In an interesting turn of events, when Kai entered her home, her father was not in his usual spot. The house had been cleaned, and the television was off. Kai swore she still could see the burned outline of the movie her father was watching.

"But sir..."

"No. You are a disgrace to the family name, Tadashi. It's nothing short of a miracle that she turned out so well."

Kai turned the corner into the kitchen to reveal her father sitting at the table with someone she had never seen before. The right side of his face was covered in bandages, leaving only his left eye out. He looked frail and seemed bitter. The girl froze when the stranger turned toward her.

"This is her?"

"Y-Yes sir." Her father stumbled.

Kai couldn't believe how nervous her father was by this man. "Dad?"

Tadashi pulled a chair out for his daughter. "Take a seat, Kai."

The man's lone eye studied her every movement as she took her seat, as if he was learning everything about her from her hand motions. Kai had never seen someone so acutely aware, so observant. It was unnerving. "...What's going on here?"

"Young lady, my name is Danzō Shimura. I am one of the Grand Elders of Konoha...and your grandfather."

Kai felt that revelation should have carried more weight with her. "...Oh?" She looked towards her father, stumped by the man's words. "I thought your parents died when you were young, dad?"

Tadashi fidgeted. "No, Kai. This is your mother's father."

At the mention of her mother, Kai became even more baffled. She hardly knew anything about the woman who gave birth to her. "Hold on a second! You said my mom died giving birth to me. Why have I never met this guy?"

"Because there hasn't been a reason for me to push myself into your life...until today." Danzō stated calmly. "From now on, you'll be under my direct supervision...granddaughter."

"What?! How come?! I don't even know you!" Kai was getting frustrated. She was so physically and mentally drained from the mission. Then adding on that the Hokage wouldn't talk to her until she was rested, the girl was unbelievably exhausted. This ordeal was pushing her over the edge. "What the hell is going on?!"

"Because I know your truth, Kai. You are the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox Demon. I'll be the one to train you to master that power and be the asset you were always meant to be."

Kai stood up in shock, causing the chair to fall back and break. "H-How do you know that?!"

"Because I am the one who holds the key to your seal spell." Danzō was calm as could be as he felt the rise in chakra. The beast was capitalizing on the girl's imbalanced emotions. A scenario he was prepared for, as were the dozens of operatives waiting outside.

Just like what used to happen with Kushina.

"You know about this?!" Kai shouted, clutching her head from a searing pain. "Why am I the only one who doesn't know anything?!"

The chakra spiked, beginning to form into a red cloak. The girl's eyes morphed into that of the demon sealed within her. All her anger and frustration were about to let loose on the man before her.

"Kai! Calm down!" Tadashi shouted, trying to rationalize with his daughter. "There's no need for this!"

As the chakra began to reach its apex, Danzō dashed with unexpected speed and slammed his hand into the belly of the girl with a twisting motion. The energy ceased and Kai collapsed, unconscious before she touched the floor.

"She needs better control over her emotions. That'll be the first step of her training." Danzō used his cane to step over the young girl. "Have her report to the training grounds tomorrow. An operative of mine will be there waiting."

Tadashi held his daughter in his arms. "Training? What about her genin duties? The Hokage made it very clear that her obligations would not be forgotten when this happened."

"You let me deal with Hiruzen. He tried his methods with the last jinchūriki and there were far too many incidents like this. Jinchūriki are prone to emotional outbursts due to the Bijū actively trying to weaken the seal, especially the Nine-Tails. This will be the first of many outbursts."

Danzō remembered how Kushina was forced to remain inside a seal barrier for most of her younger years. It wasn't until Minato became a prominent figure in her life that she was allowed to roam freely inside village walls. Leaving Konoha was out of the question unless Minato was with her.

"This girl is my flesh and blood. I will not allow her to be sidelined when her village needs her because she can't be left alone." The WarHawk, despite his impressive display of mobility, used his cane to limp towards the door. "Dark times are coming, Tadashi. You would do well to prepare yourself."

With the chilling warning, Danzō left the home of his former son-in-law.

-With Naruto-

Dawn rose over the skyline, light shining on the Memorial Stone. The man known as the Chain Master patiently waited for his favorite moment. For a moment during the sunrise, light bounced off the stone so perfectly and beautifully that it made Naruto feel he was staring into the gates of heaven. And within that gate of light were his most precious people.

These were the moments Naruto felt close to them again. He could feel them nearby, almost hear their voices again.

But those moments in the morning quickly vanished with the rising sun.

There was rattle of a snake nearby.

"I had a feeling you might not show."

Hundreds of more snakes slithered from the grass, morphing into the man with the namesake of the reptile. "It's rare that someone calls for me." The Snake Sannin, Orochimaru, emerged. "Especially when it's you that calls for me, Naruto."

The way the Sannin pronounced his name always sent shivers down his spine. Naruto did not want to linger. He flipped the folder up, showing the name. "Tell me what you found out."

"Ah. Sarutobi Sensei finally let the cat out of the bag, eh?"

"I am in no mood, Orochimaru."

The slithering snake chuckled. "Fine, fine. I assume you read it all?" The blank stare spoke for the jonin. "Then you know everything I do. I did not withhold any information."

"The old man said you followed a lead after you...did the autopsy. There's nothing in there about that."

"Ahhh. Yes. That." The Sannin chuckled again. "During the autopsy, I took sample's their blood for testing. In your mother's bloodstream, I noticed an inconsistency with the antibodies. Sometime shortly before her predicted time of death, there was a foreign substance injected into her stream. The antibodies were fighting off this injection briefly before she perished. My theory was that she was poisoned by a vanishing substance."

"My mom was poisoned?!"

Finally, an answer.

"That's my theory." Orochimaru always loved talking shop. "But there's no trail to follow."

"What do you mean? Aren't you the poison expert around here? Surely you must know something."

"Any good poison maker has a signature to their concoction, like a welder or serial killer." Two wildly different comparisons but Naruto understood the point he was making. "But whatever was injected into your mother's bloodstream disintegrated. A bioengineered vanishing poison. There was hardly a trace of anything left. Even Princess Tsunade would have missed this."

"A vanishing poison? Something like that exists?"

"Technically, all poisons vanish from the bloodstream after some time. But it's impossible to completely vanish without some kind of trace of it." Orochimaru licked his lips with his extremely long tongue. "My assumption is that your father was killed by the same substance. And the reason I caught it in your mother was because of her Uzumaki lineage."

Naruto cocked his head, stumped by the Sannin's theory. "Uzumaki's don't have a tolerance to poison."

"No, but the Uzumaki clan are known to be hard to kill...well, what's left of them." Orochimaru couldn't resist the dig at the young man's dead family and slaughtered clan. "Because of your mother's Uzumaki extremely strong lifeforce, her body fought hard against the poison. Her body fought so hard to stay alive that the substance couldn't complete what it was designed to do."

Naruto felt the need to get back on track. "So, then who did it? You said that poison makers leave a signature?"

"Generally, yes. But, with what little remained, I couldn't get a clear sample to test it. Regardless, Sarutobi sensei gave me the free reign to follow what little I had."

"And?"

"...To create a poison that vanishes without a trace...is impossible. Even with my knowledge, I wouldn't be able to create such a substance. I have no idea who would have concocted this formula. Whoever had the know-how to make such this poison probably needed time and money. And, knowing how the underbelly of society works, this person is probably dead or hiding in where no one can find him." Orochimaru seemed slightly disappointed. "It's a shame. I would have liked to meet this person."

"So, you have nothing?"

The Snake Sannin shrugged. "Nothing is subjective in terms of knowledge of the universe. I strive to know all things, to be all knowing. Good or bad, I want to know everything."

To know everything was a hefty goal. Even for someone like Orochimaru, it seemed like an impossible dream. New things were being discovered daily. Naruto didn't see the point to learning things unless it was perinate to him.

"...Thanks, Orochimaru." The jonin reached out to shake his hand. "As unlucrative as I hoped it would be, this does point me in a direction."

The Snake Sannin contemplated returning the gesture. It was not often that someone was appreciative of his efforts or knowledge. He returned the handshake out of respect for Naruto. Orochimaru had known and watched him from afar since he was a child, he understood what it was like to lose both parents.

"I hope it finds you well, Naruto Namikaze. Best of luck in your endeavors."

The man transformed in a flurry of snakes that slithered away. Naruto was sure that he was returning to a hidden base somewhere deep in Konoha. Orochimaru was known for staying out of sight until he was needed.

The jonin wiped his hand free of the slime from the snakeskin.

"The kids should be at the training grounds by now."

-With Katsuro and Konohamaru-

The two genin waited patiently for their sensei to arrive. It wasn't like him to be late. They assumed he was doing something that held a slight importance. Or receiving a punishment for his actions.

"Do you really believe the rumors?"

The boy in question remained silent. It was not sitting well that someone had threatened his grandfather. And it upset the boy even more that the circulating rumors surrounded his own sensei had been the one to threaten him.

"...I don't know."

Katsuro wanted to pressure Konohamaru further. The rumors about what happened were borderline unreal. Threatening the Hokage because he withheld information about the death of his parents? How could something like that be true?

But Katsuro could see how bothered his teammate was. Konohamaru spoke so highly of his grandfather Clearly, the Third Hokage meant a lot to Konohamaru. The young Uchiha knew how proud the young Sarutobi was to be the grandson, it appeared that admiration went beyond simple ego and arrogance. Konohamaru truly loved his grandfather.

Katsuro, himself, hoped the rumors weren't true, despite the many eyewitness accounts. It could, and would, be grounds for termination of shinobi rank and possible excommunication from the village, if the proposition got the necessary votes from the shinobi and civilian councils.

"I hope it isn't true."

"Yeah. Me too."

It wasn't much longer before their sensei appeared.

"Where's Kai? It's not like her to be late."

Konohamaru shrugged, getting used to his instructor's sudden appearances. He shoved his personal feelings aside for now. He wanted to train first, using training as an outlet for his feelings. Maybe afterwards he would speak his mind. "She wasn't at her house either. We went there before coming here and her dad said that she left already."

"It was weird." Katsuro added. "Her dad seemed...skittish, like he was scared."

Tadashi Yuki scared? That was something Naruto needed to see. He was a former ANBU Operative with a resume just as long and decorated as Kakashi's. And he followed a similar path to his old partner.

That gives me a bad feeling. I should go see him. Besides, I bet Kai went to see the Hokage this morning.

"Sensei?" Konohamaru spoke up. "Do you want us to go look for her?"

"Hm? Oh, no. She's going through a lot right now. I'm sure she just needs a day. I'll find her and make sure she's okay." A clone came into existence. "Train with my clone for a bit. I'll be back."

The creator of the clone vanished without another word, leaving the clone in charge of the two students.

"A clone again?" Katsuro grumbled. "Maybe Hanabi was on to something."

"It's still me." The clone jolted. "I'm the exact same as the original. Honestly, do you guys have any idea how the clone jutsu works?"

"But you're a just a clone of Naruto sensei! Not the real deal!" Konohamaru whined. He didn't mind the clone training him, but he wanted some real one-on-one training with the real Naruto. "And the clone jutsu is so weak. You'll explode from just a single hit."

The clone smirked. "You think so? Wanna the difference between the standard clone technique and my clone technique?" The clone moved into a fighting stance. "Come find out then."

The two genin glanced between one another, thinking they were about to have an easy day. A single hit to a clone? All too easy.

-With Kai and the Hokage-

"Let's begin with how the Nine-Tails attacked the village..."

"Lord Hokage...I don't mean to be rude but everyone in the village knows that story inside and out."

The Third Hokage chuckled, packing his pipe with tobacco. "Yes. The story of that fateful day has been told thousands of times, each one just slightly different enough to make it more mythical." A small flame sparked between his fingers to ignite the substance. He took in a puff before speaking. "Let me tell you what really happened."

Kai couldn't fathom that there was another version of this story out there. But coming from the man who fought the beast and sealed it away, she couldn't imagine that day from his point of view. Regardless, she would listen with great interest.

"It was the final match of the Chunin Exams. Your sensei was battling against his longtime rival, Sasuke Uchiha. A glorious bout between friends that would one day become powerhouses for Konoha, a showcase for their abilities to all Konoha. The great beast appeared out of nowhere and began to terrorize the village without hesitation. My shinobi leapt into action like it was rehearsed, taking the fight to the beast."

The hefty tale filled Sarutobi with great sadness. He supplemented the pain with cannabis infused tobacco. "Many shinobi died in the fight, including our gatekeeper for the Nine-Tails. He was a wood style user like the First Hokage. In the situation we were in, Yamato would have certainly ended the conflict with his ability."

"Hold on...there was another Wood style user?!" Kai knew her history well. It was one of her favorite subjects.

"Yes. Yamato was a remarkable shinobi, and a great student. If he hadn't died, then perhaps many things would not have happened the way they did."

"...What do you mean?"

"Yamato's Wood Style would have been utilized to neutralize the Nine-Tails. If the beast was subdued quickly, I could have come up with a better solution than sealing the beast inside of a child. It's been one of my biggest regrets as Hokage."

"...You regret sealing the Nine-Tails in me?"

He took another deep inhale of smoke; this tale always induced a jolt of anxiety. "I never wanted to continue the cycle of jinchūriki. Creating a jinchūriki is a long-time ritual that needs to be retired and forgotten about. No child should ever endure that. For you, Kai, this was a situational casualty. And I'm sorry for that."

There was some solace in that. Knowing that the Hokage did not want this to happen and that it was merely down to chance did give her mild peace. But, within that glimpse of peace, another question was raised.

"...Why did have to be me if it was up to chance?" Kai asked, tears breaking through. "What made me so special?"

Another deep inhale from his pipe to quell the rising anxiety. Briefly, Sarutobi contemplated fabricating a tale of pure happenstance that led to her being the jinchūriki. That she was plucked from the Infant's Ward in the hospital at random by an ANBU member.

But that would further complicate things down the line. Danzo had specifically requested that when the time came for Kai to learn the truth, she would be told only the truth. Sarutobi disagreed with Danzon on many subjects, including this one, but he had to respect this wish. Kai was his granddaughter after all. If it were Konohamaru, Sarutobi would feel similar.

"...It was not as random as you may believe. You were born prematurely, there was a low chance of your survival. Your mother died in childbirth, leaving your father distraught. He stayed with you in the NICU for days. Even I could not order him to leave your side. But when the Nine-Tails attacked, it was all hands-on deck. Once I realized the only way to save the village was the create another jinchūriki, he rushed back to the hospital and brought you to me."

The Hokage could see the horror filling her eyes. She was learning the truth. Sometimes that was harder to handle than a lie. "D-Dad did this?!"

"The doctors weren't sure you'd survive. Your father had already lost your mother, he couldn't bear to lose you too, Kai. Tadashi thought that having you become the jinchūriki would save you. So, he brought you as the child to be used. And, despite your condition, you survived the sealing and were instantly healed. It was marvelous to witness."

Sarutobi placed a picture of preemie infant, close to the size of a forearm. The black hair perfectly resembled Kai's. She looked unbelievably fragile, like a gust of wind would carry her away. He then set another photo down of the same infant, only much larger.

"This is you before the sealing. And this was the next day. See the difference? You tripled in size over night. It was a miracle."

"A miracle? That's what you're calling this?"

"The point I'm trying to make, Kai, is that this..." The Hokage pointed to the girl's stomach. "...doesn't define who you are. Jinchūriki or not, you are Kai. And that's all that matters. If anyone has a problem with that then they can come speak with me."

The genin realized that the Hokage was correct. It did not matter what she was labeled or how she was viewed, Kai was her own person. And she needed to start looking at herself like that.

Her father made a decision that he hoped would save her from death. Kai, as much as she wanted to, couldn't hold it against him. She could only wonder what would have happened if her father had not offered her as the vessel for the Bijū.

"Take some time to process everything, Kai. I'm here to answer any questions you might have."

As of right now, Kai had only one question. "Can I tell people?"

Hiruzen smiled. "At your discretion."

There was a sudden knock at the door. A clear violation of the 'no exception' label over this meeting. He would have to have a word with his secretary about this.

"In a meeting. Come back later."

"You're speaking to my student. I have the right."

It was slight, ever so slight, but Kai noticed the Hokage become annoyed by who was at the door. The leader leaned back into his chair, pipe firmly between his teeth. "...Enter."

The tension filled the room like rushing cold air as Naruto approached the desk, choosing to stand behind his seated student. She quickly realized that the rumors about their apparent altercation were true.

"Is everything alright, Kai?"

"...Yes, sensei."

The jonin glared at the Hokage. "I don't mean to disrespect you, Lord Hokage, but why was I not included in this conversation?"

"Because it does not involve you, Jonin Namikaze. I am the Hokage, the leader for Konoha, I have the right to speak to any one of my subordinates at a moment's notice without a senior present."

The tension was increasing with each word, causing Kai to feel pushed aside. This wasn't about her sensei's personal feelings or the Hokage's agitation with one of his senior Jonin. This was about Kai learning the truth about her newfound status and burden.

"Kai is a special case. You and I both know I should be involved in these conversations."

"Put aside your inability to let the past go for a moment and realize that there are other things that need to be attended to, Naruto."

"That's why I'm here, sir." He ignored the dig at his parents'. That was something they did not need to get into.

Sarutobi was astonished how openly his top Jonin was willing to argue with him with his student in their presence. Naruto was always willing to speak his mind about something that he did not agree with, but he never spoke out like this. He would wait until they could talk privately.

Apparently, the man had lost some respect for the Hokage. Sarutobi felt the need to teach him a lesson like a disobedient child.

"I apologize for this Kai, but would you please excuse us? I need to speak to your sensei in private."

Obeying the words of her Hokage, the genin headed for the exit. She spared no glance at her sensei, her annoyance growing. This was her moment to learn the truth about her condition, the burden of life. Frankly, she did not want her sensei there. If she wanted him there, she would have asked him to be.

"Head to the training grounds, Konohamaru and Katsuro are training with my clone."

"...Yes, sensei."

Once the two were alone, it was no holds barred.

"Meeting with my student behind my back? C'mon, that's a bit low."

"No. You do not get to speak here." Sarutobi was angry and frustrated. It had been a very long time since the Hokage truly disciplined someone. "This was not your matter. Your student wanted to speak to me alone. What you believe and think is not the reality of the situation. Kai was confused and I was the only person that could clear her mind. You are just searching for answers to an impossible question."

"Searching? You withheld information from me! For what?! You let Orochimaru desecrate my parent's bodies, and he found nothing! You withheld that from me!"

"Because you were child! That was something you could not mentally handle!"

"Who gives you the right to withhold something like that?!"

"This!" The Hokage slammed his Hokage's hat down onto the desk. "I was elected to be the Third Hokage decades before you were born! I have safeguarded this village and its people longer than you've been alive! Do not begin to question me or my methods because you are acting like a spoiled child! Like I've said again and again, if you want the right..." He shoved the hat at Naruto once more. "...take the hat!"

Naruto said nothing. There was nothing more to say on the matter. They both had beaten the horse dead more times than either of them could count. Reasons, purpose, and ideology stopped this transaction.

But who would give in first?

"As punishment, you and your Genin team will be given a confinement of thirty days inside the village and will only be assigned D-Rank missions." The Hokage placed his hat back on his head. "Dismissed, Namikaze. Now."

"You said you would help me so that I would take this hat from you, so you confine me and my team to the village?"

"You've forgotten your place. Your actions far outweigh your quest."

The Jonin glared at the Hokage, knowing that there would be no agreement they could come to. He begrudgingly accepted the punishment and left the office, vanishing from sight before the deadbolt locked in place.

-Hokage Stone Face Mountain-

The Jonin reappeared at the top of the prestigious stone-faced mountain of Konoha. The busts of the three Hokage looked over the village and the Land of Fire. It was such a beautiful view.

The old man said I was confined to the village...not my clone.

A childish loophole but one he would most certainly exploit.

A clone burst into existence, but this was no ordinary clone. This derived version of the Kage Bushin was a much stronger version. This particular shadow clone was able to take multiple hits, some even fatal, and still remain in existence. The clone would not disperse until either the clone or the original commanded it.

Orochimaru said to create a poison like that, it would take a lot of money and time. I have a feeling investigating the feudal lords is a waste of time. Like the snake said, this is the underbelly of society. And when talking about criminals and money, there is only one man that meets both criteria.

The clone gave a two fingered salute and vanished, completely escaping the chakra barrier without being noticed. Even if the barrier team noticed his clone's existence, they would have brushed off the sudden disappearance as the clone's dispel. Besides, any one of the members of the barrier team would like the other way for him because Ino was their boss.

There was no trace. Naruto would be able to freely investigate without restrictions from the village.

The shadow clone reappeared at a hidden cache outside of the village, one of many that were hidden by him and his father and were marked the Flying Raijin seal. The clone loaded up on supplies, weapons, and dawned a cloak to remain as hidden as possible.

Once prepared, the clone began his journey to the Land of Waves. He would be on the hunt for Gato, the well-known shipping magnate and corrupt businessman.

Gato's wealth was vast and deep, deeper than most feudal lords' generational wealth. He was considered the leader of many crime syndicates, due to his influence with many different governments. And because of this influence, Gato had been able to remain a free man, despite his many trials in courts.

Naruto was making an educated guess. If someone knew something, Gato could be it. There were not many people out there that knew the underbelly of society like he did.

After years of hopelessness for solving the mystery of his parents, the flame had been reignited. A vision, a path, had been forged. Naruto would stop at nothing to find the person responsible.

-With Team Thirteen-

"Alright team! Gather around!"

The disgruntled genin stood in front of their sensei, waiting for an explanation. They could tell that something was going on, he wouldn't have stopped training if there wasn't.

"I have some bad news. We've been restrained to the village for thirty days as a punishment, strictly completing D-Rank missions."

"Say what?!" Konohamaru shouted. "Punishment for what?!"

"You can't be serious about this?! What did we do?" Katsuro shouted as well.

Kai said nothing but was still surprised.

"It's nothing you three did. I am the reason for this punishment. My actions towards the Hokage were...inexcusable." The man took in a deep breath, seeing the shocked and hurt faces of his students. This made him realize he needed to be more mindful of his actions. When he screwed up, they were involved as well. He didn't like that, nor did he agree with it. Group punishment was a bitch.

The three genin seemed rather apathetic to as the reason why there was a punishment against him, and them by proxy.

The color drained from Kai's face. The girl immediately assumed that she was mildly responsible for this. If she had just brought her sensei along with her this morning, this punishment could have been avoided. He was upset that he did not get to be there, whether she believed he should have been there or not, and was punished by the Hokage for it. By proxy, the team was punished.

"So, does this mean the rumors are true?" Konohamaru questioned. "About what happened between you and grandpa?"

"...Yes."

There was a moment that gave the confirmation to set in. It was not long before Konohamaru leapt towards his master to attack in retaliation. And, simply enough, Naruto swatted the attempt away.

"Figured that was coming."

Konohamaru recovered quickly and attacked again. The Jonin easily moved around the strikes, letting the boy get his anger out. This was slightly deserved. Konohamaru held his grandfather in such high regard that he could do no wrong.

"How could you threaten my grandpa?! He's the Hokage!"

Naruto caught Konohamaru's swinging leg and redirected the Genin into an open field. "Enough, Konohamaru! You don't know everything!"

"Then tell us, sensei." Katsuro stated. "We have the right to know since we're all being punished for something that we didn't do."

Kai's stomach tightened. Was she ready to tell them? Was she fully comfortable with it herself to tell them?

Naruto had to give his students an answer. For something like this, he couldn't get away with a lame excuse or tell them to 'embrace the suck' like he would have been told. As much as he wanted to keep his personal matters separate from teaching his genin, it was unavoidable for now.

"I'm sure you three know the story about my parents', right? It's practically local folklore now." The genin nodded. "Well, what I've come to learn recently is that they were killed. Poisoned, to be accurate."

The three students were beyond shocked. The Yellow Flash and the Red-Hat Habanero were legends in their own rights. For someone to be able to poison them was something that no one could have guessed.

"And, as it turns out, the Hokage withheld that information from me for the past twenty years."

Naruto had never seen someone so surprised, let alone three at once.

"I let my emotions get the better of me and I lashed out. Trust me, I regret what I did." He really didn't but he would keep that to himself. "Look, I'll be honest with you three. Me and Hokage have not seen eye to eye for a long time. He's been lienant with me on a lot of things for years. This was bound to happen at some point. I'm sorry that this happened while I was your teacher."

"Why haven't you and Lord Hokage been seeing eye to eye?" Kai questioned quickly. She needed to know if it had something to do with her.

Naruto paused for a moment, considering why Kai was the one asking that question. There were so many things going on with her, she did not need the added stress of her teammates possibly judging her. He remembered being told how badly his mother was treated because her status as the jinchuriki was known. He didn't want that for Kai.

"...Personal stuff. It's more ideologly differences than anything else."

"In what ways?"

Damn it, Katsuro.

"...Look, it's a complicated situation." Going into the details would only further confuse the genin. It was already hard enough turning down the position, he didn't need his students questioning his motives. "I can't tell you everything. What I can tell you is that I promise to put aside my differences with the Hokage for the sake of the team. I realize now that my actions affect you three. I won't let that happen again."

Naruto wanted to be better for this team. He needed to be. As against as he was for teaching genin, he has taken a big shine to these three. It was time he passed his knowledge and experience down to the next generation. It's what his father did.

"Now...let's stick together through this and come out better. We'll have lots of time for training now."

The three genin smiled, satisfied. They were excited for the future.

-Unknown Location-

It was dark, mostly due to the blindfold over his eyes. Jiraiya had counted three hundred and seventeen steps, four left turns, two rights, and three doors since regaining consciousness. He was underground, probably somewhere not too far from the fire temple.

The fight ended fast, faster than Jiraiya would have liked. He was quickly outmatched by the four shinobi with that devastating power. He tried to counter with sealing tags, but this followed similarly to what Naruto encountered in the Land of Snow.

Pseudo-jinchruiki. Looks there is something else going on here.

The Sannin hoped that Naruto would come looking for him, eventually. They would go months without contact. The hope was slime but still there. That boy was unpredictable.

The veil was removed, replaced with blinding light. The light was so bright he could not see his attackers, only hear their distorted voices.

"Jiraiya of the Sannin...it is an honor to meet you."

"Yeah?" He said, trying to have his eyes readjust to the bright light. "I'd love to get to know you."

"In due time, Sannin." The voice chuckled. "Tell me, what were you doing at the Fire Temple? There hasn't been a distress call from the monks since the Guardian Twelve incident. What made you stop by?"

"I had an anonymous tip. By the look of that display of power...I assume you must have some hand in what happened to that kid in the Land of Snow. Does the name Sora ring a bell?"

There was notable silence from the group beyond the light. It seemed Jiraiya stumbled upon something that he shouldn't have.

"What's the game plan here? Kill me? I'd say you're welcome to, but we both know there's a hell far worse that would come for you than the one you'd send me to." He still couldn't get his eyes to see passed the spotlight. "Why not just cut to the chase? What's going on here? How are you able to replicate the power of a Tailed Beast into a person without the actual beast?"

The spotlight shattered; the darkness reigned supreme in the hollow room. At first, there was nothing. Then a single pair of eyes shined. Red irises with a pinwheel tome. Unmistakable.

Sharingan.

And it all became a dream. An infinite dream.