The ship came into the harbor. It was smaller than the one Team Thirteen had come in on. Mostly because this ship wasn't carrying Princess Koyuki and her mountain's worth of luggage. Team One had arrived to reinforce the mission.

Sakura Haruno was the first to step off, her team was in tow. All four were draped in their insulated winter cloaks.

"This is the Land of Snow?" Katara questioned. "It's so cold here!"

"What did you think it was going to be? Green and warm?" Riku commented sarcastically. "Though, I wasn't expecting glaciers this big."

"We're in the middle of an ocean on a floating block of ice? What kind of place is this that people live out here?" Hanabi did not see the appeal of this place. She hoped it would improve.

It would not.

"Enough, you three. Someone from Team Thirteen is supposed to meet us here." Sakura turned to look at the Hyūga in her team. "And it doesn't matter who it is. Right, Hanabi?"

The stern disciplinary tone in the experienced jōnin told the young genin she was serious. Hanabi simply nodded for her response. She did not want to deal with her master's wrath.

Sakura and her team wandered the port briefly, trying to find someone with a Konoha headband. Surprisingly, there weren't many people around. A few workers and some fishermen but that was it. Sakura was expecting more.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised he sent you. I am surprised to see your genin."

Leaning against a large wooden box, the instructor of Team Thirteen munching on his breakfast.

Sakura smiled seeing her childhood friend. They had been friends for years, nearly their entire lives, becoming friends even before the Academy. "And I would've never pegged you for calling in backup. Slowing down, Namikaze?"

"Not enough for you, Sakura." Naruto finished off his breakfast roll. "Thanks for coming. We're in deep with this one."

"Must be." Sakura motioned for her team to follow as they walked. "What's the situation?"

As the two jōnin conversed about the mission, the three genin were stupefied to be in the presence of such a powerful shinobi.

The man. The myth. The Chain Master.

Naruto Namikaze.

Riku was extremely jealous of Konohamaru and Katsuro. He dreamed of having Naruto as his jōnin instructor. The man was a legend. It was surreal to think someone this powerful could exist. But from the stories that were told about him, it seemed to be true.

At least, Riku hoped it was.

Katara wasn't jealous. She had her dream instructor. But she couldn't help being mildly covetous of Konohamaru and Kai having the strongest shinobi in the village as their teacher. The things he could teach them seemed endless because of all his power and experiences, exaggerated or not.

Hanabi was told stories by her older sister, Hinata, about Naruto Namikaze. About how kind and strong he was. At first glance, she believed every word. His very being screamed power. He was built like an ox yet seemed to be as gentle as a cat. Extreme control, Hanabi thought.

She understood why her sister had such an infatuation with him.Simply calling Naruto attractive was an understatement. Ino Yamanaka was a lucky girl. Hell, Naruto was just as lucky.

"Pay attention!" Sakura scolded her team for spacing. "This is our brief!"

The three genin stiffened up. "Yes sensei!" They responded in unison.

"As I was saying, we're greatly outnumbered. Even with the guards and locals who are willing to fight, we don't match up. You and I, Sakura, are going to have to pick up that slack."

Sakura nodded. She had been in worse odds before. This was nothing new to her. Hopefully her team could hold their own together.

"What do they want exactly? What's the enemy's goal?"

"Princess Koyuki has an extremely valuable necklace, the Hex Crystal. They want that to fund an assault on the Land of Fire."

"Attack the Land of Fire?" Katara questioned. "Why would someone want to do that?"

"Ideology." Naruto quickly answered. "The leader doesn't agree with how things are being run. He wants to overthrow the powers in place and start new."

"You mean the Daimyo and Hokage." Hanabi answered.

"Correct."

"Speaking of the leader." Sakura pulled the file out and handed it to Naruto. "Like you requested."

Naruto opened the file and skimmed through it. Compared to what he learned from Jiraiya, this meant nothing now. The file said nothing about Kazuma.

"I figured as much." He closed the file. "Konoha wouldn't have this guy's real file, this is just his alias."

"Alias? What do you mean?"

Naruto had mulled over the information constantly while waiting for the backup to arrive, even while training his team. He couldn't shake the feeling something else was going on here.

"Furido is an alias. His real name is Kazuma. He's a former member of the Guardian Twelve. He led a coup d'état over a decade ago against the Land of Fire. He was thwarted by Asuma Sarutobi and another member of the group. And, supposedly, he was killed by Asuma."

"You think otherwise." Sakura commented.

Naruto was considered a genius, much like his father. Only her and Shikamaru had higher test scores in the Academy. Sasuke and Shino Aburame were close behind him. When he had a theory in his head, it usually was correct in some fashion.

"Pervy Sage did some digging for me. That's what he came up with."

"I suppose it's possible, especially if Master Jiraiya says so."

Being a student of one of the Sannin herself, Sakura knew just how credible the Sannin could be. Tsunade was referred to as the strongest kunoichi and best medical ninja in the world. Jiraiya was the master of both Naruto and Minato Namikaze, two of the strongest known shinobi. Not to mention, he was also considered as the most knowledgeable man due to his massive network of information. And Orochimaru was a prodigy like no other, a genius like no other. His pure talent was second to none, even when compared to the likes of Itachi Uchiha and Minato Namikaze. Some considered Orochimaru better than those two.

Frankly, there was no clear answer as to who of the three Sannin were the strongest. Each were so powerful in their own ways. It was nearly impossible to decide.

That's what always made Sakura chuckle. With all that power, knowledge, and pure talent, Naruto was still widely considered stronger.

"He probably thought if he used a different name, it wouldn't draw attention to it."

"My thoughts too." Naruto agreed. "Though, things are bound to turn ugly. That's where the real problem comes into play."

"What do you mean? We've got this guy pegged. So long as we can withstand the numbers, we should be able to handle this."

Naruto took in a deep sigh. "I'm not talking about Kazuma." He turned to address the genin as well as their instructor. His team knew so he figured they should as well. "There's a kid with him, probably a year older than our students. And…I'm positive he's the Kyūbi's jinchūriki."

Revolting in shock, Sakura stopped in her tracks. Her students stopped, confused by the supposed shocking revelation.

What the heck was a jinchūriki?

"What do you mean?!" Sakura questioned immediately. This didn't make sense. "I thought…"

"Whatever you thought is wrong." Naruto glanced at the young genin's confused expressions. It was no surprise they knew nothing. He had to lay it out to his own students. "It's a lot to get into, I'm still trying to process it all. Pervy Sage is on his way here to help."

"Master Jiraiya is coming?" Sakura gasped. She would never understand Naruto's insistence on calling him that. Of course, it was because he was a pervert, but he was still a Sannin. "How long until he's here?"

"Don't know. I have no idea where he's coming from. But it's Jiraiya. He'll be here. Gallantly."

Finally, one of the genin decided to speak up.

"Naruto sensei…" Katara began. "You said the work 'jinchūriki', what is that? The way you were talking about it, it seemed important."

"It is important. Extremely important." Naruto responded in the utmost seriousness. "We're going to meet up with my team, they'll explain it to you. Meanwhile, Sakura and I are going to speak to Koyuki." He began walking again, much more hastily.

"Let's move Team One!"

The genin quickly followed and were basically jogging to keep up with the two seasoned jōnin. It wasn't long before they came into a town that surrounded a large castle in the center. Mesmerized, the genin stopped to admire.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "Sight see later! We're on a time crunch!"

"S-Sorry sensei!" Riku quickly responded, literally sprinting to the man. His two teammates right on his tail.

"There's an open field on eastern side of the castle. My team is there with my clone training. Head there and tell them to brief you. Go now."

Without a second thought of hesitation, Team One took off in the direction they were told. Sakura could only shake her head slightly. It was her team's first mission outside the village, she expected wandering minds. But the current situation didn't call for it.

"I've never seen you so uptight."

"Yeah, well…this is big." Naruto knew he was being a bit overbearing, but he was stressed. "This kid…I just…"

"Naruto, I get it." Sakura placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's a sore spot because of your mom, right?"

A simple nod. Sakura knew him well. Nearly as well as Ino. It just proved how long they've been friends.

"We're gonna get him, okay?"

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Sakura."

"Now, tell me everything."

-With Team Thirteen-

"Again!"

The trio huffed and puffed, refusing to give in. Before them was a tall glacier with slashes scaling in three separate sections. Running at full speed, each genin channeled chakra into their feet and ran up the side of the glacier. As their control faltered and they slipped, they slashed with their kunai knife to make the progress.

Each genin had slashed the ice over fifty times.

Kai and Katsuro landed gracefully, despite being exhausted. Konohamaru slid down into a snow pile.

"This chakra control is definitely not easy!"

"I don't think I've ever been so low on chakra in my life." Katsuro hated being so short of breath. It was annoying and it took him forever to catch his breath.

"I'd say you guys are definitely taking this well. It can take some genin weeks to grasp proper control for this exercise. You three have done it in a matter of days. Well done."

Naruto looked up at the glacier, seeing the fair number of slashes in ice. It was impressive.

"And you're doing it on ice. That makes this exercise significantly more difficult."

"Why do you say that?" Kai questioned.

"Usually, this type of thing is meant for trees. It's easier for chakra to grip wood than ice. Less slip. But starting on this will make the process easier for you."

Konohamaru pulled himself out of the snow pile, shaking off what snow he could. "Can you explain why learning to run up a glacier is gonna help us against the enemy?" He was the impatient one.

"First off, it's a standard practice for shinobi. Mastering this technique is the basis for many more chakra control exercises. Remember what I said about building blocks?" The team nodded. "Also, you'll be able to escape and evade more effectively if you can run up the sides of buildings, trees, and, in this case, glaciers."

It was like a lightbulb synchronized in the genin's heads, each realizing what the last three days of drills were for. Chakra control exercises and evasion tactics. It was to keep them alive in battle if things went south.

"Here." Naruto tossed each genin a small pill.

"What's this?" Konohamaru questioned. "A snack for doing a good job?"

Naruto chuckled. "A food pill. It's going to help with your chakra regeneration. Usually, it would take a full day to replenish your chakra. Eating these, you should be good to go in an hour."

"Whoa." Kai quickly munched down. "Oh yuck!"

Katsuro ate his just as quickly with the same reaction. "Sensei, what's in this?!"

"Everything a shinobi needs to replenish chakra. Proteins, amino acids, stuff like that. I'm not entirely sure what's all in them."

"Then why feed them to us?" Konohamaru questioned. He slowly swallowed his pill, revolting in the sour taste. "Man, whoever made this could've added cherry flavor or something!"

"Because I trust the person who does. She's a medical ninja, after all. And I'll bring that up next time."

Kai shivered from the hard swallow and horrible taste. "Who made these things? They're a horrible cook!"

Naruto chuckled. "You're righter than you know. And, to answer your first question, their master made them."

Pointing over his shoulder, Team One trotted through the snow towards them. The reinforcing team approached with excitement in their eyes.

"Hey! It's Katara!"

Kai immediately lit up with the sight of her best friend. She regained her energy and ran to hug her. It had felt like ages since they had seen each other last.

"Kai!" The girl braced herself for a smacking embrace. They nearly toppled over into a snowbank.

The rest of the team greeted each other with firm handshakes and friendly gestures. It was a nice reunion.

"Alright alright." The clone spoke up, addressing both teams. "Enough of this. We have a mission to do. I assume you three were briefed on everything."

"Actually, Naruto sensei, you told us that they'd brief us." Kai started.

"I did?" The clone pondered. "Alright then. Do as you were told by…me." He chuckled. "Come meet in the main hall when you're done."

The clone exploded in a cloud of smoke, leaving the genin to their own accord.

"Naruto sensei uses clones to train you? That's lazy." Hanabi clearly was not a fan of that method.

Konohamaru was quick to defend his master. "Watch it, Hanabi! Naruto sensei has given us his undivided attention when it comes to training! I bet he's shown us stuff you haven't even learned yet!"

Hanabi rolled her light lavender eyes, signifying what dōjutsu she could awaken. "Please. Clearly, he thinks it's a better use of his time doing something else than training you guys. He wouldn't have a clone be doing it then."

Konohamaru clenched his fists, ready to physically fight Hanabi in defense of his master. "Watch it, Hyūga. Say any word about our sensei, and you'll regret it."

The Hyūga heiress smirked. "Bring it, monkey boy."

"Alright enough!" Katara quickly interrupted. "I thought this little squabble would've stayed at the Academy!"

Konohamaru and Hanabi would always butt heads during the Academy. It was no secret they had a hard disdain for each other. Both their clans weren't fond of each other, that's usually what started their arguments.

Both were respective royalty for their clans. Konohamaru was the lone grandson of the Third Hokage. It was a given that the clan would be led by him one day, possibly even the title of Hokage as well if Konohamaru had his way. Hanabi was the heiress of the Hyūga clan, chosen over her older sister to become the successor of their father. She was in the same boat as Konohamaru.

Both were considered destined to be great future leaders within the village. The expectations were higher than the skies. But in the case of Konohamaru and Hanabi, it seemed to be deeper than just living up to expectations and a clan feud.

Whatever it was, it annoyed everyone around them.

"Just knock it off, you two. Just let everything settle between you guys and move on." Katsuro rubbed his temple, trying to prevent the headache he would get from their stupid yelling.

Konohamaru put his hands up, basically saying that he wasn't going to say anything more. Hanabi rolled her eyes but decided to not continue with it out of respect for her teammates and the mission.

"Thank you." Kai nodded. "Now, let's get you guys caught up…"

-With Naruto and Sakura-

"Their hideout is up here in the glaciers. They've craved out a huge tunnel system between massive divots in the ice. They've been here longer than I thought."

Sakura looked at the map. She looked at the location circled. "And they've been hiding beyond this mountain ridge. If these routes are accurate, it explains why they've stayed hidden. None of the locals travel up there."

"Only hunters and adventurers from what Koyuki and the others have told me." Naruto added.

"Do we have any idea what their plan is?"

Naruto shifted awkwardly. "Kazuma…is going to break the seal on the child and let the Nine-Tails free."

Sakura let out a shaky breath. She remembered the day the Kyūbi attacked clear as day. The terrifying aura and utter devastation the beast caused was still felt by many to this day. From destruction of homes to deaths of loved ones, the scar from the Kyūbi would never fade.

And Sakura could only imagine what Naruto felt about this. His mother was the previous jinchūriki for the Kyūbi. She remembered how distraught he was after the Kyūbi attack. He was hoping that his mother would somehow come back. From what Ino told her, Naruto had a hard time because he felt like he was dealing with his mother's death again.

Sakura reached over and comforted Naruto by squeezing his hand. "You, okay?"

Naruto said nothing at first, making Sakura think he wouldn't respond. "…It's just…I don't know, something isn't adding up to me."

"What do you mean?"

Naruto paused again. Sora, the jinchūriki, had been missing for years. Supposedly taken the night after the attack. Jiraiya's secret mission was to find and retrieve him. And until recently, there had been no leads.

Kazuma was the one to kidnap Sora and disappear without a trace? It was plausible but Naruto couldn't shake the feeling somehow this wasn't right.

I'm probably just thinking too much about this. Kazuma was dead in the eyes of the world. It would've been easy to hide. No one was looking for him.

Naruto felt the power firsthand. He knew what the Kyūbi's chakra felt like better than anyone. Sora was definitely the jinchūriki.

But…

"…Nothing." Naruto pulled his hand away. "Forget I mentioned it."

Sighing, Sakura didn't push the matter. Naruto was one of her oldest and most loved friends. She knew when to not argue with him, even though she wanted to. When his mind was made there was no deterring it.

"Moving on, how do you want to handle the bandits? It's like you said, we are vastly outnumbered."

Naruto paused for a moment, considering the options they had. But it seemed someone else had a plan in mind.

"Let me worry about those low lives."

Koyuki, covered in full royalty battle armor, entered the hall with a security detail in tow. Her two guards were wearing similar samurai armor.

"Whoa…" Naruto whistled.

"A bit flashy, don't ya think?"

Sakura didn't mean to sound rude, but she knew that Ino had a problem with this woman because of Naruto's history with her. She was just defending her friend's man.

"It's all I've got." Koyuki chuckled. "This armor is technically for ceremonies, but it's still fully functional."

Naruto noted the sword that firmly held to Koyuki's hip. "You're going to fight?"

"Don't underestimate me, Naruto." Koyuki smirked. "Just because I've been docile my whole life, it doesn't mean I wasn't trained. Every member of my family was trained to defend themselves and lead forces in battle. I will lead from the front, just like my father...and Sandyū would have done."

The two jōnin shared a quick glance, conveying their concerns.

"Are you sure, Koyuki? This isn't a game. It's life and death."

The Princess nodded, determination and fury in her eyes. "Yes, I am, Naruto. This is my home. My people. They need to be stopped."

Sakura was easily swayed. "This does take care of the numbers problem. How many people do you have to fight?"

"Don't you worry about that. I've got as many as I need to drive those bastards out. After what happened in the medical wing…after Sandyū…I'm gonna make sure these guys get the punishment they deserve."

Revenge was a slippery slope. It was easy to give into. And it was hard to stop that slide. Naruto considered himself lucky. If it wasn't for his friends, like Ino, Sakura, and Sasuke, he would've burned the world to the ground to avenge his parents. That is, if he knew where to start.

"Okay. We're going to trust you with this, Koyuki."

"Don't doubt me, mister. I've got moves you've never seen."

A double innuendo. Both Naruto and Sakura were certain of that.

-Outskirts of town-

"I'm still not convinced by this decision, Furido." Fudo continued to voice his frustration and distrust. "The boy cannot control this power."

"What did I say before, Fudo? He doesn't have to." Furido shook his head at his second in command. "Right now, the Hex Crystal is our aim. With the money that crystal will give us, we'll have the means to gain more support."

"Furido!"

Fudo was never one to speak out like this. He was more of a 'point and he goes' type of guy. He followed orders, hardly ever questioning them. But this was too much to not question. Fudo believed they were meddling in things that were beyond them. Powers that they couldn't control.

"This ain't right!"

Furido dastardly looked at his subordinate. Fudo had been his most loyal follower for years. Fudo believed in everything that they were doing. It was even his idea to go after the Hex Crystal. But ever since Sora came into the picture, he started to show his doubts about this.

"Whatever the kid is now, it's not natural!"

"Jinchūriki aren't natural, Fudo." Furido met his subordinate's gaze. Fear mixed with anger and hesitation. He had never seen such a mixed response. He placed his hand on his hidden weapon, just to be safe. "There's a reason wars were fought over the control of them."

"No! I know a jinchūriki! I've seen what a real jinchūriki can do!" Memories of his time under the jurisdiction of the Great Nation, Iwagakure, surfaced. Those two were terrifying to watch in battle. Yet, he witnessed them battle. It was nothing like what Sora was capable of. "Whatever they did to him at that fire temple…it wasn't making Sora a jinchūriki!"

A pole extended from Furido's hand and pierced Fudo's chest. Blood stained the snow as life began to fade away. He pulled in his subordinate close, whispering into his ear.

"He is my son…you will not slander him like that."

A final, stunning revelation. Fudo couldn't believe it. It was as if something fell into place. A quick jerk of the weapon and Fudo collapsed.

Furido cleaned his weapon in the snow before returning it to his hidden pouch. He knelt down, watching Fudo struggle with his final breaths.

"Sora is the beginning of a future." Kazuma smiled wickedly. "People like the Third Hokage and Naruto Namikaze will no longer be the only ones with the power of legend."

Fudo's final moments were filled with defiance to the man he viewed as his greatest friend. He was blinded by a desire for a better tomorrow. Yet, the lingering question of when this all would come crashing down had finally been answered.

"I'll see you in hell one day, my friend."

Life faded, the body to forever be left in the cold and buried in the snow.

Kazuma returned to Sora and Fuen. The time had come. The future started now.

-Main part of town-

Furido walked with Sora, leaving Fuen in charge of the main assault on the castle. He wanted the attention on the castle, that would leave the town vulnerable to attack. That's where Sora came in.

The townspeople had retreated into their homes and businesses some time ago, by order of the Princess after their failed attempt to gain the crystal the other day. It was quiet, as if it was the middle of the night.

"Furido…why am I the lynchpin in this plan?" Sora spoke up. "I mean, everything is riding on me here, right?"

"That is correct, Sora." Furido was getting more excited by the minute. He could finally see something at the end of the tunnel. "You've been our ace in the hole."

"But I don't understand why Fudo say such things."

"Fudo was jealous of your power, Sora. He couldn't stand that someone as young as you could be stronger than him. To him, you can't do the things I know you're capable of. I've never doubted you Sora."

The boy had been fatherless his entire life. Hearing those words for the first time was like an epiphany. The motivation that filled his soul was boundless. There would be nothing he wouldn't do for Furido.

"What about Fūka? Was she jealous too?"

Furdio shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly, no idea. She was blinded by other aspects of a human being. She was a common whore when I found her. She couldn't lead a dehydrated horse to water. She served her purpose."

Sora couldn't help but continue to be curious. "And Fuen?"

Furdio chuckled, shaking his head. "Do not fret over the others, Sora. You have much bigger things to worry about than if people are jealous of you."

Sora smiled. Confidence filled him. At first, he didn't understand why he was treated like he was. Isolated and scorned. Furido opened his eyes to the truth. Jealously made people act out, taking out their own insecurities on those who made them feel inferior.

Sora felt like he had a purpose and someone to guide him. And for the longest time, that's all he really wanted.

"Y'know…I suppose you have a point."

Appearing before them, Naruto and his team of Genin were ready for a showdown.

Furido chuckled. "We finally meet, Naruto Namikaze. Truly, it's an honor to meet someone with your reputation."

Naruto stood ready, keeping himself between the enemy and his students. "I wish I could say the same. I only know your name…Kazuma."

The man halted his persona of 'Furido'. His facial expressions faltered, almost making him a completely different person. "I wish I could say I'm not surprised you figured out who I really am…but, I thought it would've taken you longer to figure it out."

Sora openly stared at the man, completely stunned. "Y-You're name is Kazuma?"

"To the world, that is my name. But I'm not that person anymore. That person died a long time ago." Kazuma was quick to try and remedy this. He needed Sora for this.

"It seems that's not the only thing he's lied to you about, Sora."

The teenager looked at Naruto, easily confused by all this. As impressionable as Sora seemed to be, Naruto had to be careful. Emotions were a catalyst for the Kyūbi. And something as jarring as this could see the beast attempting to break free.

"What…do you mean?"

Naruto needed to be as gentle as he could be. This could volatile quickly. "Sora…you were born in Konoha over twelve years ago. A few days after you were born, a beast known as the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon appeared and attacked the village. In order to save the village, our leader sealed the demon inside a child. That child was you."

Kazuma glared at the man. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. He tightly gripped Sora's shoulder, keeping him close.

Naruto held out his own hand, like he was trying to reason with a wild animal. "The night after the incident, you were kidnapped and we've looking for you ever since."

Sora instantly lost confidence in everything he ever knew. Nothing about his life, his memories, made sense. He just wanted it all to end.

"Sora…everything I've done together has led to this moment. Please don't squander all of my work for some childish nonsense like this."

Sora felt betrayed. Completely and utterly betrayed. He believed in this man and the cause he stood for, despite not fully knowing what it truly was. But that never mattered to Sora. He was just glad to have someone that believed in him and something to believe in.

Why does everyone lie to me?!

Sora took off running, ashamed that he believed in something that was ultimately a lie.

"Sora!"

Naruto turned to his genin. "Follow him! Engage only if you have to!"

The three nodded and swiftly followed the boy. Naruto trusted his team to keep themselves together and alive long enough. He just hoped they wouldn't have to deal with that demon inside.

A pole extended in Kazuma's hand. A pewter staff with crescent moon and six rings adorned the tip.

"You have no idea what you have done."

"And neither have you. You poisoned a young, innocent child's mind. You lied to him for years! Took him from his home!"

Kazuma began laughing wildly. "You Konoha shinobi…you always think you're so much smarter than everyone else, so enlightened. Well, you're not. And I'm going to enjoy robbing Konoha of another Namikaze."

The movement was near instantaneous. Kazuma knew of the man's ability but the raw speed was something he didn't expect. Naruto Namikaze was faster than his father, something not many thought possible.

Perhaps it was a mistake mentioning the man like that.

The soreness on his cheek quickly became a bruise. Kazuma spat out blood and a tooth.

"And I'm going to enjoy ripping your heart out of your chest!"

-With Team Seven-

"Hey! Slow down!"

Konohamaru's attempt of somehow defusing the situation fell on Sora's deaf ears. He didn't want to stop, and he wasn't going to listen to some kid.

"Get lost!" Sora shouted back, running through the deep snow.

Katsuro had reached his limit. This kid was really starting to piss him off. They were here to help him. How could he not realize that?

Taking an angled approach, Katsuro ran up the side of a nearby tree. He reached the peak and leapt from peak to peak, gaining more ground than Sora. Once he was far enough ahead, he dive bombed and tackled Sora.

"Katsuro!" Kai shouted.

The Uchiha had the jinchūriki pinned in the cold snow. He wasn't going to let him get away.

"Dude, what the hell?!" Konohamaru was surprised to see his teammate like this. "We were supposed to just follow him! Naruto sensei said not to engage!"

Katsuro struggled against Sora. "I'm not letting this guy get away! He's supposed to be in Konoha!"

Sora, fearing what could happen, fought back as hard as he could. His chakra began to spike, his bandaged hand unraveled. A large beastly claw tore through the bandages and ignited in chakra.

"Jūha Shō!" (Beast Wave Palm)

A slicing wave of wind chakra burst from the demonic-like hand, sending Katsuro flying into a tree.

"Katsuro!" Kai shouted, watching her teammate fall into the snow. He was out cold.

"Shit!" Konohamaru hurried through the seals. "Katon: Haisekishō!"

The young Sarutobi spewed chakra infused gunpowder into the air, coating Sora in ash. He quickly drew a kunai to ignite the ash, but cursed himself because he didn't plan ahead and attach a explosive tag to a kunai.

"Jūha Reppū Shō!" (Beast Wave Gale Palm)

Tearing through the cloud of ash, completely dissipating it with a powerful chakra infused wind, a massive demonic-like claw extended from Sora's hand. Konohamaru had no time to react and was hit head on. The impact was so devastating that he was fired like a rocket, disappearing into a mound of snow.

Then there was one.

"Just leave me alone!" Sora shouted, chakra and power flowing around him like a bonfire. "I never asked for this! I never wanted to be like this!"

Kai cautiously kept her distance. She had no idea what this power Sora held was capable of and she was in no hurry to find out. And with both her teammates were down for the time being, Kai's adrenaline was coursing through her veins unlike ever before.

The air pressure was unreal. Kai's ear drums popped and the air around her was so dense it felt like she couldn't breathe. The hairs were standing on the back of her neck, thoughts and emotions were going haywire. Every part of her body was telling her to run and never look back.

But she couldn't move. Her legs frozen in fear.

Sora's body slowly contorted into a four-point stance, the chakra taking shape around him. The shape took form of a single tailed cloak with fox-like features.

No amount of breathing techniques would quell Kai's fear.

A fear of death. A fear of regret. So many things Kai could be doing yet she was struck in a frozen moment. She could only watch as Sora leapt towards her with that beastly claw. She closed her eyes to not see the end coming.

A sickening rip of flesh echoed in the silence with blood dripping upon the snow. Yet Kai felt no pain. It was comforting that death was painless.

Letting go of her fear, Kai opened her eyes to face her death. She was met with the Sharingan eyes of her teammate.

"…Katsuro…?"

Blood splattered on her face from his cough. Katsuro smiled, knowing that his friend was safe. Then the smile faded into the snow that was stained with his blood.

No…

Kai fell with him, holding him in her lap. Her heart pounded, drowning out the noise. Konohamaru leapt into the fray, somehow fighting off the demonic monster. Though, his brave onslaught didn't last long.

Pounding faster and faster, Kai's face was numb. Her body felt nothing but an unyielding, unfamiliar sensation. There was another sensation shooting the through her body along side her adrenaline. It overpowered her overwhelming shock and it morphed into an unimaginable fury that manifested into a bonfire-like showcase of raw, unrivaled power.

And that bonfire was dosed with gasoline.

The initial shockwave only effected the immediate area. The surrounding trees absorbed most of the blowback. The same burning energy that engulfed Sora was now rising out of Kai.

The realization momentarily snapped Sora out of rage.

Another jinchūriki.

But what he failed to realize in that same moment was that the enemy was showing was the exact same as his own. Yet, there was one distinct difference between Kai's energy and his own.

One was the real deal. And one was a fake.

And neither knew which.

"I'll kill you!"

The second shockwave made the entire island shutter from the power, sending cracks up glaciers and ripples through the waters around the island. The raging conflicts came to sudden halt.

"What was that?!" Katara pulled herself out of the snow she was thrown into. The shockwave shoved her down.

It was only moments before Sakura realized what power caused such a display. She remembered the fear, chaos, and sheer devastation. Her fight or flight instinct kicked in, her body unsure how to handle this.

And seemed Fuen decided on flight. The woman shook her head in terror, turning to run for her life. It seemed she would rather take her chances at sea than with that beast.

Sakura didn't blame her.

But Hanabi wasn't going to let her. The Hyūga heiress appeared in front of her, striking all of Fuen's chakra points with her clan's secret technique. The enemy was left in the snow, struggling.

Hanabi looked towards her master, waiting for approval to do what needed to be done.

Sakura didn't expect this mission to turn like this. Her genin were fresh as they could for something like this. Deep in a foreign land fighting a battle that could lead to ramifications into the rest of world, while trying to rescue a kidnapped comrade that turned out to be the long lost jinchūriki.

She was certainly surprised to see how well her students were taking to the circumstances. A mission truly would never go as planned. But they were handling the adversity well.

Sakura gave the nod of approval. The first kill had to come at some point.

Using her dōjutsu, Hanabi timed her palm strike perfectly, aiming for the space between beats. The severe, sudden blow caused the heart to quiver, ending the cycle completely.

Fuen would be dead in a matter of minutes from cardiac arrest.

Rikū was immersed in the sensation that saturated the air. He couldn't believe that all this was coming from a single point on the other side of the island.

All the stories were true.

Katara moved to stand next to her master. The fear was evident, as was the dread of what was coming. Experiencing something like would definitely leave a lifetime scar. A feeling that she would never forget.

Sakura half smiled, trying to convey some confidence. It was hard to fake when faced with something like this. She had to remain strong for them.

"Let's go."

-With Naruto-

The weapons clashed, grinding against each other. The pronged edges of his father's kunai hooked Kazuma's staff to lock the slimly bastard down.

Weapons continued to clash with sparks that disappeared into the snow. Kazuma was a master with his staff, having trained with it for many years. And it was infuriating that he was being matched and overwhelmed by a man with a simple kunai.

"You hold back, Namikaze." The man spat. "You insult me."

Pushing harder against him, Naruto smiled. "Good."

A strong kick came in from Kazuma's blind spot. It was like the jōnin randomly grew a third leg.

"Fucking Shadow Clones."

Kazuma stopped his movements, feeling the sharp tip of his enemy's kunai against the base of his neck. All it would take Kazuma to be paralyzed was a deep breath.

"And that stupid Thunder God technique."

"The night after the Kyūbi incident. Tell me what happened." The man didn't answer. Naruto pressed the tip in, nearly breaking skin. "I'm not going to ask again."

"…There's much you don't know." Kazuma saw no point in protecting the secret. His goal was the desolation of the Land of Fire and Konoha for a complete rebuild, not to rule the current state. "I never kidnapped him. Sora wasn't born in the village."

"…What are you trying to say?"

"Sora isn't Konoha's jinchūriki…he's mine!"

The shockwave rumbled through the island's core. The nearby glacier cracked through and through, revealing the ocean on the other side. An unrivaled, untamed power coated the air.

A power that Naruto knew all too well.

Kazuma used to distraction to put some distance himself from his enemy. He knew how outclassed he was against this man and wasn't willing to face his death. He was surprised that he survived this long against Naruto Namikaze. Kazuma surmised that Naruto was holding back to either capture him alive or gain information.

It doesn't matter now. I need to get to Sora and escape. Everything falls apart if I let him be captured.

As a last resort, Kazuma was prepared to end himself and Sora in order not to be captured. He'd much rather be dead. It was less painful.

But then, a curious development. Through overwhelming, laminating power, there was another remnant power. It wasn't as strong or ponent, yet it was nearly identical to the monstrous feeling that clouded all of Naruto's senses. He would have missed it if it weren't for his familiarity with the Kyubi's chakra.

And that's how he knew they were the same.

What in the world is going on? Why are there two sources?

Even Kazuma noticed identical powers.

"Well, I'll be damned." The man whispered. "The real one...that's unfortunate."

Kazuma's fate was sealed. Whatever the outcome of this day, he would be dead soon. Either by his own hand or another's. And he planned to take Sora with him. He wouldn't allow his son to be handled by Konoha. Despite what he had let happen already, Konoha was the line he wouldn't cross.

Naruto closed the distance between them and held Kazuma up by the collar of his shirt, lifting him completely off the ground.

"What do you mean by the real one?!"

The near maniac laughter caught Naruto off guard. He didn't know he was holding a dead man.

"We should really get over there. They're bound to start killing each other here shortly."

The power surged again, intensity beginning to match. Whatever the hell was going on, Naruto prayed it wasn't one of his students. He threw Kazuma as far as he could, hoping to buy some time. Then sprinted through the snow towards the source of the terrifying energy.

He moved faster than he had ever before, the fleeting snow becoming a blur in his sight. Leaping bounds from branches, dashing around as he made his way to the source. Naruto tried to not let his imagination run wild for the scene he was about to witness.

Who was the other source of the Kyūbi's power?

It had to be one of the genin. Six possibilities. He quickly ruled out Hanabi. Her father would never allow something like that to happen to a Hyūga, regardless of branch. That was the same for Katsuro. He knew Fugaku and he believed he wouldn't allow one of his clansmen to become a jinchūriki. And the Hokage could be cruel but not enough to use his own grandson as a sacrifice like that. That left three genin.

Kai, Katara, and Riku.

The air grew heavier as Naruto approached the sources. He began hearing beastly screams and the powers clashing. The two powers were battling. Jinchūrikis were fighting.

That was a scary thought.

Naruto's knowledge on jinchūriki's was deeper than most. His mother was the host of the Nine-Tails for most of her life. He was able to learn the type of strength it took to be a jinchūriki firsthand. And the strength it granted was equally terrifying.

To say Kushina Uzumaki was a freak of nature was an understatement. Every single bodily sense was heightened to the max. Her sense of smell dwarfed members of the Inuzuka clan. As a child, Naruto couldn't do anything in the house without his mother hearing it. Her vision was second to none, being able to spot the smallest details that even the Sharingan wouldn't at first glance.

As he approached the source of the two overwhelming forces, Naruto's questions and theories were answered. And thus, creating more.

"Kai..."

The two jinchūriki dashed and clashed into one another, power blowing back with each wave and rage filling each explosion. Trees toppled as snow melted around where stood. The very landscape was changing from this ever-growing power.

His two male students laid helplessly in the snow.

But his mind stayed on the female student.

Kai…you were the child this whole time. How did I not know?

A question that would be asked in due course. Now, he needed to calm them both before the island fell apart. There wasn't a shadow of a doubt in him that these two could take down an entire village with the power that was coursing through them.

Naruto drew the three-pronged kunai and stuck it in the tree; it would be his quick escape.

Golden chains slowly began to glow around Naruto's arms. He patiently waited for the perfect moment to bind them and subdue them.

There!

The chains were fired like cannonballs, connecting with either jinchūriki. The adamantine sealing chains wrapped the raging beasts tightly, not allowing them to move an inch more. Naruto firmly gripped the chains, adding to their strength and mobility. The jinchūriki tried all they could but hardly moved.

These chains were considered one of the strongest chakra metals someone could produce. Known only by members of the Uzumaki clan. And with the Uzumaki clan being all but extinct, Naruto was the sole user of these sealing chains. And he was a master with them.

The chains enveloped Kai, pulsating brightly as they began to suppress and absorb the chakra. The chakra Naruto had used up was immediately replaced. The oddly familiar power gave him the confirmation he needed.

Remember me? I know you do, you fucking monster.

There was a deep, echoing growl. The true beast incarnated, the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. He remembered these chains and this power well. The linage he was never supposed to leave.

Kneel to me, fox.

With a strong command, Naruto began to nullify the Kyūbi's chakra that had taken over the children's bodies. Kai immediately faltered and collapsed. It did not take long for the chakra that had taken control over Kai to disappear. Naruto could feel the beast within still roaring.

His student was unconscious before she touched the ground. Pure exhaustion from the massive influx of power that coursed through her. Naruto wondered how long she would stay unconscious.

And one remained.

Naruto focused on Sora, trying the nullify the chakra that took control over him. At first, he believed he was suppressing the power. Sora stumbled slightly as the power was pulled from his body. Naruto thought his ability was working.

But the power surged, stronger than before. And in a shocking turn, the chains that bound Sora were blown off. The jinchūriki had set himself free.

While surprising, Naruto wasn't shocked that his chains were blown off. The powers of a raging jinchūriki were terrifyingly unpredictable. There was an untapped potential that no one had yet to fully realize, not even his mother was close to taming the power of the Kyūbi.

Naruto was surprised, however, that he couldn't nullify, suppress or even absorb the chakra. Sora was, effectively, completely immune to his ability.

The real one...

Naruto understood now. It made sense. Sora wasn't the actual jinchūriki, Kai was the true container. He felt the fox's presence in her when his chains bound her. He couldn't mistake that feeling, he never forgot it. Sora was something else entirely. He wasn't a true jinchūriki host.

Sora was a pseudo-jinchūriki of some kind, able to use the power of the Tailed Beast.

But with that power came unpredictability.

A manifestation of red chakra bubbled around Sora, forming into a foxlike cloak with three tails. There was heaviness in the air from this power, generating a mildly intense heat that killed the moisture and melted snow where he stood. And now that there weren't two powers fighting each other, it was much easier to tell the difference between the two.

Though Naruto knew now that Sora was the fake and Kai was the real.

But that still didn't answer any questions Naruto was having.

Those answers he wanted would have to wait. Sora was unstable, that power was untamed and volatile beyond comprehension. Naruto hoped he wouldn't advance to a fourth tail. He remembered the story Jiraiya told him about his mother's advancement to the fourth tail and how he and Minato had to stop her. It did not end well for either of them.

The cloak granted Sora an incredible speed boost. Naruto vanished instantly before the monstrous claw of Sora's took off his head. He reappeared back by the kunai he placed.

I need to stop this now. I gotta suppress this chakra somehow.

Hand seals blurred with masterfully execution. Purple flames appeared on the tips of his fingers. This was the perfect technique to suppress a foreign chakra. With the help from Orochimaru, Jiraiya developed this technique for Kushina in case he needed to halt a rampage and Minato was not there to do it.

Naruto tossed two kunai, one directly at Sora's feet and the other towards a safe area. He vanished and reappeared directly where his marked kunai landed, slamming his hand into Sora's stomach and twisting clockwise.

"Gogyō Fūin!" (Five-Pronged Seal)

The point of this technique was to disrupt the current seal that was placed on body that housed a Tailed Beast, cutting off the host from that source of chakra. It was specifically created to handle an out-of-control jinchūriki. Naruto banked on the fact that whatever was giving Sora the Kyūbi's chakra this technique would block it from him and immediately nullify it.

Naruto's assumption was wrong.

There was nothing that happened. In fact, a fourth tail began to manifest itself. A huge surge of darkened power skyrocketed through the clouds and sky. The sheer power Sora displayed devastated the area, forming a small crater where he transformed.

Naruto vanished and dashed around, collecting his unconscious students before being turned to red marks the white snow. He reappeared a good distance away from the crater.

"Naruto!"

Sakura and her team of genin came running towards him. A stroke of luck, or brilliance, Naruto crossed them. Katsuro needed medical attention.

"What happened?!" The medic immediately began working on Katsuro, her hands glowing bright emerald, green over the open wounds around his back. The injuries weren't life threatening but prolonging any kind of treatment would result in permanent damage.

The three genin of Team One assessed the other two genin of Team Thirteen for injuries. Being students of Sakura, a world-class medical ninja, they were given deeper lessons about medical treatment and techniques.

"Sora lost control. Attacked my team. This is the state I found them in." Naruto didn't tell the whole story. Now wasn't the time for something like that.

"Can't your chains subdue him?" Sakura questioned.

"No."

Naruto's lack of explanation and irritated response made Sakura think there was something else going on with this. Her assumption would ultimately be correct, but this wasn't the moment to pry out extra information.

"What's the plan, sensei?" Katara questioned. "How can we stop this?"

"There is no we right now. This kid has a power far beyond anything you three can handle and even comprehend right now. You wouldn't last more than a minute against what he is now." Naruto needed to drive the point home. This wasn't a team situation. "Sakura, get my team up and moving as fast as you can. Then, get the hell out of here."

Sakura took her focus off her medical treatment. If looks could do anything, Sakura could have castrated Naruto for what he was suggesting.

"Don't you fucking dare, Naruto Namikaze!" The medical shinobi shouted angrily. "You are not taking this thing on alone! Not again!"

Sakura hated how Naruto could be in these situations. He was the definitive strongest, yes, but that didn't mean he was unkillable. She worried greatly about him.

"Sakura...I have to. It has to be me." He handed a kunai to Riku. It was marked with the formula for the Hiraishin. "Keep this close. Don't lose it. This is my quick out." The genin nodded, awestruck that he was holding one of the famous kunai of the Yellow Flash.

A monstrous roar echoed over the island, telling all that there was an abomination coming for them. A walking nuclear devastation of power that held no remorse for human life. There would be no life left if the monster was allowed to roam free.

Naruto wasn't going to let that happen.

Time to get to work.

The man vanished from sight, leaving his team in the care of his most trusted friend.

She cursed silently; she hated being pushed to the sideline. Sakura had trained her whole life to be as skilled and strong as she had become. She was considered in a class of her own in medical ninjutsu, even surpassing her master in multiple fields. Yet, when it came to Naruto, she never could never compare. No one really could.

Sakura wrapped bandaged around Katsuro's wounds. She had stabilized the wounds enough so he could be moved to a better suited location. Hopefully, Koyuki did her duties and handled those bandits.

"Let's get moving team. We need to get them to a safe location."

"Sensei, we are far enough away from wherever the enemy is. We are in a safe location." Hanabi spoke up. She knew that it was not wise to move an injured unless it was absolutely necessary. That was in one of the first lessons Sakura taught them about treatments.

"Hanabi, I applaud you for applying what I've taught you. But, in this situation, nowhere is safe."

The shockingly confused faces of her students made her chuckle slightly. They were so green, so unexperienced. Sakura remembered that time in her life. Sometimes she wished she go back. Ignorance was bliss.

"We are about to witness a battle unlike anything you will ever see again in your lifetime."

Sakura gently lifted Katsuro onto her back, making sure not to reopen any of the wounds.

"We need to be ready to evacuate the island if things really turn south on us."

There was no way something like that could happen. A battle could completely change a landscape and somehow sink an entire island? That sounded impossible and completely preposterous. There was no way that something, or someone, could be that powerful.

Right?

Well, the genin of Team One were about to find that there were beings out there that held the power to destroy islands, change entire landscapes with a single blow, and fight countries by themselves existed. They weren't myths or stories only told in the dark. No. Beings like that were very real.

And Naruto Namikaze was one of them.

-Jinchūriki vs. Chain Master-

A long dormant anger laid in the wake of the revelation of Kyūbi's true jinchūriki. The more he considered everything, the heavier the anger settled into Naruto's soul.

The old man knew what he was doing. This was the reason why he pushed so hard for me to take on a genin team. He specifically placed Kai on my team to be her keeper.

Naruto hated being kept in the dark. He had fought and clawed his way towards the top of the shinobi hierarchy in Konoha. And yet, there were still some that contributed much of his success to being the son of the Yellow Flash and Red-Hot Habanero.

Why wouldn't he tell me that Kai was the jinchūriki? Why didn't anyone know?

The further down the hole he traveled, the hotter Naruto's fury burned.

Pervy Sage spent years searching for this kid. I spent years. And for what? For her to be two blocks away the entire fucking time?!

Sarutobi should consider himself lucky that Naruto learned this information during this mission over inside the village walls. The anger and betrayal he was feeling would stop at nothing until answers were given. Even then, Naruto might not trust Sarutobi fully again.

He lied to me. He lied to Pervy Sage. What else has he lied about?

Naruto was too deep in his anger that he jumped straight into a battle with a rampaging jinchūriki without a second thought. It was Sora's unlucky day.

"Rasegan!"

The cloak was certainly much thicker and stronger than Naruto anticipated. He didn't hold much back with that technique. A normal person would not have survived a direct hit.

The pseudo-jinchūriki pulled himself out of the crater, the rubble melting off like paper to a flame. The beast prowled on four-legs, snow evaporating with each step.

Naruto realized his hand was slightly singed with most of his glove burnt off. Unreal. Being that close for only a few seconds destroyed my glove and burned my hand. I'll have to attack from a safer distance.

The chains of his namesake deployed from his back and tunneled through the ground. Chains fired up continuously through the ground and snow. The pseudo-jinchūriki ran like a wild animal, making it extremely difficult to catch him.

C'mon! Just let me catch you!

Realizing that he might only get one shot, Naruto readied his next attack. Another Rasengan instantly formed in his palm. But this version held one of the five chakra elements.

The chains captured the wild beast, holding him down to complete immobilization.

"Fūton: Rasenshuriken!"

A high-pitched screeching caused the jinchūriki to writhe in pain. The thrashing from the pain was so powerful that the chains were having trouble keeping the jinchūriki.

"Now! Take this!"

Naruto threw the screeching shuriken like a gun from a bullet. There was no force on the plant that could stop something so powerful moving that fast. A jinchūriki was the ultimate exception.

The resulting explosion sent powerful winds throughout the island. The technique easily matched the energy output of the two jinchūrikis.

The Raseshuriken was developed years ago by Naruto. The parent jutsu, Rasengan, was considered an incomplete jutsu because there had not been any derived jutsus created from it. Outside of size manipulation, there had been no advancements in its development for an elemental change in form.

Minato Namikaze, the creator of the technique, was unable to add an element. Kakashi Hatake, considered a generational genius, could not add an element. Jiraiya the Gallant, one of the legendary Sannin, failed to add an element. For decades, it was considered impossible.

Yet, Naruto Namikaze has created variations of the Rasengan for all five basic chakra elements.

The explosion housed millions upon millions of microscopic needles that attacked continuously, to a near infinite amount. If the initial explosion didn't kill, the near infinite number of needles most certainly would. And that would be a much more painful death.

But Naruto knew that his was one of his strongest techniques wasn't going to win this battle. Jinchūrikis are just like Uzumakis: extremely hard to kill.

Naruto wasn't surprised to see the jinchūriki still standing. He was surprised by the damage that was done. Two tails were nubs, completely gone. The right arm was missing. And half the cloak was damaged near beyond repair, revealing the boy underneath.

"My god..."

The dark red cloak had burned away many layers of skin, and what skin remained as left covered in Sora's own blood. The corrosive nature of the Biju's humanoid cloak affected both jinchūriki and attacker.

The chakra surged once more, beginning the regeneration. The two tails were regrown, followed by two more. The cloak slowly recaptured Sora's body. The arm that was blown off had been regrown. Naruto was unsure if it was the cloak or the limb itself was back. He would not be surprised if the arm was completely intact.

Dad was right. The Kyūbi's healing abilities are unprecedented. And what unreal durability. Not even the Rasenshuriken could drop him permanently.

Naruto had to remind himself that Sora wasn't the true jinchūriki. Sora did not have the full Kyūbi sealed within him. This was only a fraction of the Kyūbi's power.

That made Naruto shutter in disbelief.

Chakra began gathering near the beast's open mouth. Positive chakra and negative white chakra orbs formed together in an 8:2 ratio ball of condensed power. As the ratio was formed and maintained, the incredible density created a crater from the sudden weight gain. Even though his chains that were still confining the beast were heavier, Naruto had to concentrate harder to keep them together.

"That's...!"

His father told him about what inspired him to create the Rasengan. During his time under Jiraiya as a part of a team, Minato encountered the Four-Tailed and Five-Tailed jinchūriki on the battlefield of the Second Great Ninja War. Seeing the destructive power of a Tailed Beast up close motivated Minato to create a technique to match that power. He wanted to protect Kushina.

Naruto was about to put his father's theory to the test.

At least, that was his first idea. Then he realized this side island, possibly the entire country of the Land of Snow, could be enveloped in the explosion.

The explosion will sink the whole island to the bottom of the damn sea. I need to redirect it. Or transport it.

The safest direction was up. He needed to get a seal as high into the sky as he could. He reached into his pouch for another marked knife. There was none left.

Oh c'mon. How in the hell did dad keep so many in his weapons pouch?

The bomb was nearing completion, turning to a sickly white color. Sora's mouth opened wider than a normal human's should and swallowed the orb whole. The power from the orb expanded his whole body into a large sphere, steam leaking out from the ripped mouth.

"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"

The clone appeared with the hand seal at the ready. Intricate black seals began to appear in the air. This was about to truly test his motion sickness tolerance.

The original Naruto dispelled his chains and vanished from the area. Distance between marks meant nothing in terms of time. One second was staring death down the next he was with Team One near the caste entrance.

Sakura had grown accustomed to Naruto's ability over the years; she could catch the faintest of glimpses of his yellow hair. She realized a long time ago as to why Minato Namikaze earned the name 'Yellow Flash'.

Naruto appeared instantly on top of Riku, tripping over the boy that was carrying Konohamaru.

"Ah!" The genin fell in the snow face first. "Hey! Who tripped me?!"

"Everyone down!"

As the team ducked, a blinding white light shined through the mark on the kunai and into the sky. The air became extremely dense as the bomb passed through the seals created by the clone to marked kunai knife. The bomb shot through and traveled high into the sky.

At pinacol height, the explosion triggered and rang for miles. The devastating power of the Nine-Tails was on full display for all to see. Naruto would not have been surprised if the explosion was seen from the mainland shore at the Northern Port.

The aftermath shockwave hit the group like a strong wind from a powerful storm, pushing back against the genin.

"What was that?!" Katara shouted. She couldn't believe what she had just seen.

"...Bijūdama..."

Sakura's memory clicked. Naruto had told her the story of his father's inspiration for their signature technique. She was in complete amazement that Naruto, and his father, were able to deal with an attack like that.

Sakura wasn't confident that Sasuke would be able to handle it so elegantly.

The memory transfer from a dying clone was always uncomfortable. In terms of this, Naruto has experienced death thousands of times.

"You need to get inside, now!"

Naruto hoisted Kai over his shoulder while pulling Hanabi off the ground. He led the charge into the castle as the beastly roar grew closer and louder.

"Damn it!"

Forming the spiraling sphere instantly in his hand, Naruto's counter to the beast slammed directly into the beast's chest. The beast, however, learned from earlier. All four tails enveloped Naruto, capturing the man with his female still on his shoulder. The intense blowback of the Rasengan was felt by all three.

"Naruto!"

"Kai!"

The trio crashed into the snow, trailing into piles. The red-hot cloak melted the fluffy snow as the beast growled menacingly. Naruto held firm against the attacker, racking his brain for any possible plan to take this thing down once and for all.

At this point, my only option is to beat this thing senseless. I need to do deal enough damage so that his pesky healing factor can't bring him back.

The logical side of his brain was telling him to take the restraints off and unleash hell down upon him. But his morals and conscience told him that the surrounding area would suffer from his onslaught. Even prolonging the battle would cause significant damage to the island.

Naruto needed a quick end to this fight. The quickest way to end the fight was to attack the mind, so says the Yamanaka clan. Once the mind fell, the rest of the body would quickly follow suit.

Sorry, Ino. I know I promised you not to use it, but I don't have much choice.

Chains shot into the bound, traveling effortlessly through the dirt and snow. The beast had learned but was not fast enough to evade capture again. Naruto flawlessly executed the needed hand seals for the secret technique.

"Shintenshin no Jutsu!" (Mind Transfer Jutsu)

The conversion of his consciousness into spiritual energy was near instantaneous. Everything changed around Naruto, from being blinded by the bright, white snow to trying to see through the dark gloom of a cave. The silence reigned supreme in this place. Naruto swore he could faintly hear his own heartbeat.

"...Who's there?"

A faint light blinded Naruto. A small boy, no older than five or six, approached him. It was Sora as a child.

"It's you."

It was interesting to see. Naruto assumed he would have encountered a fully grown version of Sora in his mind, possibly trapped in a web of the Kyūbi's chakra. Seeing that Sora thought of himself still as a child showed Naruto that Sora was probably robbed of having a normal-ish childhood. That this was probably the last time Sora considered himself happy.

"You remember everything?" Naruto knelt to eye level. He knew that helped children feel more comfortable. "Then you remember my name."

"You're not supposed to be in here."

Naruto smirked. "I know that. But you were going to hurt a lot of people. The power that you have...it's taken control over you."

The boy looked ashamed, but it quickly turned to defensive anger. "I just wanted to be left alone. They wouldn't leave me alone."

"I get that. But those were my students. You hurt them."

Sora remembered the encounter in better detail the more he thought about it. "...That girl. She's the same as me, isn't she?"

"Not exactly." Naruto chuckled. "Kai is the real Kyubi's jinchuriki. You're...something else." Naruto wasn't sure what to call him. Clearly, there was not a Tailed Beast sealed in him. However, he was obviously showcasing a large amount of the Kyubi's chakra. "I'm not entire sure what you are."

"...Neither am I." While appearing young, Sora wasn't innocent. He knew what was coming. "You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

The thought had crossed Naruto's mind. It was the best to ensure the safety of everyone. He wasn't entirely sure what he was going to do yet. He wanted some answers first. "Do you know where you got this power, Sora? What do you remember?"

"Why on earth would I tell you anything?" The boy scoffed.

"Because either you tell me willingly or I destroy your mind searching for the answers. You telling me is the only way you have a chance making it out alive." Naruto felt odd saying something so threatening to a child. He had to tell himself this wasn't an actual child.

"...There isn't much to remember. I think there's parts of my life that were taken from me. I remember a temple full of monks. They raised me. I was...happy. Then Furido came along, started saying things about my purpose and what I'm meant to do. He..."

There was a huge spike in energy. Bright seals illuminated the darkness and attached to Sora's body, covering him head to toe. His screams of pain from the extreme burning were muffled with a seal over the mouth, which burned his mouth shut.

"Shit! A mind destruction seal!"

As horrible as he felt for leaving a child behind, Naruto knew there was no stopping this. He could easily see how powerful it was. He needed to escape before his mind was taken down with Sora. He quickly canceled his jutsu and his aura left Sora, instantly returning to his own.

Naruto returned with a deep gasp of air, jumping up from Sakura's arms.

"Naruto?!"

When Sakura realized what technique he was using, she ran out to him. His body went limp and collapsed in the snow. She was cautious because his chains kept Sora bound. "Are you alright?!"

The pounding in his head was only made worse by her loud voice. "I will be when you stop yelling."

"That was the Yamanaka's clan secret technique. Ino never told me she taught you that." Sakura lowered her voice. She had never seen someone outside of the Yamanaka clan use that jutsu.

"I begged her for months. She made me promise to never use it." Naruto's head pounded continuously. "Now, I understand why."

Ino warned Naruto about the dangers of mind transferring. A technique that turned the mind into spiritual energy that could overtake another human was terrifying. A normal person's mind can't handle the transformation. The Yamanaka clan had decades upon decades to learn the drawbacks and train their minds to overcome them. The mental strength to handle that kind of strain is embedded in the clan's DNA.

Ino made it look so easy.

Looking on, Naruto's capture had succumbed to the destruction seals that were placed on him. Sora was suspended in an upright position because Naruto's were so tightly wrapped. The blood-red cloak had dissolved, leaving burnt flesh behind. At first glance, Sora looked like he had burned to death.

"Did you...destroy his mind?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto needed time to process everything. He didn't know what to tell her. The chains shattered away, dropping the boy's body to the ground.

"What happened to Kazuma?"

That was a question Naruto could answer. "He probably escaped off the island. We'll have to hunt him down, more than likely."

"No, I wouldn't say that."

A large man approached the two. His long, white ponytail trailed just over the snow with the scent of earth, stale alcohol and a watery stench. Exactly like a toad.

"Pervy Sage..." Naruto smiled.

The man knelt next to his godson, the look of disapproval scowling. "So, you find the jinchuriki and you kill him?"

The jonin shook his head. "It's a bit more complicated than that. You and I have a lot to talk about."

The godfather and godson smacked hands together. It had been a long time coming for their reunion. And it is a welcome one.

"It's good to see you, kid."

"You too, master."