Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Summery- A chance meeting, Naruto after being chased by an assailant is left dying as his own heart is damaged beyond repair; a shadowed form looms over him and leaves him with life anew

Disclaimer- Don't own nothing, double negatives don't count neither

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Soft light trickled in through a dirty glass window high in an apartment complex situated in the slums of Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaves aptly named as; while it wasn't particularly hidden it was surrounded by miles upon miles of densely packed forest

The life giving light provided by the sun continued to worm its way through the window, past the wooden board used to hold potted plants, past the duct tape used to sloppily fix the window when it had been broken numerous times from bigoted villagers who held some unnamed grudge against the poor orphan who lived inside the dingy one room apartment

The boy in question moaned slightly and attempted to roll over and avoid the very warm and in his opinion evil sun which seemed driven to enticing his senses into awakening for a another day, the action of rolling over however produced a very interesting effect as the boy toppled out of bed landing face first on the cold cement floor

"Annoying bright bugger" muttered the boy as he yawned and stretched haphazardly throwing the sheets back onto his bed as he did so

Half awake the boy stumbled to his feet cracking his back and neck in an attempt to dislodge the stiffness in his young body that accumulated during the cold night and slowly began to shuffle his feet towards his kitchen, living room, laundry and practically everything else

Opening his fridge he was assaulted by the cool air, deciding quickly the boy fished out several cheap gaudy packages given to him with his monthly allowance that the Hokage had delivered since the orphanage kicked him out into the cold

The packages were processed foods that like vitamin pills contained all the necessary nutrients for a growing body such as his own even if they did taste like soggy cardboard mixed with sand, blanching slightly at the awful taste of mass produced goods the boy moved over to his sink and started running water

The water as it always did came out brown and unfiltered and he let it run for several minutes before filling a glass with an almost mud less water and turning off the sink with a slight look of contempt

Clenching his teeth the boy took a few sips of the un-sanitised water and managing to block the worst of it before spitting out the rest, his teeth would defiantly need brushing after this

Finishing up his food the boy walked out of his apartment unknowing of what fate would pass him

This boys name was Uzumaki Naruto

---

The day started off as always suffering from both verbal and physical abuse as villagers would blatantly go out of their way to trip or push Naruto their physical violence so poorly disguised that even a blind man could see through what they were doing

The worst part was those that didn't simply 'attack' him would whisper to each other behind their hands but loud enough so that he could hear every word talking about him like he was some disease ridden animal

Naruto often wondered usually after some gutsy villager or group decided to beat up on him and leave him broken in a gutter somewhere, he wondered why people hated him and thought of him as some disgusting vermin, he wondered if it was some family member who had betrayed Konoha or done some awful act but then again he never knew who his parents were and no one had even told him of he ever had parents

He once wondered if it was a bloodline that he had but figured the idea was useless as he had yet to develop any unique skill and as far as he knew he didn't even have an elemental affinity as the teachers at the academy didn't even bother to give him a chance to check simply stating that 'It'd be useless to give this test to _something_ like you'

Feeling something watching him Naruto turned around to see the street empty with not a single person there, ignoring the sense of foreboding Naruto turned back and continued on his way

Unseen by the blond of anyone else a shadow slinked along trailing Naruto's every move

---

His time at the academy passed the same as any other meaning Naruto was ignored by the teacher, sneered at then ignored if he asked a question even if it was relevant to the topic before some other student would ask the very same question a minute latter and be praised for his or her lack of forethought much to his chagrin

If he was unable to do something properly he would be singled out and belittled for his 'weakness' while even the top student of the class couldn't complete the task given but was praised for the effort none the less

Seeing the teacher pick on Naruto meant the students in turn started to use him as a scapegoat, if something went wrong it was Naruto's fault, they found a dent in one of the training kunai it was Naruto's fault and for every other little thing that went wrong? Yep you guessed it, Naruto's fault

The teachers cruelty didn't stop there as if he had something that the teacher deemed 'unnecessary' for him to have i.e. source books, scrolls, lunches and the like then it would be 'confiscated' to never be seen again

Each day continued to get worse and worse but there was nothing he could do about it, no one listened to him as they all seemed to prefer the idea that he didn't even exist and if he actually told someone who listened, like the Hokage for example then the teachers and students would deny it saying he was just crying wolf

If he tried to excel at something then the teachers would take note of it and put up additional rules so that he couldn't get any further, he had yet to actually learn any ninjutsu or Genjutsu and only managed to figure things out by copying what other people did and hope for the best and when it came to Taijutsu sparing he would be paired with someone much stronger then him or used as a practice dummy to demonstrate to the class

The only teacher that had yet to be cruel to him was Mizuki but then he would occasionally get a weird look in his eyes and stare at him for long times during joint classes as that was the only time Naruto had him for any classes

As uneducated as he was Naruto knew better then to be in the same room as Mizuki alone no matter how nice he seemed

One of the new forms of abuse the teachers had set up had been written tests, fixed written tests to be precise while the tests were relatively simple, easy even the teachers marking his test would continuously mark him down without giving a single reason and sometime erase or write over correct answers so the end result gave him the result 'Dobe'

While the other children went out to play for lunch Naruto was left to clean the rooms and later admonish him for a sloppy job when they couldn't do better

But eventually another arduous day had finished and Naruto was free to go as he didn't wait to be let off just simply running out before one of the teachers could come up with some imagined slight against him

---

While making his way home Naruto continued to feel uneasy as the sense of being watched had slowly increased over the day disappearing whenever he tried to find the source and he was slowly becoming more and more paranoid jumping at the smallest sounds

Crash

Eyes widening Naruto broke into a run as he heard a crash in the alley adjacent him, he wasn't going to take any chances running wildly with his legs pumping madly and his heart racing Naruto ran full pelt looking over his shoulder and all around him his vision dancing and weaving as he moved through the unpopulated streets

His blood pumped heavily in his ears as his heart continued to beat faster and faster, his breathing became laboured and shaky as fear started to take grip in his mind making his mind race at a hundred miles a second, the constant thought of "I'm about to die, I've got to run' kept playing over and over as he continued to run

He hadn't been looking where he was running so naturally he was unaware that he was moving further away from Konoha as the scenery of houses and buildings changed to bushes and trees, he had other things to worry about then where he was

"I need to get away' thought Naruto continuing to run, his whole body was tired and sore from the day at the academy and he was holding his side in pain as a build up of lactic acid was causing him to develop a stitch in his side

Exhausted He dropped to the ground behind a large oak tree panting and out of breath his lungs and throat burning in pain from the sudden abuse as he gulped down clean fresh air

Crick

The sound of a twig breaking was enough for Naruto freeze up completely as he even stopped breathing in an attempt to remain quiet, his ears strained as he tried to hear anything in the forest he couldn't hear any birds chirping, not any animals moving and there wasn't even a breeze in the air

The silence created from the environment was as unnerving as it was unnatural so much so that the silence was deafening as it rung in his ears making him sweat in anxiety

Crick crack _crusss _crick

Naruto almost let out a gasp as he heard the sounds again and paralysed in fear all he could do was hold his breath as his eyes darted back and forth

Crick crick crick crick

Now shaking Naruto could only wait as the sounds of twigs and leaves grew louder with each step whoever was after him took

Naruto watched as a shadowed man garbed in a black ninja outfit complete with facemask crept right by him not noticing the blond who had managed shift to the side out of the peripheral vision of the ninja

Relieved Naruto let out a breath he was holding as his lungs finally started working as his heart calmed down waiting another minute Naruto turned away from where the man had went and turned to move away

Only to come face to face with the masked man, numbly Naruto looked down at his chest where a kunai protruded cutting cleanly through clothing, skin and bone straight to his heart and out the other side of his chest

"Ugh... hugh... unn" Naruto muttered blood flowing freely out of his mouth as he dropped first to his knees and then on his side, he looked into the eyes of the man who had killed him and was frightened beyond belief

In the mans eyes were not sorrow for killing a child and taking away an innocent life, there was not anger like those that passed him in the streets, no there was boredom almost apathetic as the man was simply waiting for him to finally pass away

Naruto was almost relieved that the man seemed detached as he killed him but he so wanted to live, he had yet to even experience a day of happiness or make a single friend, he hadn't even found a purpose for living his last moments spent fruitlessly gurgling on his own blood darkness descending into his vision as his world was painted black

---

His job done the cloth masked man tapped the radio next to his ear switching the unit on the soft crackling showing that it was working properly

"Himura this is Fox hunter mission accomplished I'm now deploying 'evidence' and making my way to location gamma and begin operation Cloudless skies"

The radio played static for a second before a man supposedly Himura picked up "Copy that Fox hunter and good luck"

Fox hunter almost smiled under his mask before fishing a cloud headband along with several long strands of hair and placing a Kunai into the palm of the rapidly cooling corpse of Naruto, next he opened a small clear vial containing blood and poured it over the kunai and some onto patches of the ground and in the dirt before pocketing the empty vial

'If all goes well we'll rid ourselves of that damned cloud' thought Fox hunter 'and that senile old goat will be the one to help us'

Taking one last look at the corpse of Konoha's newest martyr he gave a brief prayer for the child's soul as he knew it would be impossible for the child to be put to rest any other way the council and villagers would make sure that he never got a proper burial

---

Kakuzu walked along the path through Konoha his presence concealed to even the most powerful of shinobi and his body invisible from displacing air particles with wind element chakra, a ninjutsu he developed so no one could see him when he didn't want to be seen differing from Genjutsu which could be dispelled his would be active as long as he wanted it to

He had recently found himself in a dilemma as to what he was to do with his life, he craved money as he was greedy beyond belief but had no reason for having the money, and there was nothing he needed or wanted and was almost content with his present immortality

Even being part of the organisation Akatsuki was proving little challenge to him, his last great challenge in his over one hundred years of life had been shodai Hokage and now he was beginning to wonder if there was any point left going on

He had surpassed everyone he knew, outliving those he couldn't beat but was slowly believing it was all for nothing, his colleges among the Akatsuki were mere brats compared to him and he wondered what would happen once he finally died, he had no one who would remember him, no one to pass on the techniques he had developed over a century of life and knew that even with everything he had written down into his own book, almost a biography of his life that detailed every technique and approach to how he lived that it was unlikely that whoever eventually took his life would ever read his book choosing to burn it and cast the ash to the seven winds

He knew through experience that he would never have anyone to pass his knowledge to and it was his greed that told him even if it wasn't for his benefit it would be a terrible waste for everything he had learnt to simply... disappear

He was relatively surprised when walking into one of the many clearings surrounding Konoha that he came upon the sight of a boy ten maybe eleven at most lying on his side, a kunai sticking all the way through his body and buried up past the hilt and through the handle to the ring pommel that was so common among Kunai nowadays

letting his invisibility drop Kakuzu calmly walked forward kneeling at the boy's side and looking at him 'Young' he thought, blond locks stained with his own blood and mixed with mud hung tightly to his face with bright blue eyes dead to the world and his skin so pale in was clear to a blind man that he had been dead for a long time

"Che what a waste, can't even use the heart" muttered Kakuzu as he stood back up and turned to move away

Feeling a small tug on his trench coat Kakuzu turned back to the boy and for the first time in so very long his artificial green eyes widened in surprise before returning to their normal size, the boy's hand had snagged the hem of his coat in rigor-mortis and gently tugged at his coat in an attempt to dislodge the article of clothing from the dead child's grip whose grip tightened over the fabric

Sighing in annoyance Kakuzu knelt back down to remove his clothing from the child's grip himself but when his hand reached down to pry the fingers loose the boys others hand gripped his wrist weakly and he found himself face to face with the pleading face of the child who had been so sure was long since dead

"He...lp...me"

Kakuzu was quite shocked at the child's life so much so that he was finding it impossible for himself to respond to the child

"He...lp...me...Pl...ea...se"

The child looked quite pathetic his hair drooping down with blood continuing to flow from both his mouth and nose making a truly disgusting sight which made Kakuzu wonder if how desperately he clung to life if he'd look so similar when at deaths door

The single though made him blink in surprise, this child showed as much will to live as he ever did, maybe just maybe he had found someone to pass his wealth of knowledge to so he could secure immortality even if he himself didn't live forever

"Brat, you wish to live"

"Ye...Yes...I...ca...n't...die...no...no...t...he...re...not...ye...t"

"Then are you prepared to change, to accept a new life without looking back at what once might have been"

"I...yes...YES...I...MUST...LIVE...I...need...to...survive...to find...a...Pur...pose"

Smirking Kakuzu knelt to Naruto's eye level and gripped him by the hair and replied "Then prepare yourself for when you awaken you will have a new purpose, to survive and thrive"

And in a single action Naruto's entire world blossomed into a world of pain once again"

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End chapter

So what do you think, give me reviews as my gluttonous appetite for attention craves you reviews

Preview

_Naruto awoke to the bright sunlight of Konoha hospital, the world slightly out of focus as was common to those who had just woken up_

_Memories assaulted his mind of his death and how he had been saved by that creepy man, lifting his arm to rub sleep out of his eyes he was brought face to face with something he had never expected_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- use chapter 01 as a reference tool... heh he I said tool

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_"Brat, you wish to live"_

_"Ye...Yes...I...ca...n't...die...no...no...t...he...re...not...ye...t"_

_"Then are you prepared to change, to accept a new life without looking back at what once might have been"_

_"I...yes...YES...I...MUST...LIVE...I...need...to...survive...to find...a...Pur...pose"_

_Smirking Kakuzu knelt to Naruto's eye level and gripped him by the hair and replied "Then prepare yourself for when you awaken you will have a new purpose, to survive and thrive"_

_And in a single action Naruto's entire world blossomed into a world of pain once again"_

---

Kakuzu took a sick sense of satisfaction in his handiwork over 'fixing' Naruto's body, maybe that loon Sasori was right when he talked about art and for once in his life he took pride in something that wasn't directly relevant to monetary gain but he had stayed too long in this place already and as they say time is money

But still there was one last thing he needed to do before he left and reached into the deep recesses of his cloak and withdrew his journal biography and placed an advanced compulsion Genjutsu on the book as he was smart enough that wasn't going to take chances with such a matter and slipped a simple folded note into the book as well

Walking away he took one last glance at the child before disappearing from sight safe in the knowledge that he had secured at least some form of immortality.

---

Sandaime peered through his crystal ball catching the tail end of Kakuzu 'fixing' Naruto, he had spent well over an hour trying to find the elusive blond after a trio of ANBU reported back having 'lost' Naruto's whereabouts and had been in a mad search for him since

Calling a contingent of medical ninja to his office He sped off with them in tow pumping chakra through his body to invigorate the old tired muscles that signified his already venerable age

It took only a few minutes to make it to the site of the disaster the medical ninja arriving minutes after panting and out of breath and he frowned slightly, the younger generation seemed to be getting weaker and weaker and found himself almost commenting something like 'back in my days'

"You there" pointing to a random member of the medical profession "Get a room organised in the warded hospital, You" he said pointing to another "get these to the toxicology lab and you two check Naruto's vitals" Sarutobi ordered while picking up the book Kakuzu had left

He didn't recognise the Ninja who had left the book but immediately recognised who the author of the book was as it was the same man who had killed one of his two Sensei's.

'Funny how times change, destroy one life that I valued and save the life of another'

Looking around Sarutobi couldn't help but feel as if he was being watched almost like the feeling when he tried to view himself through his crystal ball that one time.

---

Himura looked at the child who lay in her bed and gently removed his palms from her temples, the child was his own daughter permanently put into a coma and kept alive via a drip, her features pale and gaunt from years of inactivity, she was one of the few he still cared about

thinking on what he saw in the forest outskirts troubled him to no end but he saw potential for use as his ability allowed him to 'experience' the world through another's body and due to his daughters unique ability he could remain ahead of others despite being considered lower then everyone else

"Yes, perhaps things will work out better this way at least the child could be of some use now but, however..."

---

"So how is he" Sarutobi spoke, his aged voice soft, almost sombre as he was suspect to whether Naruto would survive considering how much blood was scattered over the ground and the large number of medical staff who would 'accidentally' mess up something life threatening if it meant some form of revenge petty or not

"That's just the thing Sir, we can't figure out anything wrong with it, err him as there doesn't seem to be anything wrong"

"Hmm what do you mean" Sarutobi stared unblinkingly at the man who sweated slightly at his slip up hoping the Hokage didn't notice the mistake

"The err child is well how do we put it, well his heart and blood type has err changed and it seems his body had ahh kinda been cut apart and been stitched back together"

"WHAT!"

"Gahhh please don't hurt meee" The doctor flinched and closed his eyes expecting to be hit as he whined, the man was an abject coward

"Tell me how exactly this has happened and what we can do about it" the Hokage spoke coldly his voice and demeanour turning icy cold like ice in a blizzard

"We don't know, he was like this when he came in I've never seen something like this before"

"Then explain in detail what has happened... and don't leave anything out"

"His body, its looks like its been ripped apart and then feed through a mincer, everything in him has been turned into these thick wiry veins and arteries and I'm not just talking about things like organs but also bones and muscle has been replaced entirely with these, these, I don't know what they are but there all like veins"

"Like veins and arteries?" Sarutobi glanced looking over his steepled hands hiding his wizened mouth and crooked nose

"Yes their 'like' veins and arteries but thicker, denser more like a cross between rubber and bone, the only thing left semi intact is his skin expect for all the stitching and before you ask the stitching is the same tentacle-like veins as what's inside him"

"So what is left other then the skin?"

"The only other organs left intact other then the skin is the heart supposedly from somewhere else or someone else and the eyes and brain and oh yeah we haven't actually been able to get inside him and we've been relying on the diagnostic techniques to actually any of this out"

"Hmm and whys that"

"We can't cut the veins, even using the chakra scalpel did squat all, at the moment all that's holding his body together is those things acting as stitches which are also stopping us from healing the skin back together and even when we are able to somehow cut the veins they just grow themselves back, even his hair has been replaced with them its just utter madness"

Sarutobi sighed and shook his head and looked back to the doctor "Madness? No, this is Kakuzu"

The doctor looked at him blankly then coughed adjusting his thick framed glasses which had become crooked from the involuntary release of air

"Anyway as I was saying madness or not-"

**Boom**

The door to the hospital crashed open as an out of breath medic-nin rushed in who dropped to one knee in respect for the Hokage cutting anything the doctor was going to say off

"Hokage-sama -pant- -pant- we just -haaa- got the results back from the lab for the kunai and headband and you wouldn't believe it, they came back positive on both accounts and their blood part of our recorded database and it seems our killer was none other then Kumogakure's ultimate weapon, Nii Yugito"

Sarutobi immediately shot up his hands slamming into his hard oak desk palm first and creating deep indents in its surface, he leaned forward his expression dangerously cold uncharacteristic to those who had known him as he was acknowledge that even on the battlefield he was a man who was calm and composed and had never been seen this close to losing his temper

"Are you sure"

His tone brooking no hint of amusement stared with his ice cold steel expression unnerving the medic-nin who still had his eyes downcast in a symbol of respect for the Hokage

"I'm as sure as I can be Hokage-sama we ran the test several times just to be positive"

'So Kumo found out what was inside Naruto, maybe they sent their own demon container in the hope that he would join them with the prospect of being with someone 'like' him and I wouldn't put it him considering how this village has treated the poor child'

"You" Sarutobi spoke looking back at the doctor who nearly tripped over his own feet at being addressed suddenly "How long until Naruto-kun awakens"

"Undetermined, he'll wake up when he feels like it I suppose so anytime from now until eight hours from now" the doctor finished lamely making Sarutobi idly wonder why he paid the medical staff for being near on useless

Without saying a word Sarutobi moved around his desk and out of the room and towards where Naruto was being kept

---

_'It's hot'_

_He thought not entirely conscious of what was happening_

_He looked all around himself in his blurred vision looking from high above the tree line except everything was tinted in a deep red haze_

_'Heat, its everywhere, I'm heating up'_

_His eyes focused looking around himself with crazed eyes, Ninja were congregating around his paw letting off jutsu after jutsu splashing off his fur with little to no effect, lifting his paw he swiped the ground ninja screaming and cursing as they called out in their angered cries as they realised what was going to happen a second before their deaths_

_'The pain, this heat, it hurts, it hurts' his mind called out and he bellowed in rage his long snout dripping acidic saliva from sharp immense fangs making the ground burst into flames when the droplets of mouth juices contacted the earth_

_'My body, its not returning, I'm losing control, its heating up, I'm dying, what's happening to me'_

_He thrashed about madly as he felt a person clamber onto his hide of deep red fur, a large amphibian holding him in place, he scratched and clawed at the great toad incinerating one of it's oversized knives in a roar of super heated air melting both blade and handle in seconds yet the gargantuan creature held firm._

_The man on his back had finished running his hands through seals before slamming his hands onto the small of his back_

_He twists his body just enough to see the man upon his back clothed in a long flowing white robe and wearing a steel mask hidden behind a flimsy 'human' illusion, his vision was fading, blacking out in places as the deep red of his sight dimming at the same time_

_"Damn you Witsuarunemitea, even if I am to be sealed it will not stop me I will destroy, Destroy everything!"_

---

Naruto awoke to the bright sunlight of Konoha hospital, the world slightly out of focus as was common to those who had just woken up

Memories assaulted his mind of his death and how he had been saved by that creepy man, lifting his arm to rub sleep out of his eyes he was brought face to face with something he had never expected his unsettling dream forgotten with more pressing matters

His arm, previously thin and considerably frail compared to others his age and even those younger had thickened bulging with barely restrained strength and what he assumed were muscles, his arm was also covered in thick black stitches nearly a centimetre in width both through the joints in his arms and the half way mark between each joint

Each stitch was wound the entire way around making each macabre suture appear as if his body had been segmented and cut apart before being reattached, the words Kakuzu had spoken to him right before his fall back into unconsciousness hit him like a sledge hammer

_"Then are you prepared to change, to accept a new life without looking back at what once might have been"_

The meaning of the words sinking into his cranium made him realise something and with a surprisingly calm hand Naruto begun to lift his light blue hospital gown the words Kakuzu had spoken replaying over and over as he lifted the flimsy material

Just as his arms were the rest of his body had similarly changed with the same dark reddish black tendril veins that were keeping his body from falling apart and the strangest part of it felt that none of it was really all that weird to him like they were apart of his body

He was also noticing slight differences in his skin as well, while his skin had always been tanned and hardened from the constant punishment he took from anyone who felt that he 'deserved' what he got and was getting what was coming to him but now his skin looked like it had been dried and hardened like tanned leather from an animals hide or what skin looked like when it had been embalmed as his skin no longer felt a part of him

'Makes me kinda wonder what's under my skin' the sky eyed boy thought watching the stiches in his arm and too his amazement and somewhat horror the stiches in his right arm started to unravel themselves exposing what was under his skin

No longer were there muscles and bone but hundreds upon hundreds of these thick dry tendrils squirming like he was controlling them with his subconscious thoughts exactly how he moved his body normally, slightly queasy he willed the stiches to cover up his arm again silently stitching themselves into place

He blanched slightly, it reminded him of throwing up or looking into a public toilet that hadn't been flushed except somewhat cooler, he blinked as he saw someone in the doorway and looked up

Sarutobi chuckled to himself as he saw the surprised look on Naruto's face easily masking his slight repulsion to the changes in his body, truthfully he had been standing in the door way since Naruto first awoke but had concealed his presence to the point where even Jounin would have trouble noticing him even when they accidentally walked into him

He had seen Naruto playing with the veins and saw first hand what lay underneath and guessed that the doctors had been telling the truth with their assumptions on Naruto's altered physiology, he silently frowned as the thought of one of Jiraiya's books on tentacles came back to him and fought down the urge to cough under his breath

"Oji-san" Naruto called his voice warped and echoed like two or more people were speaking slightly out of synch with previously blond haired boy not noticing the change his grin stretching across his face making the stiches along his cheeks make a grotesque parody of his usual smile, the tendrils that used to be his hair swaying slightly like damp hair as they hung closely to his head

"So Naruto-kun how are you"

Naruto looked at the old man oddly for a second before replying "I'm fine some old creepy dude saved me after some other masked guy got me right in the chest"

Sarutobi closed his eyes contemplating his next words and thinking over what Naruto said before opening his eyes, he would have to take this slowly otherwise he may put ideas into his head which would elude him from the truth

"Naruto can you tell me who attacked you"

"Uhh nah He was wearing a mask, and had some weird headband on, it looked kinda like the ones your ninja wear except different"

"Naruto this is very important can you remember what was on the headband" the old man spoke levelly gently grasping Naruto's shoulders and looking him in the eyes

"Yeah it was like a funny circle thing under another circle thing with another circle thing to the left of the first two" Naruto spoke using his hands for emphasis waving them in circles

Sarutobi nodded it sounded exactly like the cloud symbol as it was made up of three ovals, two of them connected to each other but something still didn't add up

"Naruto you said it was a masked man didn't you, are you sure about that" Sarutobi questioned his eyes not leaving Naruto's

"Yeah I'm pretty sure it was a guy unless it was like that girl in the academy, Gouga what's-her-name" muttered Naruto scratching the back of his head and chuckling

Sarutobi blanched slightly at the thought, Gouga came from a family of Sumo's who were predominantly female and even their children had more muscle then most professional weightlifters and what they lacked in ninja techniques they more then made up for in sheer raw power and Taijutsu

'Hmm it wasn't a woman but I can't rule it out as a possibility, Yugito was of a slight build from the information I've had gathered about her but such things could be wrong and there's always the chance she was using Genjutsu to disguise herself and considering the 'evidence' its a likely possibility'

"Thank you Naruto you've been very helpful I'll make sure an extra special meal is delivered to your room, it's the least I can do"

"Heh thanks old man

---

End chapter

If anyone was wondering this isn't going to be just another super powered Naruto fic, I'm going to try my hardest to actually put dialogue in this though considering his unique position he's likely to outclass most others so you won't be having a dead last story

The unnamed doctor was unnamed because I just couldn't think of anything for him, he originally started just as a cardboard cut out of an A standard doctor simply reporting to the Hokage but as I continued to write his lines I started developing small quirks in his personality, I was also watching star gate Atlantis at the time so I started basing his speech and mannerisms of Rodney.

I'm not sure if I'm going to keep him as a character yet as I still haven't given the poor mook a name, maybe just a minor character like the ramen shop owner or the other teams as they were originally designed as minor characters in the manga.

Kakuzu- Kakuzu is a unique character in my opinion and there just really wasn't enough of him, like Sasori and Hidan, Kisamoto the author of Naruto spends far too much time on Sasuke and too be honest I'm kinda getting sick of it, from the start to finish Sasuke has been a spoiled brat with too much spotlight major plot holes that you could fit an entire house through surround Sasuke and the Sharingan.

-Rant-

Its like Kisamoto has forgotten that the title of his work is Naruto not Sasuke, he builds these great characters with absolutely enormous potential for development then kills them off so Sasuke can take the lime light, like Orochimaru killing him off was absolutely useless as it would've been better if Orochimaru had taken over his body and we all know that Itachi is the better of the two.

Just think of it logically, Itachi at age 7 became a gennin while Sasuke became one at age 12 maybe older, Itachi was head of ANBU at age 12 or 13 with a completely mastered Sharingan where he killed off his entire clan while Sasuke ran away from home with the help of 5 supposedly jounin level sound nin's where he got his ass handed to him by the 'dead last' of the year while having to use level 2 curse seal against a single tail of Kyuubi.

Even now I'm getting pissed off with Naruto, as Sasuke being so exhausted after his fight with Deidara was unable to stand was still able to summon Manda even after using level two cursed seal AND use a Sharingan technique to SPACE TIME TRAVEL away and save himself

If we remember rightly before the time skip Naruto even after mastering water walking had to use nearly the first tail of Kyuubi chakra to summon Gamabunta, a summon needing just as much chakra as Manda so it'd be impossible to summon Manda when you're so exhausted that you can't even stand, Sasuke is an utterly useless character that should have been killed off by Haku

-Rant off-

Oh and remember to review otherwise my attention span for writing this story may disappear to the same place Kisamoto's writing talent has gone… And I mean down the wee dark crevices of Sasuke's pole lodged ass.


	3. Chapter 3

If there was a single thing that I could say that you would take to heart would be this, Don't trust anyone, not friends not family not co-workers not even your lover because if there is one thing I have learnt in my entire life is that Trust leads to betrayal, people will betray you without thought or conscience, people will act like your friend to your face but as soon as your back is turned they become like Judas and sell you up the river

This isn't just some emo angst ridden 'woe is me' comment made by some whiny depressed teenager with too much time on their hands and no sense in the real world, this is a fact and you have to be pretty damn paranoid to make sure you don't end up with nothing because no matter how nice someone is to you they 'always' have ulterior motives

-Rant-

Someone commented on if Naruto's changes would be permanent and the answer is yes, I tend to be a firm believer of 'Power at a price' if you want something of great value then you must give up something of equal or greater value

This is true for almost everything in life as there really is no such thing as a 'quick buck' if you want something you have to earn it and Naruto's physical appearance repulsive as it may seem is the price paid for survival, treat it like scar tissue a wound will heal but a mark will be left from where the healing had taken place

It has also been a slight peeve with me that the 'good guys' in Naruto get all this wondrous power without any actual cost to themselves while the 'bad guys' have to screw themselves over just to pick at scraps

Lets take blowing fire out of our mouths for example i.e. Sasuke's fire attacks, if you have ever seen at a circus a man who either eats fire or breathes fire you'll notice something about them if you look hard enough, the thing you're looking for is the fact his lips are like a fishes covered in burns that have healed over and hardened and their always bald, this is because even in training they screw up and usually make themselves irreversibly bald from their scalp, beard and even eyebrows

Also they have almost no tastebuds or sense of smell for the same reason, now I'm not sure if you've noticed but Sasuke has none of these qualities and he's been blowing fire out of his mouth since he was seven and it's been my experience that hair burns rather easily and goes up as quickly as petrol soaked paper

-End rant-

Disclaimer- Objection, me no speak'in any funny lawyer gibberish although I do own a dog named Syndrome, down, Down syndrome.

---

Sarutobi smiled as he left the room his aged eyes glancing over but not noticing the book on Naruto's bedside desk as its subtle yet powerful Genjutsu made him simply no acknowledge its existence as his mind was telling him 'its only a book, its hardly important, its not like its a danger to anyone nor is it interesting'

"Hokage-sama, a word with you in private if I may?" a man equally as old as Sandaime spoke hobbling along on a thick walking stick as both his left leg and arm were quite lame, a testament to the damage Sarutobi was willing to incur to another leaf nin to get to his position as Hokage

"What is this about Danzo-san, if it is about your ANBU unit then I'm not in the mood to hear it" Sandaime spoke in a tired drawn out sigh idly wondering if Naruto was really alright

"No, no I haven't come her for that I just came to pay my respects to our resident Jinchuriki" Danzo spoke in an almost jovial tone but Sarutobi could see the underlying intent in the bandaged man's words

"Is that so, and what of needing to speak with me Danzo-san surely you did not want to garner my permission to simply pay respects to an academy student" his voice was equally jovial to Danzo's own, each held respect for each other but were both engaged in a heated battle, not one of swords and ninja magic but politics and word games and like always neither would let up

"As perceptive as ever Hokage-sama, my speaking to you is more about a council meeting that is taking place today without your permission, I simply thought it best that you were informed so one of your potential shinobi don't get sentenced to death for suddenly having 'more power then his station allowed'"

It was no secret that Sarutobi distrusted the council as most were the greedy and noble who could buy their way into the seat and only a few were proper elected members like clan heads and while being part of the council Danzo had a fond distaste for most of the members as he saw them as a rotting corruption of the great tree

"Thank you Danzo-san, it is good to know that there are still those who look out for Konoha citizens and by the way I heard there was going to be a wonderful festival in Grass country this year, I'm sure your 'nephew' and his close friends would love to go as I heard they were getting time off around that time"

Sarutobi's words made Danzo smile in response, while the Hokage would never openly support Danzo or his 'disbanded' Anbu unit the old man knew that Danzo was still keeping its members active and had just given him a juicy piece of information that would protect the roots of Konoha

---

Naruto sat up and looked around his eyes being drawn to his bedside dresser where lay a book, plain black with a simple binding of thick leather as to protect it from the elements and a strong metal clasp to keep it closed and secure

'Odd, did Oji-san leave the book here, maybe it was one of the nurses or something'

figuring it was someone else's Naruto turned away and idly began playing with one of his stitches unravelling it and picking at it slightly with a dry hardened nail which had dyed a pale white and thickened slightly small hairline cracks along its surface

'I'm bored'

He thought idly playing with a tendril strand that mimicked his hair letting itself be spiked up before drooping and curling as if to convey his boredom

'I want my old hair back'

Thoughts of why he had died flashed through his mind and only one word summed up what he felt

_'Weak'_

The mental voice didn't sound like his own, more like the school children and teachers who constantly put him even though they could never do half what he did as they only put one third the effort he put into any task while receiving little to no help as most of his 'help' came from abuse and thoughtful insight

_'Pathetic'_

He wasn't, he couldn't be, he would never admit weakness even when his hands became bloody and torn from exertion and his muscles ached from rips and tears, he put in three hours of training where others put in one, when other people had families and teachers they could rely on to give them pointers and techniques he was forced to make do with less then adequate supplies and knowledge and if knowledge was power then in comparison most toddlers had more power then him

_'Scum, demon, get out of here, you're worthless, you'll never amount to anything, why do you even bother you're better off dead, maybe the maggots will find use for you but then again I doubt even they would come near something like you'_

He scowled tightening his hands into knuckles a small glint of red entering his eyes and the sound of something cracking entered his ears making him blink away the rage, looking around he noticed his hand gripped around the metal bedpost of the hospital bed, bent at an almost right angle and gingerly released his hold on the frame

He found it slightly disturbing how he had suddenly lost his temper, he had_ 'never'_ lost his temper mainly because he always knew if he did then things would only get worse for him and damn was he bored, he really needed something to take his mind off his crappy life, but what?

His eyes drifted to the book on the dresser again before he looked away, it wasn't right to read it, its not like he owned it and he'd probably get yelled at if he went through the persons things without asking, then he'd probably get yelled at anyway as he normally got accused of things he didn't do

'Man I'm really bored'

It wasn't long before his eyes drifted back across the book barely minutes latter having nothing else to do and nothing interesting in the plain cream coloured room

"Ahh why the fuck not, it's better to live then to let die or some shit"

Having no one to tell him right from wrong made it easier to learn cuss words and knowing it pissed off people who hated him when he said them made him feel a bit better about himself, a guilty pleasure

Picking up the book he looked it over, it was thick and quite heavy with well over five hundred pages with a black leather binding and coarse bindings for its spine, it was heavier then it looked and an experimental knock on its cover revealed that under the leather were solid supposedly metal plates, definitely a book designed for lasting

Flipping the cover over Naruto watched a small folded piece of paper fall out of the book and into his lap picking it up he opened it to read its contents

_To the kid who owes me his life_

'You mean this is that creepy guy's book'

_This book contains all the important facts and knowledge needed to survive as a ninja, it also contains several theories on ninjutsu application as well as both my biography and silent musing's that I have written down in my extremely long life_

_p.s. Don't go round waving this book in peoples faces and try to keep it hidden, especially from ninja's and don't go round showing off your skills needlessly either otherwise you won't survive to regret it._

'So he's giving me this book, so he's kinda my first real sensei. Heh those idiots at the academy won't see this coming and with this book I'll easily out do all those bastards'

Hearing a knock at the door and remembering what the book reminded him Naruto smoothly slipped the book under the lumpy hospital pillow

"Doors unlocked"

Expecting a nurse or doctor Naruto was surprised when a wizened old man with a cane walked through the door, one of his arms was in a sling and a good half of his face was wrapped loosely in bandages with a few small burn marks showing where a bandage had slipped or wasn't dressed properly

Not knowing who the person in front of him was Naruto decided speaking the first thing that popped up into his head seemed the best idea, it after all usually worked in the past and considering his luck with gambling taking random bets based off hunches also seemed a good idea

"Ehh I think you got the wrong room oji-san, the old people's home is at the 'other' end of the hall, you know the that smells of pee pee and has all the geezers talking about back in the day"

The man blinked, then coughed and straightened himself up as best he could while still needing to support himself with his cane

"I'm not lo-"

"-Oh I get it you're looking for a nurse or something to get yourself checked out, yeah that's it I suppose those bandages do look a bit dirty and you're probably out of medication I hear all the kids at school when they talk about their grandparents and stuff that they complain about having ta spoon feed their med's"

Naruto folded his arms and nodded his head enthusiastically thinking he hit the nail on the head with that one

"Ehh that's no why I'm he-"

"Ohh I know you were told that your grand kid was in the hospital and were given the wrong room number don't worry I'm sure your kid is in the other room you should go check on him"

"Child I'm not here to see any of my family, I came here to speak with 'You'"

Finally getting an entire sentence out unobstructed Danzo spoke with unwavering determination pointing directly at Naruto staring unflinchingly with his single good eye

"Huh me what for, if it was the itching powder I placed on the public documents then it was nothing personal and I'm sorry ok"

'So it was the Jinchuriki that caused the anthrax scare a week ago I'll remember to inform the ROOT squad to stand down on that then'

"No don't be silly child I'm not here for some trivial and thoughtless revenge and besides I'm quite pleased with your terrorism antics as they not only keep Konoha's ninja on their toes but also help improve security measures within the village"

Naruto almost collapsed from shock, not once but twice in a single day he had found a person who held some conceited grudge against him but also praised him for what he was doing

"So then why are you here then?"

"Ahh straight to the point I like that in ninja hopefuls, my purpose for this most unexpected visit was to give you a proposal of sorts"

"Proposal"

"I know of your troubles at the academy and some of the reasons for why people hate you, what I am proposing is that I become a sponsor 'of sorts'"

"Of sorts"

"The reason you seem to be getting no where at the academy is not because of lack of effort or natural skill, it is more because you have less then others don't you agree?"

"Well yeah kind'a but if I had that kind'a help from the start then I might not have tried so hard"

"Maybe child but given the right support and your current drive couldn't you advance even quicker then say a rookie of the year Hyuuga Neji"

Naruto opened his eyes wide when Danzo said this, he knew of Neji, almost everyone in the year below Neji had heard of him and how he had scored the highest ever test results for a gennin since some guy named Itachi that there was no records of

"But wait, what do you want in return for helping me I know people don't do things out of the kindness in their hearts for me, no one ever has so what's the catch"

'Perceptive child, people don't give you enough credit where due but I guess that's a given with his unique situation'

"You're partially right child, you know one of the things I hate most about people... their wasteful lifestyle, humans take far too much for granted where others have nothing or even less as given in your situation, most would consider their luxuries as a necessity or needs but what would happen to someone who had managed to get as far the person with the luxuries while having nothing to help him get there suddenly given help so they could advance"

"The answer is simple, the person who had faced hardship would suddenly move at an astonishing pace and could easily rise in power and power is what Konoha needs at this time, unknown to most many of the Shinobi countries are close to war, this should surprise you as it isn't talked openly in front of civilians and even gennin aren't told this"

Danzo sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily before continuing at a more sedate pace

"You Naruto, You are a person who has faced many hardship and with myself backing you I can help you rise in both fame and power and you're right this isn't some selfless act of kindness, I'm old and crippled and need help from others for anything beyond simply walking and I find my own political power waning in favour of younger and more brash council members who have their own heads filled with illusions of their supposed superiority"

"While I cannot publicly oppose any of them I know that they are short minded and greedy in their aims, they corrupt the very roots of Konoha's great tree and the one thing to wash away the degradation of their whimsical goals, Konoha needs powerful figure head, an idol if you will I can help you become powerful as long as you help me remain influential"

Naruto understood the gist of what the old man was saying and it rung bells in his ears listening to him talk, he could tell he wasn't lying as he had become an almost master of noticing such things in a persons talk an mannerisms and the constant reminder of the time he nearly lost his tongue from a kindly lady who had given him a cupcake with a razor in it made him cautious of anyone who 'gave' away free things

"So you want me to become famous so I can become a walking billboard for you is that it"

"Essentially yes but you must remember that you can only get so far on your own but with a personal trainer and a stable financial backing you could end up the head of ANBU in five years"

"I don't know what to say" Naruto muttered lost for words

"You don't have to answer me straight away, rash the decisions are always the cause for injury in a ninja career but if you decide to take my offer ask for Danzo of north district"

Moving over to Naruto Danzo laid a wrapped package on his lap and moved towards the door and then turned

"That package is just a sample of what I can offer you if you take my offer but please, think of it as a get well present..."

Danzo paused mid sentence then looked over towards Naruto's bedside dresser

"A pity none of your classmates or teachers took the time to give you a get well card… oh well I'll be off"

Naruto could only stare as the man walked out the door his entire body having gone numb from shock.

---

End chapter-

Ohh a sorta cliff-hanger, what's in the package I wonder well if you want to know you'll have to wait and see hu hu hu.

Kakuzu's book- I based it off this story of this wizard who bonded a magical sword to himself to become immortal and making it so the sword would never be parted from him, the way in which the sword never left him wasn't something like teleportation or anything fancy but instead it influenced perception and after travelling for a while as time passed magic became scarce and magical items became things that wars were fought over

Lets take for example of how the bonding affected an army, the army wanting to study the magical sword would in most cases confiscate the sword and send the wizard on his way, the wizard let them because he knew his sword would be back to him a day or so and he also held no desire to hack apart an entire army, while the scientist concentrated and remained focused the sword would be there and they would handle it just as anyone would normally handle the sword

But when their concentration lapsed they would simply 'forget' that the sword existed, one of the personal merely tossing it aside where a soldier would pick it up look at it then give it to someone else who would then give it to another person who would end up dropping it into a river where it would float away and then get lodged into the jaw of a bear who would get killed by a hunter who would pick up the sword, and so on and so forth until it made its way back into the wizards possession

The book works on much the same principal as the Genjutsu makes people only acknowledge the book so it can get transported back into Naruto's possession where the person will forget all about it

You may be wondering why the Hokage or any other ninja for that matter wouldn't of picked up on the book's existence, well the answers simple, Ninja are trained to detect threats and dangerous Genjutsu that means to harm them or others, the Genjutsu on the book is the exact opposite and looking for it would be like trying to learn a completely different language, as in not impossible just friggin hard

Danzo- Danzo for being such a minor character is incredibly complex and in many stories is badly characterised as some small minded bigot when in reality he's not, a fanatic yes but a bigot no

His protection and ideal of keeping Konoha safe could be considered an obsession as he in my opinion represents a much more realistic side to the ninja and in many ways is exactly like Sarutobi, both are burdened with the past Danzo's being of physical nature while Sarutobi's are more wounds of the mind each dealt with their hardships differently and ergo turned out differently


	4. Chapter 4

Warning- contains coarse language and violence, most likely adult themes as well and possible drug use and sex, read at own risk

Disclaimer- Can't think of anything remotely witty, help me.

"The Living cannot understand the benefits of death." -Chaeska, Keeper of tresserhorn

---

_Incept- Musing upon his Tendrils and hearts_

_A fascinating concept I came up with that dealt with my own mortality or as of now 'lack there of' was of the nature of the cells in the body itself, Many would believe that when you heal you become as good as new and that things such as age and aging are entirely separate to the replication of cells_

_Entirely false_

_Cells when they divide and replicate become less then what they were previously and while the change is minimal that it is almost possible to detect it is there._

_Regeneration on the other hand differs from replication in that when it divides a cell it causes no lasting damage, not becoming weaker nor changing and becoming stronger._

_To understand this one must first understand how cells get damaged in the first place, one of the many 'how's' of cells becoming damage is simple physical exertion, this is present even as early as a child inside its mothers womb_

_The child would cause micro tears in its muscles, these tears will cause cells to replicate and strengthen the body hardening it to the exertion as a new born's muscles are so weak that it is quite impossible for them to even lift their own head on their shoulders_

_Ninja train and hone their muscles for the same reason, more muscle means more strength, more speed and stamina as well as creating a form of defence based on these muscles as a Taijutsu master's muscles grow to a density that even kunai have trouble breaking the skin_

_I had found such a fact of cell replication and realised the weakness my body would become if I created Tendrils that would break down and become weaker over time then I would eventually lose simply due to time, but if I created tendrils that didn't decay, that didn't become weaker over time then I would have secured immortality_

_My first technique was imperfect and weak in design, I had devised a technique where I transferred my soul and essence into another, this research was thankfully stolen from me by the traitorous former leaf ninja Orochimaru_

_It was good that he had taken my findings as it could of very well lead to my own demise and realising my mistake I had delved even deeper into forbidden Kinjutsu and cell manipulation_

_My second technique was much better but still far too flawed, I had met a clan of, how do I put it 'rather weak ninja' who had little talent beyond their stealth, something most ninja excelled at anyway and could easily be detected by any half competent ninja, knowing of my skill they allowed themselves to be experimented on, A pity they were still failures in my eyes_

_By simply taking nutrients from their body they were able to regenerate cells damaged, but amongst the hundreds of the clan only a few could make any use of this technique as most lost the ability to mold chakra or had an unstable reaction and their cells reproduced without their control creating cancerous growths that quickly killed them weeks after first symptoms_

_I found myself at a dilemma as I had hit a wall my first two types of experiments were failures as they lacked a key ingredient, like a left arm and a right arm they both needed to be present in equal amounts to make a success_

_My research delved further, deeper into uncharted territory, I had come across a most peculiar animal, a sea turtle that's cells didn't decay with each replication but unlike the regeneration I had created which simply cloned the same cell the turtle's replication 'gave birth' to two entirely new cells and gave it a stable ground work to which it could live and grow_

_Splicing the turtle's cells with my tendril kinjutsu proved successful as it allowed both the hearts I held and the majority of my body to function without the burden of cellular decay or need of other organs besides the heart._

---

"Good news Kakuzu" The mysterious 'Leader' of Akatsuki spoke sounding a cross between self satisfied arrogance as well as an almost jovial banter, you could feel his smirk one both of triumph and sadistic humour

Kakuzu frowned noticing a new arrival of a man with silvery blond hair and a scowl worse then a grumpy Uchiha

"Seeing as you_ 'exhumed'_ your last partner I decided to take it upon myself to get you another one, one that will last while 'costing' us less"

"Damn don't fucking talk about me like I ain't even in this shit awful room you porcupine headed asshole"

Kakuzu blink blinked in slight surprise, the silver headed man had just bad mouthed the leader and managed to fit more swear words in a single sentence then he thought possible and the man was still standing and hadn't been killed

"My sincerest apologies Hidan, may I introduce to you your partner Kakuzu, Kakuzu this is Hidan"

"Fuck your fucking apologies Leader-teme you sound like a fucking twat and You" the newly dubbed Hidan said before pointing at Kakuzu "Fuck you too you fucking heathen I bet your pathetic shitless god doesn't even let you kill people you piss weak wanker and don't think hiding behind a dress and mask will save you either fag"

The comedic value of Hidan's cussing was quickly wearing off as Kakuzu was steadily getting more and more annoyed his skin changing colour from a slight tanned look to an extremely dark red brown as his eyes flashed a dangerous murderous gleam

For such an incredibly large man Kakuzu moved faster then a swallow in mid-flight being upon Hidan in just under a second an arm raised ready to deliver an earth shattering blow

"Holy shit what are you-" SLAM A very large depression in Hidan's skull became apparent as Kakuzu floored the holy man idly wiping his bloodied fist on his cloak and turning away

"What the fuck did you do that for you green eyed psycho" Stopping mid step Kakuzu turned back around only to see the person he previously thought dead as his brain should be seeping out of his ears right out now along with his vertebrae being lodged somewhere close to his eyes

He seemed right about the damage to the body, small bits of gray matter were indeed dribbling out of a busted eardrum and the holy man was trying to adjust his skull back into place with a series of sickening pops and cracks that were tearing his skull back up through his neck all the while creating a bloody mess all over the ground

"And I just got my fucking hair dyed too you fucking bastard do you know how many people I had to kill before I found a hairdresser willing to style a missing nin"

Kakuzu sighed it appeared to be just one of those days

---

Elsewhere back in Konoha Naruto sat with the package Danzo had given him unwrapped in his lap, it was a plain brown leather carry case reminiscent of the type of bag used by civilian school children to carry books and supplies to each class but why had Danzo given him such a thing

Unbuttoning the metallic clasps along its side Naruto gingerly opened it up wary of its inside contents if any at all, he didn't believe himself to be overcautious in this action as one too many times he'd reached out in trust only to be savagely mauled by betrayal

The first thing he removed was a plain one hundred and twenty eight page notebook, having no label of any sort Naruto opened the book to a random page, his entire body reeled back slightly in surprise at the contents, page after page of academy revision notes all written in perfect handwriting along with side notes and comments, it was everything anyone needed to know to ace 'any' test handed out from jutsu use to the proper method to sharpen a shuriken

He put aside the notebook and reached back inside the bag his hand grasping something cold and hard and removed it from the bag his eyes widening in shock as he realised what it was, a knife a tanto to be precise typically used by Yakuza families whose honour was nearly as important as a Samurai's

Its handle was smooth to the touch and made from some type of redwood, its sheath was made from the same wood as the handle making it look like a simple wooden sword when sheathed, gently drawing it from its holding Naruto was once again marvelled at the elegance

The blade though dull like tarnished silverware was magnificent in that the folded metal of the blade reflected no light but the tarnish waved and swirled along its length clearly showing the multitudes of folds used in its creation strengthening it beyond the typical power of a normal cast forged kunai

'Amazing this, this would have cost a fortune to make but what's this written here'

Inscribed on a corner of the blade next to the handle were the words _'my soul bringith forth the element'_

'Weird'

Was Naruto's thought and without noticing it he cut his finger on its sharp surface, that is until the blade of the knife gouted forth a torrent of water brackish and thin like diluted mud

He continued to watch idly noting that a thin stream of chakra was pouring into the blade from the previously overlooked cut, the cut was quickly healing itself, much quicker then he was used to

'Maybe my changes had something to do with this, or something like that'

Waiting a few seconds before he forced his chakra to stop supplying the knife with energy Naruto watched in satisfaction as the water dissipated into mist before disappearing all together

"Wonder what else is in here" the blue eyed youth muttered his hand reaching back into the bag pulling out a folded piece of paper, a map of town with directions to Danzo's area along with marks indicating 'safe houses'

Along with the map was a small leather bag filled with different coloured lollies and sweets 'no' thought Naruto 'not lollies, there're soldier pills

He recognised the pills seconds after he labelled them as sweets, one of the lectures of one of his previous academy teachers had stuck in his head quite well as it had been one of the few parts of his schooling that he found interesting

The teacher's name was asu-something or other, he couldn't exactly remember what he looked like only that the man was kinda oldish and had a beard, but it wasn't his features that had struck him it was the way he way treated by him

The man had seemed to pity him how he looked at him with sad eyes like he was looking at something no one else had seen

The first thing he had told Naruto after finding him behind the school academy, beaten up but happy as he had given as good as he got against a group of children twice his size, literary, as because of malnutrition his size was even now roughly half that of his peers, he had told Naruto 'that which does not kill you makes you stronger'

He had also mentioned that the weak needed something to give them strength and that it was alright to rely on something to pull through harsh times, he had mentioned thing that some people turned to alcohol or cigarettes to help them get through problems, he had gone on to explain that everything could be attributed to conflict and war

Each problem was like a fight and occasionally a ninja would find themselves in a fight that they couldn't win with strength alone and they would need the extra strength provided from soldier pills, each pill was as diverse as the chemicals used to make them

'Heh I suppose this is Danzo's way of saying I can rely on him or something'

Feeling suddenly tired Naruto flopped back onto his hospital bed closing his eyes and drifting off into slumber

---

End chapter

I based the turtle off a real life type of turtle that could live for hundreds of years, the only way it would die would be for it to be killed by an animal, starvation or it would simply continue to grow so big that its organs couldn't keep it alive and would die of heart failure it literary couldn't die from old age because its cells don't deteoriate

The part about Orochimaru- Researchers steal off other researchers all the time taking credit for things they really didn't do and I wouldn't put it above Orochimaru to take something of someone else nor would I put it past any ninja to do so as in the end anything's fair game

People go on about stealing things with the Sharingan and how its wrong but to be honest I would probably do exactly the same thing, I would copy every little thing from mannerisms to fighting styles and face it who wouldn't cause being noble is all fine and good but being dead cause you didn't think ahead and copy something with a simple blink of your eyes would be worse, this however doesn't absolve my hatred for Sasuke


	5. Chapter 5

Awesome newsflash time- Crispin Freeman, voice for Uchiha Itachi in the dubbed series of Naruto is also the voice for Albel Nox from star ocean till the end of time as well as a shit load other animes like Rude from final fantasy advent children, this announcement has no real point except to gloat about how awesome Albel is.

Disclaimer- ... Look! A three headed monkey

Warning- this story may contain situations which you may find appalling or sickening, if you are uncomfortable with such things or are not old enough to view this site then you have been warned

- Violence is like a square block trying to be fit into a circular hole, it may not be supposed to fit but if one is stubborn enough one will give and fit all the same

---

Book Incerp, elements or lack there of -

Many would wounder why there is a difference between element and form manipulation, in truth there isn't.

That is to say that many of the theories behind element manipulation are quite false, after my success with fukyuu chuushin settouhan no jutsu (Immortal heart theft technique) I had found a disturbing fact that my 'Form' manipulation had been nullified

Naturally this only occurred to me when I was thrown into a most unexpected fight involving a drunken samurai, an odd little girl who could displace herself of others just by sneezing and a rather angry kusa nin who had become enraged when said girl managed to sneeze and cause the ale the samurai had been swilling to teleport away from him and drench the kusa nin, hence the man's abrupt rage

Kusa ninja by and of a whole were a comparably violent lot as because of their typical practise of doping up the academy children with steroids and other drugs to improve training and physical performance, but doing such left most with an extremely short fuse an inability to remain patient or focused

Kusa ninja were surprisingly loyal, not to their lord or Kage but to the physicians who gave them their fix, thus the reason why most of Kusa was run by doctors and medical staff rather then merchants or lords

But back to my story, I found out when the enraged Kusa Nin let of a rain of senbon that I was unable to dodge, mainly because the drunken samurai had taken that very moment to cling to me due to the woes of losing his precious beverage

unable to effectively dodge I had formed the seals for the simple Kawarmi only to find that my tried an true technique failed me in a time of need, knowing that I didn't have much time I used the inebriated swordsman as a human shield to block the bulk of the attack leaving me relatively undamaged, the samurai was less well off

After disposing of the shinobi trash and fruitlessly searching for the wench who had inadvertently started this mess I went and sought out the reason why my form manipulation no longer called to my aid

I delved once again into the candle lit gloom of my research laboratory after hours of trying to use the multitude of form manipulation I had mastered over the years, compared to how I am now I was vastly different when compared to back then as one of the few things people always assumed about me was that I was and always had been an elemental master

In fact most would be unpleasantly surprised when or if they found out that prior to my transformation that I had indeed known not a single element based ninjutsu, as a researcher and scientist I could never believe the backwards theory as to why elements worked or why one element beat another, the whole process reeked too much of the rambling of a religious nut who believed the world to be flat and the sun to revolve around the earth

The very notion of accepting fire as an element when it was simply a reaction due to friction or combustion of unstable molecules or excited atoms never sat well with me, I accepted the theory for monsters and demons simply because of their mystical nature and the possible likelihood of alternant dimensions but I could never comprehend how a source of energy that could be explained scientifically could be used in an uneducated and unscientific manner

Perhaps my ignorance may have been at fault, for if I had taken the time to do a detailed study of 'elemental' chakra then I could have thrown off childish notions of rock, paper, scissor's

Ignoring the fact that most of the elements were merely reactions I began to look instead at how they were used in the form of ninjutsu

Fire was used as an explosive force compacting much energy into a small area before letting it explode usually with the application of kinetic energy such as a billowing gust directed from the lungs, Fire techniques all had these same qualities in common being used like a thick heavy hammer to crush through a barricade

Wind was powerful in that it always used to shape as a sword for deep slicing cuts made in circular movements, much like a scythe or sickle spinning on the blades axis, pre-ninja warfare history had taught me of the most effective use of a hammer was to break apart a sword as a sword needed to be quite thin for it to cut cleanly which in turn lowered its durability, especially against a weapon designed to break things

Lightning was used like a spear in that either for ranged or melee attack the spear could follow only a single line of attack, straight forward, a spear was used by foot soldiers to kill in a single attack piercing through even the strongest armour because all the power was focused in a single movement at one point

But there was also a reason why the Samurai were always feared by foot soldiers and that was because a sword by its very nature was superior to a spear as it was a weapon of wealth and prestige, and a sword made of wind was no exception

And if fire was a hammer and wind was a sword with lightning being a spear then obviously earth was shaped to be used as a shield and armour, very few use earth based techniques due to the time and preparation that needs to go into them and like any good or experienced soldier would have told you, you never want to be at ground zero when an entire parapet collapses

I also found it quite ironic that water of all things could display cruelty, a force needed for all carbon based life forms to survive, Water was like a whip both flowing and unpredictable, it displayed a sense of cruelty in that, like the mist shinobi who embraced the techniques it acted to inflict pain and discomfort rather then a quick death, much like a torturer's whip lashing about

Everywhere I went and everywhere I looked I saw the same techniques being used in the same ways, every new technique was simply a shadow of the last, none of the techniques were different to each other only that some looked different or used more energy

I found that my theory on perception to be correct when I experimented with a water natured attack creating a Genjutsu, the first element based Genjutsu, but my success in finding that elements could be changed and altered beyond the typical rock, paper, scissors did nothing to help me find 'why' I no longer had form manipulation

After month of testing and re-testing I eventually came upon another theory, I had seen a young child playing by himself in a sand pit with a small contraption that the people of Suna were famous for, puppets, I began to wonder about how and why Puppeteers tended not to use anything but puppets and after much thought I came upon a startling realisation

Form manipulation while being more powerful on average when compared to element manipulation had the downside of taking much of the body's concentration and doing two completely different form manipulations were near impossible because of the division of chakra

My fukyuu chuushin settouhan no jutsu was designed using Form manipulation and keeping my body moving was taking all my form concentration even if I myself was not aware of that concentration, but it still did not explain why I was able to use element chakra

The problem lay in the heart, or perhaps the mind as the mind was where form manipulation carried its power while the heart was where elemental chakra was created, you see while elemental chakra could be fooled into thinking it was form it was still inherently one of the five 'elements'

This was not simply because of genetics but also because of ones perceptions, emotions and thoughts, hence mind

While kekai genkai were inherited often the ability to use either or both of the elemental chakra were not, the exception to this rule were the numerous Doujutsu users that were prominent during the Samurai and Miko era

Those who dealt in cruelty or had a repressed cruelty, usually due to cowardice found it easier to manipulate water as their heart was filled with a calm vicious streak

I began to wonder if it wasn't that people who displayed cruelty or had cruel streaks had an affinity for water but those that had an affinity for water had a cruel streak, a sort of circular logic like what came first, the chicken or the egg

My conclusion was not that the element itself that mattered but the form manipulation behind it, in effect my change in body allowed me to change the form of element chakra at will; in effect it supercharged the form within the element overpowering the element

This however was a double edged sword by powering the form of element it weakened the non element form to the point where I was incapable of using it for anything except keeping my body together.

---

A young girl barely eight years in age sat in a deserted alley silently weeping to herself as she hugged her knees close to her chest, upon her forehead carved in a mixture of blood and green ink was half finished tattoo that glowed erratically prompting the young girl to wince every time it flared brighter

Small flecks of red floated about through her left pale pupil less eye as the blood from busted blood vessels mixed with the purity of white

The girl was dressed in the rags of a once formal kimono stained from the dirt and grime of Konoha's sewers and refuse, Her waist length hair formerly described as being like liquid silk was now nothing more then a ragged mess covered in filth and less nameable substances

Sobbing quietly the girl wiped her aching eyes with a grubby hand serving only to irritate them further and smearing more grime over her noble, elegant features

The girl continued to cry not noticing a group of shadows moving outwards towards her position

---

Blinking his open Naruto rubbed his nose as one of his hair tendrils had managed to tickle while he was unconscious waking him prematurely

Finding himself unable to slip back into blissful sleep Naruto instead chose to sit himself up and swung his legs out from under the hospital covers, his artistically stitched feet landing on the cool cream coloured tiles that intersected one another to create a symmetrical square pattern

Standing up he promptly fell flat onto his face unused to how his body was now working and quickly realising that he was a great deal taller than, almost as tall as someone his age should be instead of a runtish midget

'Awesome now I can even tower over six year olds... well once I can figure out how to stand up that is'

Using the bed as a support Naruto flailed his way to his feet and slowly adjusted to the change in his centre of gravity and wobbly made his way to a cupboard

'I need clothes and if I remember rightly its standard procedure to have a standardized unisex uniform on hand in each of the cupboards at a hospital just in case a Konoha shinobi gets injured but needs to be made ready in a hurry, I think it was for diplomacy or something, whatever clothes are clothes'

minutes later a dressed Naruto slinked out of his hospital room an down the hall, along with a standard issue Konoha-nin outfit Naruto had wrapped around his head a hospital sheet as to cover his rather 'unique' characteristics and tucked under one arm was the leather case given to him by Danzo

"Oy you, hold on there"

Freezing like a statue Naruto numbly turned around hoping beyond hope that the man that called him didn't recognise him and start a riot because of an 'even more freakish demon child' the man who had called out to him tapped him on the shoulder to properly get his attention and Naruto contemplated whether or not to simply make a runner

The man, a doctor if his lab coat was any indication was rather non descript like someone had taken a shaded in extra from a movie and gave it an actual role, the man was entirely un-noteworthy in every aspect, so much so that Naruto almost found himself forgetting that the man had got his attention at all

"You dropped your book young man"

"Oh ehh thanks"

"See-ya"

"Uhh bye"

Blinking Naruto looked down at the book then shrugged his shoulders

'Ehh probably just a coincidence'

---

Slipping out of the hospital Naruto winced as the baleful light of the midday sun invaded his overly sensitive eyes shrinking the retina in them to a fine point as they adjusted to the bright life giving glow

Walking down the street Naruto was pleasantly surprised when people gave him a wide berth especially those close enough to see his face under the makeshift hood one even tripping over his own feet as he scrambled away in fear, it felt oddly satisfying to know that people were feeling something other then abject hatred for him

'Ah at least I'm only a block away from my apartment; hopefully no ones trashed it while I was away'

Stopping abruptly Naruto looked up and turned his head blinking twice then turned his head back around

"Strange, I thought I heard a scream... oh well"

He didn't a single step before he heard the unmistakable sound of a child screaming coming from the nearby alleyway and acting without thinking Naruto rushed down the decrepit, dank side street unmindful of the stares he had accumulated for the action

---

"Aren't you going to do something Danzo-sama" a small form barely the height of a mans knee spoke, both himself and Danzo were shrouded in an unnatural darkness

Danzo turned his badly damaged head away from the strangely distorted market place in front of him to lock his single working eye on the completely obscured 'man' at his side and regarding him slightly as if making out something no one else could see

"No, I believe this will be a good experience for the child, after all someone who is to be turned into an idol will need a basis of kindness for which others can look upon in awe"

"You put too much faith into him"

His eye went back to surveying the distorted world colours swirled and danced about in and out of focus as compared to where both figures were the rest of the world appeared insubstantial and hazy at best

"Perhaps, but perhaps Konoha needs someone different to rule over them and every king needs a king maker"

"Hmm then why don't you become the next Kage, I'm sure there's ways you can get yourself into the position even as you are now"

"No those days are long since past and it would be better to gently lead the child to the thrown and let it be a beacon for the people then to simply place a puppet in its place, after all which would motivate you more, kind words from you ruler or a command spoken from a wood object"

"Point taken and what of the other child"

"Useless though he may be of some use once he hits puberty and it's just a matter of time before the public think of him as merely breeding stock"

"I cannot work up the need to care about one from that accursed clan"

"Now now personal feelings aside they did do much good for this village"

The small form grunted unintelligently appearing quite ruffled

"Bah he'll turn out just like his brother"

"And if he does then we'll have ourselves a trump card for future generations and if not well..."

---

Screaming herself hoarse and trying and failing to scramble away from the three disgusting men who had surrounded her the girl gave up curling herself into a ball and began to weep, a horrid knowledge of what was about to happen to her

She shivered and whimpered in fear backing up into the corner of the ally wall as much as she could as she heard the subtle but unmistakable sound of a belt buckle being loosened and undone, her hands scraped against the brick wall grazing her delicate hands mixing both blood and grime into a thick disgusting paste

One of the men unwashed even compared to her unclean form pushed her onto her back and she screamed in choked sobs her clothes being ripped from her body and prepubescent chest groped by the mans large calloused hand his other hand slipping between the Childs kimono and between her legs attempting to force her legs open

She was weak, far weaker then she wanted to be, oh why had this all happened to her, she cursed her family in its entirety it was their fault she had run away and it was their fault she now lay on the filthy wet ground about to be raped by some disgusting homeless men who likely had all number of diseases

But worst of it all was that not six feet was Open Street shinning brightly in the noon day sunlight with people walking through the streets chatting happily and none of them even cared that she was screaming for help, where were all the ninja and ANBU now she wondered

Her thoughts were cut off because of a harsh slap that impacted with her cheek instantly bruising the delicate creamy skin, stars danced in and out of her eyes as her vision swam and droplets of salty water leaked from tear ducts

"What The Hell do you think you're doing?"

The disgusting filth above her had just about ripped off all her clothes when a voice suddenly called out and a sandaled foot impacted with the side of the would-be rapists head not a second after, the man rolled and bowled over one of his friends before slamming back first into the brick wall

Slowly lifting her gaze from the prone and bloodied figure her eyes slowly trailed the foot past the leg and standard ninja top and odd choice of cloth that was wrapped tightly around his face, it almost looked like he had taken a bed sheet so he could play the part of the 'mysterious ninja saviour'

But the most striking part of him was his sparkling blue eyes that danced like lightning dancing over cold steel

---

Naruto dropped his leg after landing the devastating blow leaving his feet shoulder width apart and slowly crossed his arms over his chest trying to look as intimidating as he could while being a good foot and a half smaller then the shortest one, his bed sheet draped over him billowing in an unseen breeze like a prince's cape

A soft moan made Naruto look down at the girl who had nearly been raped and he felt a deep sense of disgust and anger well up in his throat as he looks at the repulsive bruises of a deep purple along her arms, legs, stomach and cheek where the gutter man had held her down and abused the poor girl, the deep bruises a stark contrast to the creamy skin

"OY fucker who da fuck ye think yer are hmm" One of the thugs called drawing a rusty kunai and waving it in front of him even though he was a good six feet away

Ignoring the man Naruto Knelt down Naruto and removed his makeshift mask/cape from around his neck and draped the cheap fabric over the shivering girl electing a whimper as she curled into a ball at the contact which only served to anger Naruto more as he stood back up and turned to regard the three men, one of which was barely making it to his feet as he re-adjusted his jaw

"Oy I'm talking here don't just up and ignore us ya ugly freak" the idiots statement caused the second thug to snigger under his breath

Tugging off his shirt leaving him clad in only hospital pants Naruto held up his right hand and balled it into a fist and then slowly uncurled one of his fingers showing it to the thugs which seemed to silence the scum of society

"Your first mistake was hurting a child young enough to be a daughter of even a gennin and in the middle of a FUCKING ninja village to boot"

Naruto's raised hand clenched tightly before he uncurled a second finger waving his hand about for the assembled dregs to see it clearly

"Number two mistake was while in the middle of a ninja village you stupidly choose the worst place as you're currently in the territory of Konoha's number aspiring Ninja who has pledged to never die and ain't gonna let some worthless mongrels ruin the area around my home"

"And last but not least-" screamed Naruto his voice rising as he took several menacing steps forward, strands of thick neck length tendrils that had replaced his hair waved erratically moving about like snakes upon the head of medusa

"-Is that-" he took another step forward tendrils slithering out from between stitches in his shirtless torso and even out of his mouth giving him a hellish appearance

"You didn't even have the sense to run when ya had tha' chance"

The only uninjured thug growled in anger drawing a kunai from behind his back and lunged sloppily but Naruto was already ready for it and slid to the side his knee rising with enough force to catch the cluster of sensitive nerves between the legs(1)

The man stumbled back cursing and hissing as he clutched at his lower body shakily but he kept himself up and continued to grip his knife, his eyes not leaving Naruto for a second

The fact that the man's face broke into a smirk alerted Naruto that something wasn't right and looking around he barely realised that one of the thugs had disappeared from sight

Turning around Naruto was rewarded with a punch to the face by the thug that had caught his friend that he had previously kicked making him stagger back in a mixture of surprise and pain but was thankful as his tendril hair instinctively curled around the man's wrist both trapping the hand and stopping him from falling on his ass

'That's weird, normally a punch like that would've broken my jaw, not only that but my own attacks are stronger'

Deciding not to dwell on things still didn't understand Naruto took a menacing step forward getting within breathing space of the degradation to the human race his knuckles tightening with a sound akin to a wet rag being rung out as the rubbery mass that now made up his muscles under the hardened epidermis of skin bulged gruesomely

The man's face which was previously set in glee had now set into a look shock and surprise was quickly seeping into an expression of fear as he tried to wrench his hand from the grip of Naruto's hair like mass and it was with his attention diverted that Naruto's clenched fist rose swiftly uppercutting the man in the side of the jaw

The man lifted off the ground from the impact and almost twirled from the force just before he slammed into the adjacent wall with a meaty 'thwack'

Naruto's smirked but his glory was short lived as his world blossomed into pain originating from his left side where the man with the knife had buried it up to the hilt and was trying to pull it free causing Naruto writhe in agony and growl in anger

Back handing the man made him lose the grip on the knife where without blinking Naruto ripped the knife throwing it away into the rubbish as he advanced on the recovering man and kicked his legs out from underneath before flipping him over and then straddling the chest of the larger, abet weaker man and smirked savagely his skin darkening to a deep brown and his eyes flashing a deep red

---

Naruto was only dimly aware of the next few minutes as his judgement had long since clouded over in an angry red haze known to most as psychotic anger but coming down from the emotion induced high several things became relevant

One, his hands, face, legs and practically his entire body seemed to be coated in a cold, sticky, red liquid

Two, he seemed to be sitting in a puddle of similar red liquid

And three was that he could vaguely recall that the puddle he was straddling had been begging for mercy just before he had completely lost his temper, the mere thought of such a degrading creature begging for mercy even now caused his sight to tinge crimson

A rather girlish scream brought him out of his thoughts as his prehensile neck swerveled at an almost 180 degree angle to see the first thug who had recovered was running out of the ally yelling loudly about monsters and how they were coming to get him

Ignoring the fleeing man Naruto gingerly got to his feet nearly falling over as he slipped on the slick wet ground as his side burned in pain from the knife wound, limping his way forward he managed to make it to the cowering girl he had saved and dropped to his knees in relief

"You're safe, good"

'Why, why did I save her, I done something stupid, I risked my life, idiot why should I care about someone else when I nearly die doing it, I've died once today I can't let myself do this kind of thing again'

The girl shied away from him further into the now bloodstained sheet that he had wrapped around her, her mouth moved silently for a few seconds before she managed to find her voice, soft and melodic yet quivering and scared like a small frightened bird with a broken wing knowing that its savour meant her no harm but still struggling to get away

"Tha-thank you Sir um-"

"Naruto, Uzumaki Naruto and what's your name?"

The girl looked up at him, her answer hesitating on the tip of her tongue as her eyes one pale white and pure while the a bloodied red mess that could barely be recognised as the same as the other gazed into Naruto's own

"Hanabi, Hyuuga Hanabi"

---

Danzo looked at the retreating form of the would be rapist in disgust and contempt before clicking his fingers twice

The retreating thug seemed to blur for a second appearing distorted before seeming to fade away before he even had time to realise what was happening, this made Danzo smirk as small white particles drifted where the man once was

---

End chapter

So did anyone see the plot twist suddenly appear

(1) - anybody who's learnt any martial arts with any degree of proficiency will most likely know that kneeing someone in the groin is actually a bad idea as it tends to be well protected and its better to knee someone in the stomach or the cluster of nerves located on the inside of the thigh as its more effective.

Believe it or not this chapter was incredibly hard for me to write.

First off is I tend to like villains more then heroes so the whole rescue thing was pretty hard for me, second was the fact that I've been jobless (again) and looking for work so that take up most of my time and thirdly believe it or not I've been writing a Ranma half fanfic (not yet posted) also the fact that its my first story using a pre-reader is acclaimed to near apocalyptic standards

Naruto and Kakuzu's weakness- yep it tends to be a sticking point with me but most stories have a character with no weaknesses, this isn't simply the Naruto fan fictions but practically every story in every category

If you haven't guessed Naruto is going to be an element master and be incapable of form manipulation except where elements are concerned so no Kage Bunshin, no Henge, no Kawarmi and no rasengan

It kinda came about when I re-read the Naruto versus Kakuzu manga chapter and I was thinking, well the guy would have had to know Kawarmi so why didn't he just use that instead of taking a hit from something he knew would kill him, it would make more sense if by supercharging his element that it cut out form manipulation

I'll probably revise it later so it sound cooler but for now it stays as is

Danzo- the guy was on the same level as Sarutobi so it's a safe bet that he's strong enough to do away with street trash even in his mangled state

Trivia- Plastic explosives i.e. c2, c3 and c4 don't explode due to things like fire or heat but rather because of an electrical charge, giving that Deidra's clay explosives are based and named entirely off weapons of the same name I find it hard to believe that lightning, something that would make the explosives detonate could be used to defuse the same explosives

Ergo Kishamoto is simply glory hounding Sasuke while forgetting all principles of warfare, not that the idiotic man has yet to do anything right in regards to warfare

About Sasuke-

its not that I hate Sasuke per say as he can be an intriguing character when written properly same with all of the characters in Naruto 'but' and this is where I stress my hatred is that Kishimoto doesn't seem to remember that his series isn't based around one character named Sasuke and the way the cannon simply puts a tiny bit of small minded character development before rushing back to another Sasuke moppy scene

That being said I'm not going to be happy until Kishimoto gets slapped and told to wake up.

I had an interesting thought the other day, Orochimaru wanted Itachi's body and Itachi wouldn't say no to an extra bit of power but to get close enough to Itachi to take over his body Orochimaru would have had to give Itachi something of value, something to place trust in him

So wouldn't it be funny if in the final fight Sasuke manages to overpower Itachi in level two curse seal only for Itachi to activate his own curse seal and lay a beat down, just an idle thought of mine

Or that Itachi is really Madara and tobi is really just Itachi's puppet


	6. Chapter 6

Summery- A chance meeting, Naruto after being chased by an assailant is left dying as his own heart is damaged beyond repair; a shadowed form looms over him and leaves him with life anew

Sorry for not updating in what seems like centuries but as life would have it I have a job again, money to buy food, I'm no longer bummed out of my creative writing, getting enough sleep that I'm at least not bleary-eyed when I get up

I also got myself a large order of anime and manga which is like Christmas for me, which has also put me in a tremendously good mood so you have been forewarned that the first person to flame me for this chapter will be tracked down and killed

Other then that alls good

Disclaimer- does anyone actually read this or is it just wasted space like infomercials on the shopping channel

--

Book incept

-Ecology-

In my travels I had seen many wondrous things ranging from the bizarre to the most outrageous but the one classification that had always stumped my scientific genius had been the terminology of the 'demon'

I was always unsure as to how they came about or even if their existence was entirely natural

Few people delved into the past instead choosing to make their own assumptions of the facts given, an example that most would find surprising is the fact that there had been quite a period where humans had not ruled the earth, in fact it took a highly trained scholar to uncover this fact.

Hidden miles below ground were the remains of long dead creatures their fossilised bones the only reminder of their existence

It was troubling to find such a fact locked away so far underground and the implications it had for the civilisation of man

I often wondered how it was that humans came about

Oh there were many 'theories' as to how humans came about, some idolised through fictitious notions like gods or devils and such nonsense, my own theory of evolution which I had believed most possible had crashed upon the earth scattering as I reviewed the added information of the unknown scholar.

Humans would have had to come about sometime during or after the collapse of these colossal beasts that had been unearthed but if that were so then there would have been similar remains of those ancestors

Even written records only go back as far as four hundred years and even then some of their records are farfetched

I had ruled out possible settlement from across the seas as redundant and entirely unlikely

Oddly enough insight came to me from the ramblings of some poor fool who constantly whined and bemoaned about his existence claiming to always be lost, I had almost had enough of him coming close to tearing him apart when he said something that had struck a nerve in my thought process.

Shortly after blaming some man named Saoto-something for all his life's woes he had mentioned that no one believed or listened to him when he had tried to find his way back to his home, some foreign place named Tokyo

Getting the depressive man to talk had been painfully easy as the man had almost no resistance to alcohol and was happy to unload his life's concerns with a complete stranger

He had mentioned that nothing in this land was familiar to him commenting that even the ground didn't feel like Earth, this had struck me as odd as to my knowledge that except for mineral composition all earth was relatively the same

I had asked about this but the man replied that he had not meant the ground but rather the name of the planet, not giving time to ask him to reiterate or explain his statement he brought out a map of the world or to be more precise the map of another world

It was a detailed map but completely foreign to all landmarks and worst of all there was nothing remotely suggesting that the elemental countries even existed on this map

Now it could simply be that whoever drew up this map had no knowledge of the elemental countries but I had found this hard to believe seeing as the man had claimed to never once board a ship of any sort.

It also could have been some cruel joke being played on the poor man but I also found this hard to believe as the man declared in all honesty that he had been to many of these places and no Genjutsu was so all encompassing that allowed you to believe something was real even after it had worn off, pain may still linger afterwards but your mind would still recognise that it had been tampered with

I recalled during the conversation one of things my first teacher had taught me of, the man was a philosopher by nature; he strived to find purpose or reason to everything questioning every act until he had thought of every possible reason for each action

He had told me of a concept of multiple realities, this was not something new as it had been common fact that summoned creatures had to come from somewhere else but it was always conjecture as to 'where' they came from, even the summoned beast were unsure as to their origin in most circumstances

Could this man had come from another world, had our own civilisation sprung up from somewhere else, if it had then where did we come from, how did we get here, why was it that we left in the first place

In the end solving one mystery simply opened up a thousand more.

--

Naruto sighed as he put down the dairy he had been reading over the past week and looked down the length of the table in his kitchen to look at 'his' bed barely a metre away from him in his sparse apartment and barely caught himself from sighing again

"An entire week huh" the formerly blond muttered idly stretching what could pass for muscles at a quick glance, that is if they didn't squirm and writhe and adjusted his clothes again to cover himself and what he considered to be his very unappealing body

He had gotten new clothes the day after he saved Hanabi, loose fitting long-sleeved shirts most lightly coloured as well as several pairs of camo pants, they wouldn't last as they were considered civilian wear as they hadn't been reinforced but unfortunately being extremely poor Naruto couldn't afford the expensive clothes that he would like to have

It didn't help that not only he had two mouth's to feed and clothe but he also had a due rent payment withstanding, the payment was already taken care of but it had left him with little money to spend on actual living and he would have to go without hot water for a week or two

His eyes drifted towards the diary of his mysterious saviour

The man's name happened to be Kakuzu, no last name or titles from what he could gather and there didn't seem to be any public records of the man from what he could tell, it was like he didn't exist.

Granted he didn't have access to most ninja records and anyone below chunin couldn't access the ANBU Bingo book but it still felt odd, was the man so secretive that no one even knew who he was

_'Regardless it doesn't change anything, if I see him again I can get an explanation and if not I'll just figure things out myself, it's not like I've never had to do everything myself before'_

Naruto looked out his window as sun trickled through a half broken and mended window _'suns come up huh, well the little princess is gonna wake up soon so I might as well get something ready'_

One of the first things Naruto had found out hidden in notes of Kakuzu's diary were points and paragraphs of writing that detailed his assumptions and things he had found out about his transformation

The first fact had been an excessive reduced need for sleep and rest as the only thing that still needed down time was his mind and without a weaker physical body which would cause more stress on his brain as a ways to cope he now need approximately half the sleep of a normal person and could survive on two maybe three hours a day and because his body no longer got tired he wouldn't sleep longer then his brain needed.

It was partly creepy and slightly refreshing waking up feeling exactly the same he did going to sleep

His second startling titbit of information came as the fact that he had, due to the transformation had very strict dietary consumption and it seemed Kakuzu had been a survivalist in nature or at least designed the transformation with survival in mind

Naruto almost bemoaned the fact that he could no longer get sustenance from anything except meat and calcium, granted it also meant that he could consume an entire rump streak to regrow a lost arm or to reform the faux skin that now covered his body

It was at this point that he had stopped reading that part of the book an if he was still capable of it he would have probably thrown up when it labelled the uses of different organs when consumed

A shuffling of feet and a yawn drew attention away from his morbid thoughts as turned to stare directly at Hyuuga Hanabi whose normally pristine silk like hair was tussled and sticking up at odd angles from rolling around in his uncomfortable bed

"Mornin'" the pale girl muttered half asleep her eyes bleary and unfocused, the half finished seal on her forehead had mostly healed over now but there would be an unsightly scar there that she would carry with her for her life

The girl was odd as her posture made her look like she should be sitting on a throne or be looking down her nose at everyone and sneering at them but the next minute she would shake or look around herself and generally act like a scared mouse

Her behaviour was even more prominent when it came to a meal as she always looked torn between accepting the food meekly and pompously throwing it in his face and demanding better, her nice side at least for now seemed to be winning hands down as her current state of perpetual fear stopped her from falling onto old habits

She had opened up to him three days after saving her of what had happened, before that were frightened questions and heated accusations of what Naruto planned to do with her

From what Hanabi said her older sister was partly the cause to her current situation as she had taken advantage of her fathers absence during a trip to have a cursed seal branded on her skull as it seemed the Hyuuga council had given the choice to her sister whether to have the seal placed on her own head or Hanabi's

In the end sisterly love gave way to corrupted power as little more then the puppet heiress to a clan, the elders of the Hyuuga had been anticipating this very scenario right from the start

It didn't really matter too much to Naruto either way as he'd just have to make sure he kept her hidden, he wasn't sure why he wanted to do this, maybe it was a way of saving his inner child or something but when he had seen what was happening he had just... snapped, come to think of it had been remarkably similar to when he lost his temper in the hospital.

Well there was no point thinking too much over it now and he wouldn't abandon her now that he had saved her, he'd just make the most of it now and handle problems when they arose

"-Ruto, Naruto hey are you even listening to me you thick headed jerk" Hanabi glared at him her cheeks flushed with anger over her almost anorexic pale face

"Hmm oh sorry what was it you were saying" Naruto apologised sheepishly rubbing the back of his head and ruffling what passed for hair on his head

"I said what are you going to do about this, me, why aren't you handing me over to my family or even the Hokage, you realise you're taking an enormous risk hiding me here so there's got to be a reason why you're doing it"

Naruto shook his head slightly looking away as he leaned back in his chair before letting out a loud snort of amusement

"Feh who cares what's risky and what isn't, your family seem like arseholes and I hate arseholes, The old man is probably planning something with me as I'm pretty sure him and a lot of others have been keeping lots of shit from me and as for a reason anything that could develop into something to piss anyone else off in this village is considered pretty good for me, guilty pleasures and all"

To say Hanabi was shocked would be an understatement, to take such a risk on what? A whim? an idle thought of petty vengeance on people he had never and probably would never meet, the mere thought of the illogical pattern of his actions were appalling, so why couldn't she stop smiling?

"You put your life in danger to save me and for that I'm grateful, I'm indebted to you now more then I can ever hope to repay but I'll try my hardest to make it up to you Uzumaki-san"

"Hey what's with this Uzumaki-san stuff, you'll make me feel like an old man"

'Hanabi is odd but she is still a good person, perhaps a better person then I can become and she seems to accept me even though my body is that of a monster

--

"Did you hear?" one villager whispered almost covering his hand with his mouth as he leaned towards another villager

"Hear what?" the villager replied in slight interest moving his body forward idly wiping the sweat that had condensed above his brow

"Refugee's and immigrants of all things and I hear they're coming from the tea country of all places"

"Ere Tea country, where's that" a construction worker muttered joining the conversation as he noisily scratching the stubble on his chin as small flakes of dead skin fell from his aged face a clear sign that the man rarely bathed

"It's up north from 'ere and I heard they were starting some ninja village there or so's I heard"

"I hear ol Yuna saw a runner from their country go straight through the gates real urgent like so I bets ya anythin' that we'll get more people ere soon enough ya know"

"Probably those damn Kumo dogs again, I heard from Ishta that one of them tried to get some academy student the other week an nearly got 'im too, poor kid don't think I've ever seen 'im around before, practically covered in stitches"

"Damn Kumo doin' that tha' just a kid"

"Pretty weird kid though, real weird hair and the bluest eyes ya ever seen maybe he's a Yamanaka or somethin'"

"Oi you lazy bums get back to work"

"Yes sir"

--

A girl no older then eleven stared down with a slight smile at the crippled form of her father as the man feebly tried to get into a standing position, small puddles of blood leaking from cuts all over body and from his mouth and nose

"You, You bitch, you monster do you know what you've done" Hiashi, the man lying in the pools of his own blood cursed at the girl standing over him

"Oh what's this Oto-san, calling your eldest a monster" Hinata looked at her father her slight smile turning into a cruel sneer as she lashed out with a kick striking her crippled father and sending him sprawling "How utterly hypocritical of you"

Hinata pale blue hair reflected off the moonlight casting an eerie shadow over her face as she languidly turned away from her birth parent in contempt and gently sat back down on the raised cushioned seat at the end of the Hyuuga main meeting hall, the meeting hall as much of the main family housing was built like a traditional palace of the Japanese

It was built with all the flair and functionality in mind and probably cost more then all the money in the all of Konoha but nothing was too good for the royalty of the Hyuuga who themselves were direct descendents of the Lord of fire

"Lady Hyuuga what do you wish done with the former Head of clan" a boy only a year older then Hinata spoke kneeling in front of her with his head bowed and his face strewn into a mixture of contempt, hate and of all things love

"Neji-niisan" Hinata spoke softly leaning forward softly cupping his face with both her hands "Neji-niisan" she spoke again drawing closer and tracing his lip with a manicured nail and tilting his head up "Neji-niisan" a third time she spoke eyes glinting as her finger pressed down hard enough to draw blood and her mouth neared his ear

"I. Want. Him. Dead."

Ignoring the cut on his lip Hyuuga Neji smirked before bowing his head to hide his mirth "And what of the elders, Lady Hyuuga" he inquired not tearing his eyes from the polished floorboards that required a special sap grown only in the coldest parts of the frozen wastelands to the north deep within enemy territory to keep the unearthly gleam of the wood

"Have them disposed of, I don't want their wrinkled carcasses littering my precious home any longer" Hinata waved a slender hand over the room vaguely pointing at the poisoned bodies of the Hyuuga main family still writhing in pain on the ground, their hands still holding poisoned sake cups

"Oh ho ho ho ho, what stupid foolish people they were thinking old fossils could hold me back, oh well they'll have more use as fertiliser"

Hinata cupped her cheek in her hand and relaxed, there was nothing that could control her any longer as the four main houses Eraclea, Dagobert, Bassianus and Hamilton had been completely erased from existence leaving her the only ruling Hyuuga among the hundreds of the branch families and vassals of the main house and because of the cursed brand not a single one of them could attack her without incurring their own death before they even managed to strike her

Except for Neji that is, his seal was oddity, possibly a fault in its making as Neji's father had most assuredly managed to change it ever so slightly so it would not work the way it was supposed to

The cursed seal of the Hyuuga branch was as intricate as the finest machinery produced from Hyogakure as the seal created a three fold layer of loyalty to the main family, or to be more precise given the present circumstances, Her.

The first part of the seal was simple enough causing pain and discomfort to the recipient whenever the person refused an order or attempted to usurp authority of the main family they were bonded to

the second part was much like the first as it allowed a main family member to cause tremendous pain in the central nervous system making the brain cells erode and decompose at an alarming rate, while it was capable of being activated with a single hand seal the effect could be passive as the seal would activate as soon as the branch member acted out any activity it believed to be harmful to a main family

The third part was more subtle as it destroyed or converted memories and thoughts of discontent and malice to the main family into notions of servitude quashing rebellious ideals and hopes and quietly whispering words of submission when they slept

Neji's seal however had none of this Hinata could tell, it emulated the pain but not the lasting effect, he was in effect the freest a Hyuuga could be but had ultimately sold himself to Hinata in return for delivering his father's murderer on a silver platter

She laughed unable to hold back pent up emotions and laughed, eyes watering as she clutched her sides barely keeping herself upright, she heard many of the branch members calling out to her in worried voices asking if she was alright but she ignored them for the moment and continued to laugh.

--

End chapter

Hanabi, Hinata and the Hyuuga's - they are going to play a large part later I'll just keep it a secret what part they will play hu hu hu.

I don't particularly like Hinata, or most of the cannon Kunoichi in Konoha in general as they tend to be depicted as shallow two dimensional card board cut outs, probably the three most characters that fit this roll are Sakura, Hinata and Ino

Sakura is for the simple reason that for practically a hundred and eighty friggin episodes all she does is stand around doing shit all as she had no reason to be a ninja in the first place as she could have chassed after Sasuke as a civilian and I think that's the whole point is that 'if' she hadn't been on a team with Sasuke she would have simply quit or got some desk job

Hinata enrages me especially with thousands of people screaming abuse saying that she is powerful or stronger then what she shows, truth is she isn't, despite having a hard upbringing she still had a relatively pampered lifestyle within the walled confines of the Hyuuga estate

That is not, to say that she isn't just as likely to snap and go Itachi on everyone, anyone is capable of snapping when under stress but the thing is compared to her cousin Neji she is pitifully weak in ninja competency

this can be attributed to a mixture of self loathing an inability to reach out and take grasp of situations where she could have benefited and grew stronger, she had access from a young age to anything from tutors to trainers and an entire clans worth of resources and an entire library of knowledge as well as an effective bloodline to make use of, as you can see in this fan fiction what I don't like I change and what I can't change I get rid of.

Ino is a terribly complex but unexplored character, she has so much potential yet she gets tossed asides for the characters with the flashy bloodlines or cool skills, mind transfer aside there are hundreds if not thousands of ideas that can be worked on when you have the infinite possibilities of the Yamanaka mind techniques

for example Genjutsu tend to disrupt or distort one perception on the world but have to be initiated via one of the fives senses which can be blocked or overcome to dispel the Genjutsu, this however wouldn't work if you pushed the Genjutsu straight into the brain synapses and the end result would be an unstoppable technique having the effect of the Tsukiyomi

Ino is also an outgoing exuberant person, so far we don't know much about her lifestyle, family dynamics even relationships with other clans or even if there are other members of the Yamanaka clan, it'd be a simple matter to write her off as a Sasuke crazy fan girl but that seems like such a waste

About the book incept- well from a logical point of view even ninja would become introspective at times and begin to wonder how they came about and given that science is merely the most accepted view or theory at the time such as Darwinism and so forth

Kakuzu also never caught me as a man who would let sleeping dogs lie and would wish to uncover any truth he could find, as they say knowledge is power and the powerful are the ones to survive

I also left this half open so it would leave people wondering, the fact I've made subtle references to suikoden occasionally has opened me up for the possibility for even more things, and it also allows me to mix and match technology and magic

Looking at the elemental countries from the viewpoint of ecology it is hard to imagine them surviving long, considering there are demons prowling their world which are capable of levelling an entire country if they get ticked off

Given that there are also ninja out there that can do acts of destruction on similar scales then I have to wonder how such a world couldn't have simply exhumed itself through repeated wars and such

my only solution was that either humans or demons, or both had come from other worlds and it kind of makes sense, the demons have been around longer then any records of history if what can be quoted from the cannon is true, also the rise of the ninja haven't been around that long, only when they figured out how to harness chakra

-Rant-

You know re-watching the Naruto series made me realise another thing that Kishimoto overlooked, Sasuke after having Tsukiyomi used on him was in a coma for about two weeks with complete bed rest and absolutely not physical activity

Now unlike in the movies when someone goes into a coma for more then a couple days and they wake up their body is in a really bad condition, someone who had been in a coma for a week is practically unable to even lift their arm let alone walk

They usually have two to three weeks of physical therapy just to get their body back into working order, now as I see it Sasuke was in a coma for at least two weeks, counting the travel time to getting Tsunade and getting her back

So from a realistic view Sasuke would have been in no condition to even knock Sakura's platter of sliced apple away let alone engage in a strenuous activity and fight with Naruto

-End rant-


End file.
