Author's Note: Welcome back, everyone! As this is my first story I welcome constructive criticisms, flaming and trolling will be ignored.

Disclaimer: Naruto and Inuyasha belong to their respective owners.

Dialogue Legend:

"Unforgivable" – Normal dialogue

'Unforgivable' – character's thoughts/speaking to Inner Demon/Inner Spirit

"Unforgivable" – Jutsu name; Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being speaking to someone on the physical plane.

'Unforgivable' – Inner Demon/Inner Spirit/Supernatural Being speaking to someone on or from within the mental or spiritual plane.

Review Corner:

God of All Eros: I'm not a huge fan of big harems. They can work, but having a lot of characters in one harem makes it harder for each of those characters to have quality time with the MC. How many characters qualify as a "big harem" is subjective, but since this is my first story I didn't feel comfortable going with more than six.

Even if I felt more confident in writing a bigger harem for Naruto, Karin and Tayuya wouldn't have been in it. Sasuke's third wife will either be Mei or Karin and whoever he doesn't get, a different character will. As for Tayuya, she's off the table for a different reason.

Chapter 24 – Aftershock Part 1

Gaara stood in a vast desert. In all directions, for as far as the eye could see, nothing but sand appeared before him. A gale-force wind clawed at him, making him fight to remain upright. The sun was concealed by countless cumulonimbus clouds; only the lightning that constantly raced through and between the clouds illuminated the land.

"Release!" Gaara, thinking he was trapped in Genjutsu of some sort, disrupted his Chakra flow. His surroundings did not change, but he felt – ever so faintly – an echo of power: resonance from Shukaku's Chakra.

"I'm in my mind? This is what my mindscape truly looks like?!" Whenever Gaara had been dragged into his mindscape before by Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast had obscured his surroundings with a zero-visibility sandstorm. The seemingly true form of his mindscape terrified Gaara. As if the endless storm was not daunting enough, the sand beneath the young man's feet was no shade of brown but the dark-red color of blood.

"NO, though it is logical for you to mistake my domain for your own mind, given what you have endured." A voice of cold iron thundered through the desert, and a gigantic lightning strike illuminated its source: a blood-red palace. Without further preamble, Gaara flew through the air toward the palace doors, which barely opened in time to admit him. The Jinchuriki barely suppressed a scream of pain as he crash-landed onto the floor. Gingerly standing from his landing point, Gaara assessed his surroundings. The interior of the palace was also blood-red and was completely devoid of furniture or decorations. While its exterior was massive, there were no apparent doors or hallways leading to any other rooms. The ceiling was evidently held up only by the walls of the palace, for no columns, arches or other support structures existed.

"I apologize for the rough landing. Such a greeting is unfit for a descendant of mine who has done me no wrong, but I needed to ascertain how much of a threat Shukaku poses to this meeting. Given his total lack of resistance just now, I am convinced that the blow that ended your most recent fight has weakened Shukaku nearly to the point of death. By my estimation, you have two years – at least – and three years – at most – before Shukaku fully recovers." As the progenitor of the Kazekage Clan spoke the palace doors closed, but Gaara was too overwhelmed by his distant ancestor's presence to notice.

Seated on an iron throne, the being was mostly humanoid. In fact, almost every aspect of his anatomy below his neck was identical to a human, albeit one whose skin was the color of rust. His neck and head were an entirely different matter; both were the black of a starless night. Only the white sclera of the entity's eyes broke the monotone hue of his face. His nose and mouth occupied the same space on his face, similar to a crocodile but the protrusion was thinner and more curved – almost like a bird's beak.

Long rabbit-like ears sprouted from his head but they ended with square tips. His midnight-blue hair flooded down his neck from behind his ears but stopped just below his shoulders, forming a short, thick mane. While most of his hair stayed fully behind his head, two small – though still thick – strands grew from the bottom of his face down the sides of his neck, stopping midway down each of his pectoral muscles. Though his build was that of an average human, the numerous muscles adorning his form spoke volumes of his physical might.

He wore nothing on his torso or legs; a dual-layered, gold-over-white shendyt preserved his modesty. The top of the kilt-like garment ended in a vivid, blue sash just below his navel and its trailing end could be seen jutting out between his right thigh and the armrest of his throne to hang just slightly below the royal seat near his right knee. A metallic bracelet and armband of the same color adorned each of his upper limbs. He wore a wide band of gold beneath his neck that stopped just beneath his frontal hair strands. The being's hands ended in ebon claws. In his left hand, he held a scepter that bore the same color as his hair; its head was crafted to resemble a stylized depiction of the being's face while its bottom ended in forked points. His right hand rested on his throne, but hanging from its wrist and dangling beneath the armrest was an Ankh.

"I am Set – the Red Lord. Egyptian God of the Desert, Storms, Chaos, and Evil; though that final aspect is something I neither encourage nor discourage among my worshippers – or my descendants." The Egyptian god relaxed the pressure he'd been exerting since he first brought Gaara's soul into his domain. With Shukaku all but powerless, there was no need for it.

Even after the pressure abated, it took nearly a minute for Gaara to find his voice. "Why have I not heard of you before now? I have studied my clan's history, but never have I encountered any trace of your existence."

"That is your traitorous father's doing." Set's eyes grew as red as his palace. "All of my descendants bear traces of my power, and a child with the potential to wield far more is born once every few generations. These children must be trained by me to ensure that the power they inherit does not overwhelm them, but when Rasa discovered your immense affinity for my power he saw only an infant resilient enough to survive Shukaku's sealing ritual!" The storm's intensity increased by an order of magnitude, reflecting its master's rage. "He ordered the Kazekage Clan to sanitize their historical archives, destroying nearly all records of my existence. He would have succeeded entirely, if not for the efforts of your sister."

"Temari!" Gaara gasped.

"Those that refused or hindered Rasa's order were put to death. Temari risked everything to defy her father and managed to save a great deal of lore. Recall your earliest years; remember the games you and your sister played in the dead of night?" The right wall of the palace shimmered like a crimson mirror before projecting one of Gaara's oldest memories. The game seemed to be a crude teaching exercise that involved matching certain symbols and phrases together. On closer inspection, however, it was revealed to be a history lesson that cunningly taught what Rasa had tried so hard to destroy.

"I remember this, those games brought me peace. Shukaku never bothered me while I was playing them. Why did she stop?" Gaara shrieked the question; if Temari's "games" had continued, Shukaku may never have been able to consume his mind.

"That would be the fault of your dear brother." Set nearly spat the words, and the storm's ferocity redoubled. "He caught the two of you in the act and ran straight to Rasa. Even in his fury, your father's cunning did not abandon him. Temari – as her 'games' have demonstrated – had an exceptionally keen mind even in her formative years. Killing her would be a waste, but the torments inflicted by Rasa made her beg for death more than once. His Medical Ninja ensured there would be no physical reminders of those weeks, but the impact on her mind has only recently begun to fade."

"THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?!" Gaara roared. In answer, the wall shifted to show what transpired immediately after Shukaku had been sealed into him. Rasa slit his youngest son's left wrist and allowed Gaara's blood to fill a vial before waving a Medical Ninja over to heal the incision. This vial was poured into a basin already filled with water. Rasa and his two elder children then took turns filling small cups with the basin's contents and drinking until nothing was left.

"This addendum to the Sealing Ritual allowed your father and siblings to benefit from Shukaku's protection." Set's voice retained its furious edge, but his eyes were once again black. "So long as your Tailed Beast is not in a near-death state, my Divine Will cannot directly or indirectly affect those three in any way unless they directly ask for my aid. My power is far greater than Shukaku's, but he is anathema to my very existence. The weakest Worldborn is a Worldborn still."

"Worldborn?" Gaara echoed.

"The soul of this world has been called many names by many people." Set's anger abated as he began his explanation. "Of all the titles bestowed upon her; she prefers most that which she received from the ancient Greeks: Gaia. Even as she was first dragging herself out of the primordial sea, Gaia knew she was far more potent than most other worlds and that her energy would be coveted by many external forces. In time, she would cultivate her power and knowledge to such an extent that only the mightiest of invaders could pose a threat, but achieving such a state proved to require eons that she did not have. In answer to those who would inevitably come before her might reached its pinnacle, Gaia forged a set of guardians. Nine guardians."

"The Tailed Beasts!" Gaara's eyes widened in realization.

"Crafted from Gaia's raw essence mere moments after her inception, each Worldborn is meant to oppose otherworldly entities with specific traits. The power differential between said entities and the Worldborn means nothing; on this world, their strength is supreme so long as they are capable of wielding it. I am a desert deity, and Shukaku is the guardian of Gaia's deserts. He cannot destroy me unless I am fool enough to confront him in open combat, but neither can I breach his protection." Set sighed in resignation. "The concepts and forces the people of ancient Egypt worshipped as gods originate from Duat, a realm of spirits, dreams, and monsters. As she matured, Gaia welcomed some of them as allies and exempted them from the Worldborn's eternal duty. I have been granted no such pardon, however."

Gaara was reeling from Set's revelations but collected himself enough to ask his next question. "If the Tailed Beasts are so powerful, how have we humans been able to seal – or even kill them – time and time again?"

"Remember, dear grandson, the Worldborn exist to shield Gaia from external threats. Their power, though still very potent, is substantially weakened when pitted against itself." Set smiled, revealing dozens of fangs within his elongated mouth. "Many gods claim to have birthed your kind or accelerated its evolution from preexisting species, but Gaia is humanity's true progenitor. Though she used far less of her essence while sowing humanity's first seeds than what was needed to forge the Worldborn, all beings created directly by Gaia are linked and the bond is strong enough to allow your victory against them given enough time and resources. The advent of Chakra made things easier still."

Gaara took several minutes to process all that Set had told him before asking more of his progenitor. "Why have you brought me here? If Shukaku is your antithesis as you claim, then nothing you can teach me of your power holds any merit."

"If Shukaku was in any condition to resist my will, you would be correct," Set admitted, "but my perfect counter is in a very dire state right now. He can do nothing more than listen to our conversation, and he knows it." Set began laughing maniacally. "And to think, we have the Perfect Assassin's latest grandson to thank for this conference; the Cosmos has a sense of humor!"

"Perfect Assassin? Naruto?" Gaara's eyes widened once more.

"Lord Sesshomaru's tale is not mine to tell. If you would know more of your savior and his clan, ask him directly." Set advised. "And if you seek to acquire Naruto's power of bonds I would recommend starting with your siblings, such as they are." The palace wall shifted once again to show Temari and Baki sitting on chairs in what seemed a large hotel suite. The two were reflecting on the futility of the Konoha invasion, and Karasu's head occasionally chimed in from its position on a nearby table with Kankuro's voice.

"KANKURO! What hap –" Gaara's question died on his lips as he beheld Set's shit-eating grin.

"Your brother picked a fight with a child of Khepri – a primary aspect of the only being I have ever acknowledged as my king." Set howled with glee. "Your father has commanded your clansmen several times that they are not to ask for my aid under any circumstance. A prudent measure, given his actions, but young Kankuro was desperate and directly asked for my aid." The wall now showed the exact moment Kankuro begged for Set's help.

"When he spoke those fateful words, he rejected Shukaku's protection. Afterward, as you mortals are fond of saying: 'all bets were off'. I spared his pathetic life, knowing that you would wish to make amends with him if Naruto succeeded in freeing you of Shukaku's influence. Heed my words, Gaara Kazekage: I have gazed into the future, and Kankuro shall not live to see the end of his teenage years. As the insolent child is still of my blood, I shall do nothing to hasten his death, but neither will I shield him from his fate when the hour arrives."

Gaara narrowed his eyes in anger but knew better than to argue. Kankuro had gravely insulted a God, and neutrality was the best compromise the Jinchuriki would ever get. Before he could comment further on the matter, Set began speaking once more. "To answer your earlier question, the training you should have undergone as a child is long overdue. Being Shukaku's Jinchuriki has not erased your affinity for my power." Set's scepter crackled with scarlet lightning. "He has done all he can to suppress your demigod traits since being sealed into you. Now, I can reverse the damage he has caused, and then some." A blast of electricity engulfed Gaara but did not harm him. Quite the reverse, it felt like a piece of his soul that had always been just out of sync with the rest of it was now clicking into place.

"One of my lesser-known domains is power over metals – magnetism, if you will." Set elaborated. "Shukaku possesses this trait as well, so you may have enjoyed its benefits while using his power. Now, the power is yours – as it should always have been."

"Will the power you give me vanish when Shukaku fully recovers?" Gaara asked.

"It will not. As a human, the essence of Gaia present within you does not reject my power. On the contrary, the two shall strengthen each other over time. By the time Shukaku regains enough strength to even consider suppressing the power that is your birthright, it will be far too deeply entrenched for his efforts to succeed." As Set finished his answer, Gaara momentarily flickered out of sight. "Your body is awakening and needs its soul; we shall begin your training when next you sleep."

Set's domain shattered around Gaara like glass and was replaced by a white void as he regained consciousness.

"Gaara!" Temari rushed to her brother's side as he began sitting up in his bed. "You've been out for five days! Are you – "

"I spoke with Set-sama, Temari-nee-chan." The eldest child of Rasa's blood ran cold after hearing that. She knew her progenitor was responsible for Kankuro's current plight but it should not have been possible for him to commune with Gaara with that thing inside him. Unless?

"For you to speak with Set-sama, Shukaku must be near death." Baki finished Temari's unspoken thoughts and regretted, for the umpteenth time, that the suite assigned to him and his team did not have a mini-bar. "What did he say?"

While hearing her youngest brother's recollection, Temari alternated between relief that Set seemed to have no intention of harming Gaara and horror from the memories of her father torturing her. She'd only recently been taught by Baki how to use some mental exercises to prevent the nightmares of those horrible days; the techniques were effective, but years of psychological damage was not something you got over in a few weeks.

Kankuro told Set to shove his scepter up his ass when Gaara recounted the god's decree involving the puppet-boy's fate. After hearing the entirety of the tale, Baki stood up and began gathering his things.

"Now that Gaara-kun is awake, we leave for Suna as soon as possible!" While Gaara was unconscious, Baki and several other Suna squad leaders had been interrogated by Konoha's Intelligence Division. Once they had confirmed beyond all doubt that Suna had only invaded Konoha due to Orochimaru's manipulations, the surviving soldiers of Suna were free to return home.

Baki wanted to deny that he and his countrymen had been used as pawns but upon returning to his assigned suite after his interrogation an Anbu delivered a coded message to him, saying it and many similar messages had been delivered by messenger hawk. The message, once deciphered, proved to be an emergency order from the Suna Council commanding all Suna Shinobi in Konoha to cease hostilities at once; Rasa's corpse had been found and his cause of death was inconsistent with any known Konoha assassination method. Most of Suna's forces had already begun the trip back home.

"Gaara, come here." Temari beckoned after she finished packing. When Gaara approached her, she placed her right thumb, index finger, and middle finger on her forehead and closed her eyes. Moments later, a sphere of Chakra formed between the three fingers and Temari pressed it into Gaara's forehead. "Before you were born, Father was grooming me to be the next Keeper of the Kazekage Clan's history. The uncensored copies of our clan's history I managed to save from the initial purge were destroyed after Kankuro ratted us out, but by then I had memorized most of Set's lore. Don't try to access my copied memories now; it will take time for my mental energy to synchronize with yours."

"Temari-nee-chan, thank you." Gaara hugged his sister.

"Just Temari, please, brother." Temari begged with tears of joy in her eyes. Gaara nodded in consent as joyful tears began streaming down his face as well.

Konoha General Hospital

"Now that the nurse has left, we should have at least an hour to converse." Hiruzen said after casting several privacy and anti-intrusion seals upon his hospital room. His two guests – Ay and Mei – duplicated his efforts. The Sandaime Hokage was in near-critical condition when Naruto and Kurama arrived on the rooftop. It had been over a decade since the last time he had used his Sage Mode, and his control over the enlightened state had diminished. Also, even disregarding his Chakra exhaustion, Hiruzen had pushed his body to its absolute limit and suffered several deep slashes and broken bones from Orochimaru and Hashirama throughout the battle.

Though Ay was now sufficiently recovered to no longer require constant bed rest, he wasn't in much better shape. Tenran and its subsidiary Jutsu placed immense strain on the user's body in addition to their Chakra cost. While not as severe as the backlash suffered when using the Eight Gates, the road to full recovery was lengthy and Ay had no desire to prolong it; he would be remaining in Konoha for the foreseeable future and had already sent a message home promoting Bee to Acting Raikage until his return.

Mei was the least impacted of the three Kage. While she had pushed herself to the limit in the battle the Jutsu she utilized exacted no physical toll from her aside from their Chakra costs and she suffered the least injuries out of the three. She had already been discharged from the hospital with several home care instructions (most of which she planned to ignore in favor of her own clan's remedies) and was only visiting today.

"Then, for our first order of business, I would like to conclude our discussion regarding the alliance between Kumo and Konoha." Ay's smile brightened the entire room; his clan's promise to Sesshomaru-sama – inherited from Thor-sama – was about to be fulfilled!

"Your proposition has a great deal of merit, Ay-dono, and I am more than willing to approve it on a cursory level. However, I am afraid you will have to negotiate the bulk of our new treaty with my successor." Hiruzen smiled sadly. "Once my successor returns to Konoha, I'm stepping down. Between Orochimaru's ambitions and Iwa's lust for war, Konoha needs a new leader, one whose body has not yet been ravaged by time. Besides," Hiruzen smirked, "I can do far more good in the Academy training the next generation than wasting away behind the Hokage's desk."

"Taking your 'Professor' title literally, is that it?" A small grin spread across Ay's face as well. "I cannot fault your reasoning, but who have you chosen to take your place? Surely not Jiraiya!"

"Dear Kami, no!" Hiruzen laughed. "He'll be far too busy mentoring Naruto-dono to take the job. Another Sannin will assume the role."

"Tsunade-hime." Mei realized. "But has she not abandoned Konoha?"

"It would be more accurate to state that she took an extended leave of absence due to extreme personal loss and grief." Hiruzen clarified. "She never formally submitted her resignation and is still the Acting Head of the Senju Clan. Though she has made herself quite difficult to find, Jiraiya knows her location and will be leaving in two weeks to retrieve her. Were it not for the damage Konoha incurred during the invasion, he would have already left."

"And if she does not wish to return to Konoha?" Ay challenged.

"Jiraiya knows that is a distinct possibility, but he assures me that his contingency for that outcome will succeed." Hiruzen's smile faded. He suspected what that contingency involved and did not want to be right, so he did not pry when the Toad Sage mentioned it.

"Very well, then the formal alliance between Kiri and Konoha will be discussed with Tsunade-hime at a later time." Mei sighed. "Team Umino has volunteered to be ambassadors; if a warp point between Konoha and Kiri can be arranged, I'd be willing to grant their request." A wry smile spread across the Mizukage's face. She was no stranger to young love and had confidence that Team Umino would be able to balance their duties and relationships successfully.

"Once Tsunade has been inaugurated and Konoha remaining strength has been fully rallied, I believe it will be time for our three nations to deal with our troublesome neighbor to the west!" Hiruzen's eyes flashed with fury.

"I agree; Iwa's blatant disregard of the laws regarding the Chuunin Exams falls just short of an open declaration of war." Mei's brows furrowed. "Onoki-dono has been a major player in all three Shinobi World Wars and his recent actions prove that the lives lost in those dreadful conflicts have taught him nothing!"

"Due to the matter we discussed in secret before the start of the Finals, it would be a betrayal to Kumo's ancestors if we did not offer our full support to Konoha in this endeavor." Ay slammed his fist against the armrest of his chair, leaving a large dent. "Onoki-dono has lived since the days of Hashirama-sama and has shown himself to be a relic of an age best left forgotten!"

"You have my deepest thanks, both of you!" Hiruzen, swathed in bandages and confined to bed, could do little more than nod his head in appreciation. "Orochimaru's collaboration with Danzo allowed him to make surgical strikes against many sources of Konoha's strength. Though most were repulsed, our Academy has been ravaged. Most of our teachers are dead, and I will need all the Shinobi capable of combat for the war effort."

"The Academy is not as understaffed as you believe, Lord Hiruzen." Ceto entered the Hokage's room as if his countermeasures had never existed.

"Ceto-sama" Hiruzen lowered his head as far as he could in supplication. The action spoke volumes of his respect for the woman who had just entered the room and put Ay and Mei at ease.

"My daughters and I shall teach until others can replace us." The goddess decreed. "Though we cannot use it ourselves, I have observed the flow of Chakra through mortals longer than any of you have been alive; training others in its use is trivial. My youngest, Medusa, will be able to do so with exceptional ease. The Mana she must now use in place of her divine power bears many similarities to Chakra."

A quick, but stern, glance from Hiruzen halted the questions on his fellow Kage's lips They would interrogate him about Ceto later but there was a much more pressing matter to discuss.

"Hiruzen-dono, how will you deal with the Oto Shinobi whose memories have been erased?" Ay asked. The hidden seals the Snake Sannin placed on all of his men made the Yondaime Raikage nervous. Killing them to ensure they couldn't reveal anything of their master would have made much more sense.

"You suspect that my ex-student's seal did more than induce mass amnesia? I thought the same, which is why Shikaku-dono and Inoichi-dono are investigating the matter as we speak." Hiruzen answered with a smile. Though Orochimaru has immense knowledge of Fuinjutsu – as evidenced by his Cursed Seals – he was no Seal Master. The formulas he created were powerful and resilient but often they were also crude and vulnerable to manipulation from external forces. Danzo had been far more gifted in Fuinjutsu, and if Shikaku and Inoichi could circumvent the seals he placed on Root's members then Orochimaru's gambit was bound to implode any second now.

"Ceto-dono, Kiri has experienced an explosion of civilians seeking to become Shinobi after each of its many civil wars. I fear you will encounter a similar bevy of requests in the wake of Orochimaru's invasion." Mei warned.

"Of course I will," Ceto chuckled, "the more the better!"

"You can't be serious!" Ay gawked. "Most of your 'new students' will be adults or adolescents on the cusp of adulthood. You can't train them to be Shinobi because their Chakra Networks will be so underdeveloped that any attempt to cultivate them will result in death or near-total paralysis!"

"Lady Mei, you are descended from Lady Minerva – the Roman form of Lady Athena. Please educate Lord Raikage on the virtues of Gorgon's blood." With that request, Ceto left the room.

Hiruzen's Office

"This is an outrage, Jiraiya-dono!" Guy yelled. While Hiruzen recovered, Jiraiya was appointed Acting Hokage. He hated every second of it, but someone had to bring order to the chaos leftover from the invasion. The surviving Suna forces had been sent home, and temporary housing for the amnesia-stricken Oto forces had been arranged until Shikaku and Inoichi could counter the seals his former friend had triggered.

According to their initial reports, the seals could be safely destroyed without endangering the victim's lives, but doing so would likely leave make their amnesia permanent. The pair was currently developing a method to dispel the seals without losing the memories, but Jiraiya was taking no chances. He planned to leave in two weeks with Naruto to begin searching for Tsunade; if Shikaku and Inoichi could not demonstrate results by then, the Oto Shinobi's memories would remain forever lost.

In truth, he preferred that outcome. There was a sweet irony in turning Orochimaru's men against him by raising them to be soldiers of Konoha. The memory erasure was absolute; the poor men and women were currently relearning how to walk and speak. For all intents and purposes, they were infants, and the Toad Sage had no qualms about using them to bolster Konoha's ranks.

At the moment, however, Jiraiya had much more headache-inducing matters to attend to. "I'm sorry, Guy-san, but the Academy needs teachers and we are not in a full war setting. Yet." Jiraiya spoke the last word in his head. "With Lee-kun and Neji-kun dead, I have no choice but to dissolve Team 9." He hoped referring to Guy's team by its official name would soften the blow. "Tenten-chan will be assigned to Zabuza-san. The two of them, along with, Haku-chan, will form the new Team 9."

"Please, sir, Tenten-chan is my only remaining student!" Guy begged.

"Is she?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed. "I've read Team 9's training summary reports for the last year. In all of them, you explained Neji-kun and Lee-kun's progress in great detail, but for Tenten-chan almost none of the reports have more than the bare minimum." Guy's eyes became saucers but Jiraiya moved on just as his lips began to move. "If that's not damning enough, then Kurenai-san's post-invasion report certainly is. Do have any idea how many undead were destroyed by Tenten-chan? Just by reading some dusty old war manuals, she's progressed more in the last month than she has in an entire year with you!"

Guy's face paled. "That's hardly fair, Jiraiya-dono! Tenten-chan told me she met her family's progenitor and received a nearly unbreakable weapon from him!"

"That's a piss-poor excuse and you know it!" Jiraiya snapped. "A weapon is only as deadly as its wielder, and Tenten-chan is far deadlier now than she was during the Preliminaries. Why have you neglected her training for the past year?!"

Guy took a step back "I-I needed to prioritize Lee-kun's training. His Chakra Network did not allow him to form Chakra for Ninjutsu or Genjutsu, only for Taijutsu so –"

"Did you ever give Tenten-chan Chakra paper to determine her elemental affinity?" Jiraiya coldly interrupted.

Guy gulped. "Yes, she does not have an elemental affinity but she does have a high affinity for Fuinjutsu. I know almost nothing of Fuinjutsu so I couldn –"

"Then why didn't you ask the Nara Clan or Yamanaka Clan for assistance?" Jiraiya's eyes flashed with rage. "With the Uzumaki Clan destroyed and the Senju Clan dispersed among the other clans and Konoha's citizenry, The Nara and the Yamanaka have become the clans most capable of producing Seal Masters. Surely, as a Jonin of Konoha, you know this?"

Guy bowed his head in submission. Faced with the cold truth, he had no answer. He didn't mean for it to happen, but his cultivation of Lee's potential occurred at Tenten's expense. "I failed her," Guy said solemnly, "but I will not fail those who come after her."

"See to it that you don't." Jiraiya snarled. "The only reason that I don't strip you of your Jonin rank now is because I feel you have lost enough recently as it is. Rest assured, if Tsunade investigates your classes and finds you've been slacking off, demotion will be the least of your worries.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Guy bowed and left the office. With that meeting out of the way, Jiraiya signaled an Anbu to inform his next appointment that he was ready for them. Team 7, Team 8, Team 10, and Team Umino stepped into the office two minutes later.

"Naruto Namikaze-Uzumaki," Jiraiya addressed his godson, "despite your momentary blood feud with the Hyuuga Clan, your duel with Neji was still technically a Chuunin Exam match and the skill you demonstrated is exemplary. In addition to displaying immense prowess with Taijutsu and Ninjutsu, you also showed a keen understanding of anatomy while chastising your opponent. For these reasons, Ay-dono, Mei-dono, and I have unanimously agreed to grant you the rank of Chuunin!"

"I am honored, Jiraiya-sensei. I shall do all I can to serve Konoha in this time of need." Naruto spoke with a humble tone, but a huge grin dominated his face. No one in the room called him out on it; his classmates and teachers were too proud of him and Team Umino had seen enough of his prowess to know he deserved the promotion.

"Shikamaru Nara and Tetsuisshi Umino," Jiraiya continued "your matches also highlighted your skills and strengths. Once again, there was no disagreement with your promotions to Chunnin."

"Troublesome, but it's the life I chose." Shikamaru grumbled, but a contented sigh escaped his lips at the end.

Tetsuisshi simply nodded in response to her promotion, but Yama grabbed her into a bear hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

"Otou-san, stop it! You're embarrassing me!" Tetsuisshi pleaded.

"Not a chance, little sis! Group hug!" Yuusen embraced Tetsuisshi. Arashi joined in just seconds later. While she considered such public displays of affection unbecoming of a Shinobi, this was an exception.

"Hem-hem!" Jiraiya's fake cough brought an end to the festivities. "Shino Aburame and Yuusen Umino, the report of your fight with Kankuro Kazekage has persuaded Mei-dono to request a field promotion to Chuunin for both of you. Ay-dono does not doubt either of your skills, but he is unwilling to agree on the grounds of just one battle. Since Team Umino will be serving as Kiri's ambassadors to Konoha for the foreseeable future, I proposed a compromise: a joint B-Rank mission. Yama-san and Kurenai-chan will accompany you as observers only. If they must intervene to guarantee the mission's success, you will remain Genin. Succeed without their help, and you become Chuunin."

"Sweet! We accept!" Yuusen cried with delight.

"Do you already have a mission in mind, Jiraiya-sama?" Shino asked.

"I do. The Anbu have identified several locations in and around Konoha believed to be old hideouts of Orochimaru. You are to travel to these areas and perform reconnaissance. There are sure to be more than a few surprises in store for intruders. You are to detect as many of these traps as you can and disable them if possible. Your mission will be considered a success if you can find at least one-third of the traps noticed by Kurenai-chan and Yama-san. Disabling them will not count toward your success rate, so don't bother unless you're absolutely sure that you can succeed."

"No problem, we got this!" Yuusen promised.

"While I dare not assume that detecting a Sannin's traps will be easy, I have confidence we can fulfill this mission's quota for success." Shino added.

As Shino, Yuusen, Kurenai, and Yama left to prepare for their mission, Jiraiya turned his gaze to the last person in the room he needed to address. "Sasuke Uchiha, you did very well in your match before the invasion began but your actions during the invasion are a different story. Shukaku baited you into an obvious trap and you would have died if Naruto and Hinata-chan had been one second later. I cannot recommend you for Chuunin; if I did, there's no way my fellow judges would agree to it at this time."

"I understand." Sasuke said neutrally. Jiraiya had said nothing that the Last Uchiha hadn't told himself dozens of times over the five days since the invasion ended. He knew his Hanyou transformation didn't make him invincible, knew that he still had much to learn, but he still got overconfident!

"So long as you can acknowledge your mistakes, you can grow from them." Kakashi placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Thanks, Kakashi-sensei." Sasuke's smile was a mix of sadness and determination.

"Naruto and Shikamaru-kun, now that you're both Chuunin there's some missions that need your immediate atten –"

"No can do, Jiraiya!" Naruto cut the Acting Hokage off.

"Excuse me?" Jiraiya raised an annoyed eyebrow.

"Kakashi-sensei said earlier that I'm 'on the most menial, belittling D-Rank missions the village gets for a year' as punishment for a verbal spat I got into with Guy-san!" Naruto tried speaking with a straight face but failed spectacularly as his godfather gave Kakashi a look that guaranteed pain. "Is this true, Kakashi-kun?"

"Mostly, but Naruto-kun omitted the 'unless you're needed elsewhere' part while quoting me." The Copy Ninja quickly said.

"Have you two forgotten?" Naruto's smile threatened to tear his face in half. "I'm the Construction Saint of Konoha!"

'Oh right, that.' Naruto's two teachers cringed, realizing he had won the argument. The village was in dire need of repairs, and the sheer amount of physical labor involved could double as strength and stamina training. The practice Naruto would get with the Tajuu Kage Bushin no Jutsu was an added bonus.

The Next Day, Training Field 10

"Sakura Haruno, Ino Yamanaka, BEGIN!" Asuma shouted, and the space between the two kunoichi was dominated by shuriken and bomb kunai. With Naruto and his Kage Bushin handling all missions and requests related to Konoha's reconstruction efforts and all missions outside the village suspended for the immediate future, the duo knew they'd never get a better chance to have the match to determine which of them would be Sasuke's head wife. They also knew they'd be in for the punishment of their lives if they had the match without supervision.

Flashback

"No! I won't condone this match!" Asuma declared. He knew that there was trouble between Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke but there had to be a better way to resolve it than this.

"Oh really?" Kurenai said coldly. "Then you should take this back." The Genjutsu Mistress removed her engagement ring. Asuma's eyes nearly jumped out of his head.

"If you can't see how badly Ino-chan and Sakura-chan need this, I don't deserve you." Kurenai held her fist out toward Asuma with her palm facing the ground. The message was clear: if Asuma didn't reverse his decision immediately, she would drop the ring and never be seen again outside of professional obligations.

"I-it seems I was too hasty." Asuma spluttered. "The match will begin immediately."

"Better." Kurenai put the ring back on her finger and glared at her fiancé. "When my joint mission with Yama-san, Shino-kun, and Yuusen-chan is over, I will thoroughly explain exactly why you were wrong."

Flashback End

The match had rules similar to the Chuunin Exams, with one exception: no giving up. It would only end when one of the combatants was either unconscious or suffered an injury that rendered them incapable of continuing the match. This meant Ino couldn't secure a free win by taking over Sakura's mind and forcing her to surrender. Not that she wanted to; this fight would change their relationship forever and she knew Sakura would never forgive her if she used such a cheap tactic to ensure victory.

"Douton: Doryruuheki!" "Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu!" Ino's earth dome materialized seconds before Sakura's Genjutsu hit. "Suiton: Teppoudama!" The next thing Ino sensed after purging the Genjutsu from her mind was a dozen water balls as large as her head streaking toward her barricade.

'Something's wrong, Sakura knows Suiton is weak against Douton. What's she up to?" The aquatic spheres stopped just short of impacting the earth dome and were positioned all around it. 'The Chakra in Sakura's Jutsu is condensing as much as possible, what goin – OH SHIT!' After shrinking to as small a size as possible while still retaining their shape, the water balls expanded to their original size with enough speed to break the sound barrier. Twelve shockwaves ravaged the dome at key stress points, causing the whole structure to collapse. Ino barely managed to use Douton to make an opening fast enough to avoid being crushed. She escaped with her life but was now covered in dozens of minor cuts.

"Clever, was that trick inspired by Yuusen-san's bubble bombs?" Ino smiled in admiration.

"By Choji-kun's heat wave, actually." Sakura had known how to make her water balls explode before the start of the preliminaries, but weaponizing the air to counter a Nature Transformation's weakness to its opposing element had not occurred to her before seeing the Akimichi heir's match.

"Then let's see how well it helps you against this! Douton: Inoshishikaku!" (Earth Release: Boar Horns) A surge of Chakra from Ino saw the remains of her earth dome break into hundreds of stone spears half as long as Sakura was tall.

"Suiton: Suiheki!" (Water Release: Water Wall) Sakura leaped straight back while spitting out several masses of water. The constructs quickly formed a multilayered wall that slowed the spears just long enough for Sakura to Shunshin out of the line of fire.

"HAAAAA!" Sakura channeled a large amount of Chakra into her legs and rushed as Ino in an explosion of speed.

"Douton: Toukyuu!" (Earth Release: Magnitude) Ino stomped her left foot and a localized earthquake pulsed toward Sakura. Normally, this Jutsu is used to destabilize enemy fortresses. Even with Ino using the bare minimum of Chakra needed to cast the Jutsu, the force of the trembling earth would likely have blasted Sakura's legs off if she hadn't leaped into the air just in time.

"Got you! Douton: Inoshishikaku!" As Sakura neared her prey, Ino quickly forged four spears from the ground. Sakura did her best to avoid them, but airborne evasive maneuvers were not something she'd put much practice into yet. She completely dodged one spear, but the next two grazed her and the fourth one impaled her in the stomach. Blood from the wound spilled onto Ino as Sakura fell to the ground just a few feet away.

"So close, and yet so far!" Ino smirked victoriously. "Come on, Sakura let's get you to the nearest hospital." Ino went to pick her friend off the ground but Sakura slapped her hand away!

"We're not done." Sakura panted. "I'm not unconscious, can still move, and I have enough Chakra left to fight."

"Damn it all, Sakura, enough already!" Ino cried. "You did great, making me use Toukyuu. You're bleeding out and need medical attention ASAP. Asuma-sensei, call the match!"

"I can't, not yet." Asuma grimaced. "The spear is slowing Sakura-chan's blood loss, and everything she said is true. You haven't won yet, Ino-chan."

"With this, the fight will end for real." When Ino turned away from her to speak with Asuma, Sakura began weaving a series of hand seals as quickly as possible. By the time Ino returned her attention to the fight and noticed the huge surge of Chakra indicative of a powerful Jutsu, it was too late.

"Suiton: Ketsukussetsu!" (Water Release: Bloodbending) The blood from Sakura's impalement had seeped into the wounds Ino received while escaping her earth dome. With that as her catalyst, Sakura was able to usurp control of Ino's cardiovascular system. "Kurenai-sensei showed me this Jutsu but refused to teach it to me, saying I wasn't ready for it. She's right; my Chakra's going right down the drain."

Sakura was now standing only by sheer willpower, but ignored her precarious state and reversed the flow of Ino's blood, causing it to rush out of her brain. "Thing is, she forgot that I couldn't have gotten the top grades in our class without a damn good memory!" Ino fell to the ground, unconscious, and Sakura barely canceled her Jutsu in time to delay the same fate by a matter of seconds. "Asuma-san, the outcome of our match will be determined by who wakes up first. It'll probably be Ino since she won't have to deal with Chakra exhaustion on top of her injuries."

'THEN WHY DID YOU USE A JUTSU YOU KNEW YOU WEREN'T READY FOR?!' Asuma barely resisted the impulse to scream the question out loud.

Konoha General Hospital – Several Hours Later

"Uuggghhh, my head." Ino moaned as she woke up.

"Don't try sitting up. The Medical Ninja assured me that Sakura's tampering with your blood vessels caused no permanent damage but you're going to be nauseous for the rest of the night, and likely most of tomorrow." Asuma said from his chair in Ino and Sakura's room. The pinkette was still asleep and would make a full recovery according to the surgeon.

"I knew she had an affinity for Suiton, but I never thought Sakura would be able to pull something like that! Guess she won." Ino sighed.

"You have it backwards." Asuma corrected. "Kurenai showed Sakura-chan that Jutsu as an example of what can be done with Suiton but never actually taught it to her; it drains Chakra far too rapidly for Sakura-chan to safely use it at her current level and she knew it. Technically, it's a forbidden Jutsu for her at this point, so Sakura decided that whichever of you woke up first would be the winner."

"SAKURA YOU STUPID GIRL!" Ino roared. Her best friend had to know that Ino would wake up first. "Damn you, Kami damn you!" Tears began flooding down Ino's face. She knew why Sakura did it. Worse, she couldn't hate her for it. Sakura didn't want to give Ino the satisfaction of being mostly unscathed while she was skewered on a spear, not with what was on the line in this fight. She dragged both of them into unconsciousness to even the playing field as best as possible. 'And I can't say a single fucking word to her about it because I would have done the exact same thing in her shoes!'

"Asuma-sensei, can you ask the doctor to give me the strongest sedative they got? I'm mad that I can't be mad!" The leader of Team 10 wordlessly complied, knowing that the reasoning behind Ino's request would likely be drilled into him by Kurenai later.

Hyuuga Clan Compound

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS!?" A Hyuuga elder screamed at Hiashi. While Sakura and Ino were having their match, the Hyuuga Lord stormed into his clan's council chamber accompanied by Jiraiya, Shikaku, Inoichi, Choza, and one hundred Anbu.

"DON'T YOU DARE PLAY IGNORANT WITH ME!" Hiashi roared back. "Did the lot of you truly believe that concealing Neji's near-murder of my daughter would go unpunished?"

"You have no proof!" A second elder declared.

"Not yet, but we shall go to a place where such truths are revealed beyond all doubt!" The Anbu Shunshined around the Hyuuga elders and bound them all. Once the captives were secure, they were frog-marched to the Namikaze Mansion courtyard. Seconds later, a blood-red mist seeped from the ground and the earth trembled beneath the elders' feet. To the Hiashi and his allies, it looked like the mansion's grounds were weeping tears of blood.

"Enemy of Lord, Enemy of Clan; source of misery for Lord's betrothed, source of heartache for the father of Lord's Betrothed. Destruction and Erasure – NOT ENOUGH!" The mist entered nearly all of the Hyuuga elders, and they instantly began screaming.

"Stop! STAY BACK!"

"How you are alive? We killed you!"

"No, NOT THE BEES!"

Hiashi, Jiraiya, and Choza were dumbstruck by the scene unfolding before them. The traitorous elders were being tormented by what seemed to be waking nightmares. Inoichi and Shikaku used Yin Release to ascertain what was happening, and both were stunned.

"Incredible!" Inoichi yelled. "To think Naruto-kun's ancestors developed such an execution method untold generations ago!"

"It's not a Genjutsu, at least not as we normally understand them." Shikaku clarified. "Simply put, it's hypnosis, but I've never seen anything like it. Unlike normal Genjutsu, which manipulates the victim's senses by disrupting the flow of Chakra through and around their sensory organs, the mansion's hypnosis triggers a fear response in the target's brain. Only once the response is triggered, the hypnosis prevents the brain from turning it off."

Jiraiya's jaw hit the floor. "That would mean the victim's body would constantly produce adrenaline in response, but if that goes on for too long it'll kill them!"

"Then my treasonous clansmen are literally being scared to death? A most fitting punishment!" Hiashi decreed. It took several minutes for the mansion's hypnosis to have fatal consequences. Once the deed was done, Hiashi didn't know whether to laugh or cry. All of the Clan Elders, both for the Main Branch and Side Branch, had been present in the chamber. Every single Side Branch elder now joined the ranks of the dead, and all but three of the Main Branch elders accompanied them. The surviving elders were understandably traumatized by what they had just seen and fled to the Hyuuga Compound. No one stopped them; their loyalty had been proven and their lack of decorum was permissible given the circumstances.

"Let us return to my compound. I take no chances; all bearing the Hyuuga name shall undergo this trial before the day is done!" Hiashi swore. Jiraiya nodded and motioned one of the Anbu to leave for reinforcements.

"What about the elders' corpses?" Choza asked.

"Remove them from the courtyard and leave them for the crows. They had no honor in life; they deserve none in death." Hiashi spat.

It was well into the evening before the judgment of the Hyuuga was complete. Hundreds of other traitors were discovered, but the mansion dealt with them with crimson fire. Death by fear was reserved for the grand architects of the Hyuuga's betrayal; their tools met their end by near-instant incineration.

Hiashi now stood in the Hyuuga council chamber with Hinata, Hanabi, Shikaku, Inoichi, and the surviving elders. "From this day forth, the Council of Elders is abolished. The Clan Head shall wield near-absolute authority but must have three advisors at all times. For matters affecting the entire clan, the advisors can supersede the Clan Head's will by a two-thirds vote. Furthermore, at least one of the Clan Head's advisors must come from the ranks of the Hyuuga youth. Never again shall blind adherence to tradition dictate our actions. At this time, the Side Branch is also abolished. Shikaku-san and Inoichi-san: as soon as time and circumstances permit, please begin researching a method to safely destroy the Caged Bird Seal. You shall have full access to the Hyuuga archives to aid your work."

Hiashi now turned to his youngest daughter. "Hanabi Hyuuga, I would have you be my youthful advisor, should you be willing to accept."

The seven-year-old girl's eyes became saucers. "M-MEE? Why? I just started studying the Hyuuga history and traditions last year!"

"Your incomplete education on the Hyuuga's history and customs is a boon, not a detriment." Hiashi explained. "From your perspective, traditions that should never be challenged may appear deeply flawed. The Hyuuga will greatly benefit from your viewpoint in the future. Of that, I have no doubt."

"Take the position." Hinata laid a reassuring hand on her sister's shoulder. "It's what Okaa-san would want."

That did it. "F-for the good of the Hyuuga, I – Hanabi Hyuuga – accept the role placed upon me." The youngest elder in the history of the clan curtsied.

"Isshin-san, would you be willing to give up your seat and serve as Hanabi's tutor?" Hiashi addressed the oldest of the three current elders.

Isshin gave a toothy grin. "It would be a pleasure and an honor, Hiashi-sama!"

The Next Day – Konoha Academy Library

Iruka and Kakashi stepped into the library and were shocked by what they saw. Nearly every bookshelf was destroyed and their contents were a sea of books and scrolls that covered almost the entirety of both of the library's floors in a heaping mess. Though nothing had changed since the last time Iruka was here, the young teacher had been too distracted by the invasion to notice just how thoroughly Ceto had obliterated her own workspace when she flooded the library.

"Iruka and Kakashi, I hope you don't mind if our discussion of Naruto's formative years occurs while I put this library back together." Ceto came down the stairs, looking almost nothing like the last time Iruka saw her; it was only due to her eyes being the same color and the divine aura radiating from her that Iruka was able to recognize Ceto. The goddess now took the form of a young woman in her twenties with waist-length light blue hair and skin the color of snow. She wore a sleeveless sea-green blouse and matching dress which emphasized her figure. While not as voluptuous as the Gorgons, she was of amble bosom and hip. The dress stopped just below her calves, and her feet were closed in sandals woven from seaweed.

"W-Why the change in appearance, Ceto-sama?" Iruka barely suppressed a nosebleed. He was no pervert, but the beauty of Ceto's new form struck him like a wrecking ball.

"Just Ceto, noble Iruka, and the change was frankly overdue. The invasion is the perfect cover for 'Koteru' to die and a new head librarian to take her place. Given how many survivors know my true nature, I won't use a false name this time." Ceto gazed upon three of the shattered bookcases and they instantly repaired themselves. With a snap of her fingers, the books that had previously adorned the newly repaired shelves rose off the floor and drifted to their rightful places.

"Can we move on to the discussion at hand?" Kakashi grabbed a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe away his nosebleed. It would take several rereads of Icha Icha Paradise to get Ceto's new form out of his head.

"Naruto's start at the Academy was predictably horrendous." Ceto began. "His teachers refused to explain their lessons to him when he asked for help, and his fellow students were offered extra credit in exchange for refusing his pleas for aid." After hearing this, Iruka barely suppressed the urge to punch the nearest wall.

"My intervention began just six months after Naruto arrived. He fled here, quivering with fright, after his math teacher struck him for failing a simple multiplication test." Now, Kakashi did punch the nearest wall.

"As a goddess of monsters, I know too well the stigma of being different. I had hoped Hiruzen or the Shinobi faction of the council would be able to shield Naruto from the worst of it, yet I was mistaken. To my eternal shame, I did nothing when my daughter Medusa was exiled, and eventually killed, for her actions. Though she did much to deserve her fate, inaction is the worst sin a mother can commit." A single tear fell from Ceto's right eye. "Upon seeing Naruto's plight, I vowed that history would not repeat itself. Here was a boy who had done nothing to earn his torment, and he was drowning in despair."

"So you began to train him." Kakashi sighed with relief.

"I provided the education that Naruto's 'teachers' refused to give." Ceto agreed. "To this day, he holds a phobia of mathematics due to what brought him to me. It took a great deal of time for me to convince him to study algebra and geometry. Perhaps one of his future wives can absolve him of his fear." Ceto moved to another part of the library now that all bookcases in her current field of vision were restored. "History is a passion of his; he sought answers for his plight. Unfortunately, records of Kurama's attack had been purged or heavily censored to conform with Hiruzen's law, and it was not my place to tell him what he had become. Yet Naruto would not be denied the knowledge he craved, and so sought an alternative means to acquire it. Rather than see him punished for a most noble pursuit, I showed him how his Uzumaki legacy could be utilized to provide the answer."

"Yang Release!" Iruka realized. "You taught him how to sense discrepancies in his own Chakra and Kurama would qualify, even if the seal was completely intact!"

"Indeed." Ceto smiled, and the sight bred butterflies in Iruka's stomach. "Naruto proved to wield a keen mind when not crippled by instructors seeking his downfall. Rarely did I need to repeat a lesson once the basics of the subject at hand were understood by him. In the eighteen months between our first encounter and his entry into your class, he had long surpassed what his fellow students were taught. Biology, physics, language, history, the Shinobi arts – particularly Yang Release – most such lectures were heeded without flaw. Were it not for his severe deficiency regarding Yin Release, he could have been considered a prodigy."

"His mask of ineptitude and hyperactivity was perfect. How did he master it so quickly, and how did you manage to train him outside of his actual lessons?" Iruka wondered. Though they didn't enter the Academy to monitor him during his classes, Naruto's movements were tracked by Anbu agents at all other times. They'd have noticed if he was staying at the Academy after hours.

"The greatest flaw shared by most mortals – and more than a few immortals – is the tendency to see only what they wish to see. To most of the Academy's faculty, Naruto was little more than an animal. My library's fiction section contains several comedies starring a court jester as the main character." Ceto smirked. "As for how his true education went unnoticed, look behind you."

A mass of water had silently materialized and was morphing into a humanoid shape. Iruka and Kakashi turned around just in time to see the last of the clear liquid shift in color to perfectly resemble a five-year-old Naruto – clothes and all. Even with his Sharingan, Kakashi couldn't detect any differences in the Chakra flow between the construct before him and an actual human child. To his and Iruka's shock, the copy of Naruto drew a "kunai" from his pocket and slit his wrist. The river of blood that gushed from the wound would have deceived all but the most observant Medical Ninja. Seconds later, the construct – along with the "blood" pooling on the floor – vanished.

"Incredible, he could have trained with you for days on end and no one would have been the wiser!" Iruka said.

"Precisely; our 'classes' often lasted well into the night. Aside from periodic mandatory library days, almost none of the teachers – let alone their students – deigned to come here and this building is vast enough that his lessons were unnoticed by the few who did, especially once he learned to create privacy seals to suppress sound."

"He's an Uzumaki, all right." Kakashi smiled. Privacy seals were one of the easier applications of Fuinjutsu, but the delicate application of Chakra needed while drawing or casting them was not something most Shinobi mastered until they were Chuunin. "If he was able to make the more advanced version of privacy seals – which also camouflage the affected area to make it look like no one's there – you could have used the Academy training grounds after dark to hone his combat skills." Training and studying for the entire day and most of the night for years on end would drive most children to near-fatal exhaustion, but the legendary Uzumaki stamina and vitality had served Naruto quite well.

Ceto nodded. "Before his Fuinjutsu was capable of concealing him entirely, I used my power to produce the same result. I am the Goddess of what lies deep beneath the waves; concealment falls well within my domain. It took Naruto one month to cultivate his 'Fool's mask' to what I deemed an acceptable level. From that point on, he would spend one day a week in his classes to practice it in person and see if any of his classmates were worthy of his friendship. It was on such a day that he first met Sasuke Uchiha. This was mere weeks after the Uchiha Massacre, and Naruto knew he had found a kindred spirit – one who was suffering far more than he. Had Naruto met Sasuke any later – if the despair in the boy's mind had even one more day to take root unopposed – the threads of Fate would have woven a far darker tale."

Ceto moved to yet another section of the library. "Naruto devoured book after book detailing child psychology and grief counseling. He barely understood what he was reading, but to a drowning child, the thinnest lifeline is far better than none. It was enough to stabilize young Sasuke's mind, though I suspect he developed some manner of dissociative identity disorder as a coping mechanism.

"He did, but the split personality was quite beneficial to Sasuke's mental recovery and now no longer exists." While training with Kakashi for the Finals, Sasuke had told him of Child-Sasuke's existence and what the mental construct had done for him.

"Excellent!" Ceto beamed. "Once he was old enough to attend Iruka's classes, Naruto's tutelage under me ended. He had more than enough knowledge to proceed without me and the skill the conceal it. Furthermore, he enjoyed your classes, noble Iruka." Ceto proceeded to the last set of bookcases still needing repairs. "You were the first teacher that did not discriminate against him. He met others throughout the next five years, but you were the closest thing he had to a father for a long time."

"I never knew." Tears began falling down Iruka's face. "I knew he respected me and saw me as one of his few friends but . . ." Iruka lapsed into silence, thinking back on all the times he berated Naruto for his "stupidity". The boy had always taken his punishments without complaint. 'Were all of those pranks just to sell his class clown act, or were at least some of them meant to give him one-on-one time with me?'

Iruka's self-asked question was rhetorical. Naruto did at least one major prank a week in his class, far more than what was needed to keep up appearances. As Iruka finished his trip down memory lane, Ceto completed her repairs.

"Come on, Iruka-sensei. I need a drink or ten after hearing all that, and I'm sure you do too." Kakashi said before turning to leave the library.

"Is there more to tell?" Iruka asked Ceto.

"Not unless you wish to know precisely what Naruto was taught on a given day." Ceto replied. "As you are now the most senior teacher left in the Academy, many will be looking to you for guidance on how to manage our new students. If you require any assistance, you need only ask."

"New students?" Iruka's eyebrow rose.

"Tomorrow, you will see." Ceto turned to walk back up the stairs leading to the library's second floor.

'I wonder if she has a living space for herself up there.' Iruka mused before leaving the library. Kakashi was waiting for him, and the pair ventured to the nearest bar.

Chapter End

Kankuro, Kankuro, Kankuro - you picked one of the worst possible gods to piss off! While Set is sometimes portrayed as a force for good (Ra's second in command) or a relatively minor and necessary evil meant to serve as the "chaos within the order" that challenges it and prevents it from devolving into stagnation (he's a trickster god, but some of his tricks were done for the thrill of it rather than out of genuine malice), the Osiris myth is the most mainstream legend in Egyptian mythology and Set is a complete asshole in that story! The unrelenting douchebagery he pulls in that myth alone is more than enough to cement him as Egyptian mythology's worst villain. The only other entity that comes close is Apophis (Ra's equivalent to Lucifer) and Set wreaked more havoc among the gods than Apophis ever did since Ra/the other Egyptian gods normally don't have much trouble keeping him on lockdown.

As was stated in Chapter 8's endnote, the Ten-Tails is not a thing in this story so now you know how the Tailed Beasts were created here. Since Kurama is both a Worldborn and a Daiyoukai, I'm sure you can guess what type of external threat she is meant to stop. The entirety of Inuyasha still happened eons before the events of Chapter 1, but Kurama would only have killed demons/devils that tried to destroy/enslave/feed on Gaia directly. The only villain in Inuyasha who wanted to destroy the world was Sou'unga from the third movie and the only ones who wanted to rule over it were Menomaru/Hyoga from the first movie and Kaguya from the second movie. Those villains were all initially sealed by the main cast's ancestors and were killed/eternally sealed by the main cast eventually.

There's no canon explanation for what happened to the Senju Clan. Some fan theories suggest that Madara or Danzo was somehow responsible for the clan's destruction or exile from Konoha, but my favorite theory is this: after the founding of Konoha Hashirama and Tobirama encouraged the Senju to marry outside the clan, eventually leading to its dissolution. This makes a lot of sense given that the "Will of Fire" is basically Konoha's state motto and that philosophy originated from Asura - the progenitor of the Senju. I only recently discovered this particular theory but I like it enough to make a slight retcon regarding Sakura: her great-great-great-grandmother was a Senju.

We know from the Hokage "family tree" that Naruto's generation is the fifth since the founding of Konoha. Hashirama/Tobirama trained Hiruzen; who trained Jiraiya; who trained Minato; who trained Kakashi; who trained Naruto. Since we don't know how much time passed between Konoha's creation and the First Shinobi World War, and Hiruzen was a young adult during that war, it's plausible that he was not born before the founding of Konoha and I'm sticking with that. By real-world/modern-day standards, Minato and Kakashi are close enough in age to be in the same generation, but given the near-Feudal era setting of Naruto (ignoring certain types of tech like computers and two-way radios since their use is extremely sporadic and situational) and that child soldiers were commonplace, I'd say there's just enough years between them to qualify as a generational gap. Minato was 24 when he died and Kakashi was 26 at the start of part 1. Naruto was twelve years old at that point, so Kakashi would have been 14 when Minato died.

Aside from her great-great-great-grandmother, the entirety of Sakura's ancestors were civilians. So the raw epicness of her Senju genes has been diluted by four generations' worth of normie DNA, unlike the other characters with supernatural/divine/OP ancestors who have little to no civilian DNA in their gene pool.

There are still some things I want to tie up/set in motion before the Search for Tsunade arc begins in earnest, but the next chapter will end with that journey's beginning.

Thank you for reading!

Douton: Inoshishikaku: Earth Release: Boar Horns (C-Rank) – A Jutsu taught to Yamanaka clan members born with an affinity for Douton. The user shapes preexisting earth/rocks into spears that are launched at the target. To be considered proficient with the technique, the user must be able to create at least a few dozen spears.

Douton: Toukyuu: Earth Release: Magnitude (B-Rank) – An anti-fortification Jutsu meant to destroy defensive structures as quickly as possible. The user stomps one of their feet in the target's direction and a localized earthquake moves from the user to the target in a straight line. Even with minimal Chakra input, the Jutsu is powerful enough to shatter a human's skeleton instantly.

Suiton: Ketsukussetsu: Water Release: Bloodbending (A-Rank) – A Jutsu typically forbidden to Shinobi that have not reached Jonin due to its high Chakra cost and the setup needed to activate it. The user must get their blood inside the target's cardiovascular system. Once this is achieved, the blood functions as a medium through which the user's Chakra invades the target's cardiovascular system, allowing them to control the flow of blood within the target's body however they wish. The Chakra needed to sustain the Jutsu and manipulate the target's blood flow is reduced substantially if larger quantities of blood are used to activate it. Unless the user has prepared a substantial supply of their blood in advance, the Jutsu is a high-risk, high-reward technique best used in very short bursts to immobilize an opponent for follow-up attacks.

Suiton: Suiheki: Water Release: Water Wall (C-Rank) – The user spits a mass of water from their mouth that forms a wall in front of them. Multiple walls can be created in quick succession and layered against each other. If enough layers are created, the Jutsu's durability is comparable to the Suiton: Suijinheki Jutsu.