every single jutsu onto it. The beast was down, but it wouldn't be for long.

"What do you mean by that?!"

Hiruzen grunted. He was tired and didn't need to be pestered right now. A large portion of his forces were either dead or wounded. His ace in the hole, Yamato, was killed in the first ten minutes by a sheer accident. A stray steel beam from a building impaled him when the Kyūbi broke free from his restraints.

"Can you restrain like your mother could?!"

The question shook Naruto to his core but he was running out of options. His people were dying left and right. Orochimaru and Tsunade finally stopped bickering and started getting serious. A moment of reprieve was desperately needed.

Why couldn't have Minato been the one deal with this?

"Lord Hokage!"

A young member of his clan landed next to him with a small bundle cradled in his arms. An infant. Barely a few days old.

"I brought the child."

May the Shinigami have mercy on his soul.

A massive roar shook the earth and sent shockwaves throughout the skies. The Kyūbi broke out of Manda's hold and ripped the snake's head off. Blood soaked the ground like rainfall. Green had been painted red.

"Damn it!" Sarutobi shouted. He needed more time to set up the ritual.

Naruto fell to his rear in fear. The power that resonated from that roar was fuel for nightmares. He could only stare at the beast as it continued to tower of him. He barely registered that the beast had turned its giant head.

Directly at him.

Its glowing red eyes widened in surprise as it seemed to recognize the young boy in the middle of the crowd.

"You…!"

The enormous claw shot high into the sky and came down with the fury of vengeful god. Naruto could only stare in terror as other shinobi rushed passed him in fear for their lives. The shadow of the deadly claw grew bigger and bigger as he watched his death literally fall towards him.

This was it.

What the hell was he thinking? How could he think he could do something to help? He was damn genin. And this the Kyūbi. The strongest being in the known world. What was he going to do against something like that?

Stupid.

A deep emotion rose from the pit of stomach. Was this really how he wanted to go out? Dying like a coward underneath the hand of the Tailed Beast that his mother once held at bay?

No. He wouldn't allow it. He couldn't die here. He still had much to do. So many answers to find.

Naruto wasn't sure why but he stuck out his hand, thinking that he had the strength to hold off the beast. Chakra ignited from his form and he suddenly felt calm. Nothing could throw him off. He was ready to fight.

Power filled his body and channeled into his arm. A roar let loose as multiple sets of golden chakra chains shot from his arm and wrapped around the beast. The massive claw was stopped mere feet away from crushing him and the Third Hokage.

Still cradling the infant in his arms, Hiruzen looked at the boy in utter disbelief. "Naruto?! When could you…?!"

"I don't know!" Naruto shouted back. "Please hurry! He's really strong!"

Hiruzen nodded. He signaled for the sealing team to come to him. Naruto saw the man speak to them but he couldn't make out what was said. They turned towards the beast and ran to it.

The Kyūbi roared violently as he tried to break free from the chains he knew all too well. More chains appeared and constricted his movements further. The boy had created more. Then the Kyūbi was being commanded by the vile boy.

Kneel.

His power began to drain. The chains were pulsating as his chakra was depleted with each one. Despite the liter oceans of chakra at the Kyūbi's fingertips, he felt the pull and dropped to his knees. The beast saw the team with the Hokage move into position underneath his belly. The small infant was placed in the center of a series of intricate ritual seals on a cradle of stone.

The Kyūbi recognized every single seal.

"No!"

"SEAL!" The team shouted in unison.

And just like that, the Kyūbi was gone with a mighty roar. Sealed away in the infant child.

The chains slowly retracted into Naruto's arms, becoming a part of him as if they were never there. He collapsed back on to his butt as he stared at his arms. He examined them closely, making sure that his arms weren't filled with holes. It took Naruto a few minutes of calming breaths to slow his heartrate down to a normal level. Even then, his mind was running on overdrive. It hardly registered that the battle was over.

What the hell? How did I do that?

Chakra chains. The signature technique of his mother, Kushina Uzumaki. And the Kekkei Genkai of his mother's clan, the Uzumaki. Only full blooded Uzumaki could create chains like that. Or, at least, that's what his parents told him.

Yeah, he'd definitely need to figure out how he did that.

"Naruto?"

The boy glanced up to see the Hokage approaching him with his ANBU guard around him. In his tired, old arms was the small infant that was brought to him, wrapped in white cloth.

"Lord Hokage…" Naruto was surprised the man was moving. The God of Shinobi was well deserved title. "What happened to the Kyūbi? Where did it go?"

Hiruzen was exhausted, it was impossible to read his emotions. "…The situation has been resolved. The Kyūbi has been dealt with." He motioned for one of the ANBU to come take the child. "Take the child to Tsunade for medical examination. Keep it as discrete as possible. Once she has completed her examination, bring the child back to me. Understood?"

Despite the mask that resembled a weasel, Naruto instantly recognized the Operative as Itachi. The hair was too obvious for Naruto not to notice. Naruto dared not to say a word to him. This was official business, well above his grade.

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The Operative disappeared quickly, leaving no trace that he was even there.

Hiruzen breathed a heavy sigh. His mind, body, and soul were beyond tired. He wanted nothing more than to just drop in bed with his wife and hide from the world because of this catastrophe. The fallout will take years to overcome.

I should've just retired. Maybe Danzō was right.

The Hokage slowly knelt to Naruto's level. "I want thank you, young Naruto. Your actions gave us the opening we needed to end this battle. I have to ask, when did you learn to create those chains?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly and gave a nervous smile, unsure of how the Hokage would handle the truth. "…Just now." He chuckled.

Hiruzen's mouth fell open, astonished by the answer. A small chuckle of his own escaped his lips. He placed a strong, elderly hand on the young boy's shoulder. Naruto was no longer the young boy who lost his parents. Before him was a shinobi. Through and through.

The world works in mysterious ways.

Konoha lost one ace in Yamato, only to gain another in Naruto.

"Good work, lad. Konoha is in your debt. You'll become a powerful shinobi one day. I know it."

Pride filled Naruto. While the Hokage was a generously nice man, it felt good to hear praise come from him. He was the God of Shinobi for a reason. He knew strength.

The Hokage shouted out orders. Within minutes, the area was cleared of all shinobi. Except for Naruto. He remained seated, his eyes firmly locked on the ritual site on the opposite side of the clearing. He was giving himself time to digest the events of the day, process everything that happened.

"…It's the Kyūbi…"

Sasuke looked flabbergasted. "Kyūbi?!" The realization hit. "Wait…Naruto, does that mean…?"

"…I don't know…"

The boy glanced to see Kakashi, sporting only his usual mask, approaching him. The man knelt to him. He waited for the rest to clear out to approach him.

"You good, kid?"

Naruto let out a breath. "Yeah…I think so." The two sat in silence for some time. "Ominous, huh?" He chuckled.

Kakashi chuckled too. "Yeah, something like that."

"What did Lord Hokage do? What happened to the Kyūbi?"

"…Something I could never do. That child…Lord Third sealed the beast into that child."

Realization took Naruto by surprise. "No way…so, they're like mom now?"

"Yeah…just like Miss Kushina." No matter how old he got, or how long they've been gone, Kakashi would never call her, or his old sensei, by anything else. It just didn't feel right.

Disappointment washed over the young boy. He didn't fully understand how sealing a massive beast like that into an infant worked. But he was smart enough to understand that the Kyūbi was here, and his mother wasn't. His childish dream of his mom somehow being alive was crushed. "I…see. So, the beast just appeared then? No warning?"

Kakashi nodded with a sigh. He could see where his young friend's mind was going. "Yeah…or at least, I think so. Bijū are coated in mystery. I don't know much but I have a few ideas."

There was still some hope. "…My mom…?"

"I'm sorry Naruto, I don't think your mom was involved in this." It was harder than he thought to say that to him.

He watched the boy slump down. He couldn't stand it. In fact, he hated when he saw Naruto like this. It made him want to do whatever it took to cheer him up. It was his final mission from Minato to watch over Naruto in case of their death.

A mission he wouldn't fail.

Kakashi pulled Naruto to his feet. "C'mon, let's get outta here." It wasn't just for Naruto's benefit, but his own. He couldn't stand the sight of the Hokage right now.

"Where are we goin'?"

"To see your parents. Did you really forget? It's your birthday."