Naruto 1. 00 The Beginning of the End

**Author's Notes**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own any of the Naruto characters that would be appearing in this story. The fanfiction itself is done only for fun and entertainment. This story was created when a good friend of mine asked me to write a fanfiction for Naruto. Hope I did a good job since this is my first time. =)

The concept of the story about the: what if Tobi is Naruto belongs to the following writers: _Emperor Lelouch Lamperouge _of Poisoned Identity and _Mandiz_ of Orange Swirling Mask.

**Ratings: **This story is rated T for a while but it would be subjected to change to M depending on how the story would go in the later chapters.

**Timeline:** This is an AU story and would vaguely follow what is happening in the anime and manga. Since it is an Alternate Universe story, some of the characters would be a bit OOC and I hope I've done well in writing how it happened or why the character ended up that way. The prologue started in shipuuden but the next chapters would go back to the past.

**Story Summary: **Before he became an S-class ninja. Before he joined the Akatsuki. Before he undertook his most dangerous mission. Naruto was just an orphan given a second lease in life. With a bijuu's final gift and the guidance of two sannin's, he will become someone he only dreamed of becoming - one of the strongest shinobi of the elemental nations. Semi-dark Naruto.

**Pairings: **The pairings for the story hasn't been finalized yet but I'm leaning towards Naruto being paired up with either Hinata or Temari. Sadly, I'm not good with Harem so I'll make do with this. If anyone has a suggestion, I'm quite welcome to it. =)

**Feedback and Length: ** This is a very long story. Chapter length will vary between 5000-10000 words on average; it will stretch to 20 or so chapters. It will also contain some extra chapters that would detail some events that took place in the main character's past that would only be vaguely mentioned in the main plot. Think of the extra chapters as some sort of OVA. It would offer though minor clues into the whole plot of the story.

Feedback and comments are always appreciated. It would help a lot in developing this story and possibly inspiring me to continue on with this new project of mine. =)

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**Shinobi Chronicles: Advent of the Black Storm**

**Chapter 00 – The Beginning of the End**

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"_Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." – Robert Frost, "The Road Not Taken"_

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_**Sixteen years after the Kyuubi attacked Konoha…**_

Uchiha Itachi gazed at the orange masked shinobi in front of him with wariness as he subconsciously prepared himself for any kind of confrontation. He had only met the shinobi a couple of times in the past but nonetheless he deemed this person's overall presence a threat. There was just something about him that unnerved the Uchiha, but for the life of him, he just couldn't figure out what.

Tobi was an enigma.

He appeared from out of nowhere to become an Akatsuki member immediately after Sasori's death. No one really knew where he came from and what he looked like. Itachi was sure that even their glorious leader didn't fully comprehend who Tobi was. The masked shinobi was too wrapped up in mystery that Itachi didn't know where the truth begins and where the lies end. The first time Tobi made his appearance, he introduced himself in a bright and overall cheery manner. A complete contrast to the subconscious feeling the Uchiha had that this person was not someone to cross.

Tobi was too happy-go-lucky and goofy. His childishness reflected clearly on his actions during and after the missions. He seemed to possess no serious bone in his body and he usually shied away from battle like a coward. This personality thoroughly annoyed his partner Deidara and some of the other members of the organization. Though Kisame commented once that Tobi was rather amusing to watch and admired the shinobi's talent in diffusing the gloomy atmosphere of their group.

Tobi reminded him too much of the child he used to guard and protect back in Konoha. There was that same attitude and optimism. But then, that was all there was to it. A similarity. Just an empty reminder of someone long gone. Because he recently found out that the child died nine years ago and the Akatsuki was responsible for the child's death.

Despite Tobi's rather innocent and childish gestures, there was something darker lurking underneath the surface. He was trained to look underneath the underneath and so he didn't take Tobi at face value like the other members. He had accidentally stumbled upon Tobi on a solo mission and he saw for himself why the shinobi was considered an S-class ninja. The masked man's techniques were unique and quite powerful with speed rivaling almost that of the Yondaime's. It was no wonder that Madara and leader-sama recruited Tobi immediately.

Itachi wondered if he would be able to get past Tobi without arousing suspicion. He was trying his best to not draw attention to himself and if the others in the organization were alerted, he wouldn't be able to follow through his plan.

"Where are you going, Itachi-senpai?" Tobi asked as his masked face tilted his head in curiosity.

Another thing that Itachi noticed about Tobi was that the man never took off his mask in anyone's presence. The swirl patterned orange mask with a single eyehole had always been Tobi's trademark. The only feature he could remember about Tobi was having an eye a shade of blue.

"It is none of your concern what I do in my free time," Itachi said curtly.

Tobi shifted into an exaggerated thinking pose before stating plainly, "Is Itachi-senpai going to finally face his little brother?"

Itachi immediately went into a taijutsu stance with his three-tomoed sharingan blazing as the alarm bells on his head went off. _Tobi knew what I'm going to do! How did he know?_ He thought as he glared at the man and wondered how this shinobi knew about his intention and for how long. He had a nagging feeling that Tobi also knew that he was also betraying the Akatsuki since the very beginning.

"Waaah! Senpai's super scary when he's angry," Tobi commented as he raised both of his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. He sweat dropped and waved his hands wildly when Itachi didn't lower his stance. "Tobi doesn't want to fight because Tobi only wants to talk to Itachi-senpai. Tobi doesn't mean any harm and promises not to attack."

Itachi dropped his stance but his guard was still up in case Tobi changes his mind and decides to attack him. He should've left immediately but a part of him wanted to hear what the other Akatsuki member had to say. Perhaps, he might be able to shed some light in the mystery and learn something about the mysterious ninja.

His voice was stoic and cold when he said, "Start talking."

Tobi dropped his hands and stood only a few feet away from the Uchiha. "Tobi thinks that senpai is making a huge mistake because Tobi knows that senpai would only be playing right into Madara's hands if senpai goes there now," the masked shinobi stated in a polite voice but Itachi heard the underlying graveness of that statement. "If senpai wants to save his otouto, senpai mustn't face him now," Tobi continued.

"How did you know about all of these especially the part about Madara?" Itachi asked in surprise. No one in the organization aside from himself and leader-sama knew about the real orchestrator and founder of Akatsuki.

"Tobi knows a lot of things but Tobi doesn't want to reveal too much. All senpai needs to know is that Tobi isn't his enemy," Tobi stated brightly.

It was those words that brought Itachi out of his private musings. It was as if something significant clicked into place. "You don't agree with Akatsuki's goals," Itachi stated. It was a statement of fact, not a question.

Even though he couldn't see it, Itachi had the vague feeling that Tobi was smiling. "Everyone has their own goal and Tobi is no different. Tobi made a promise to the people he love the most and Tobi wants to fulfill it. Akatsuki wants to destroy the world and that is something Tobi doesn't want to happen."

"Why should I trust you, Tobi? From what I recall, you've never given me any reason to place my trust in you," Itachi said, his voice steely.

Tobi sighed and slumped in defeat, proverbial rain clouds hanging in his head. "Tobi should've reported senpai to leader-sama when Tobi found out about your plans. Tobi decided not to do it because Tobi thinks that senpai is his comrade," he explained.

"Why would you do something like that?" Itachi asked, trying to gauge Tobi's intentions and if the shinobi had any underlying motives for deciding to help him out.

There was a minute pause as Tobi glanced at his left side distractedly before answering, "Because like Itachi-senpai, Tobi is also from Konoha. Tobi has a lot of precious people but most of them live in Konoha. That is why Tobi joined the Akatsuki in order to protect them."

Silence descended on the clearing as Itachi heard those words. Never in a million years did the Uchiha think that Tobi was on his side right from the very beginning. He noticed the similarities of their situation. He wondered whether or not he should continue and face Sasuke after Tobi's grave warning.

Itachi also noticed that Tobi was a bit distracted by something and he wondered what was going on inside the masked ninja's mind. He had a hard time reading Tobi's train of thoughts unlike the others he had met so far. That was when he felt other presences hidden in the trees. So someone decided to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Tobi hopes that senpai would listen. There are still other choices and now isn't the right time to face him," Tobi uttered, breaking the silence. "Tobi has to go now to take care of loose ends. Tobi hopes to see senpai again."

With that said, Tobi vanished from sight using the space-time migration technique that he was quite famous for. Meanwhile, Itachi was left to ponder the significance of their conversation and the revelations that the other shinobi left him.

**-xXx-**

Tobi appeared at a clearing a few kilometers away from where he and Itachi spoke to each other. He expanded his senses and knew that there were three ninjas hiding from him. From the chakra capacity he felt, he guessed that they were low jounin. He knew exactly where the ninjas were hidden but his bad habit was kicking in again. Jiraiya-sensei was the first one to notice that particular quirk and if it wasn't pointed out to him, he would've never noticed.

The thing is that he had the habit of playing around with his opponents. He never dropped his guard but he usually teased and misdirected his enemies with his childish actions and words. He found it fun to watch as his enemies came to the conclusion that he was not a threat. It came to him as naturally as breathing. Jiraiya-sensei said that it was because he didn't have a good childhood and was making up for the lost time but his adoptive kaa-san jokingly said to him that maybe he was dropped in the head when he was born.

Nevertheless, even as he grew older, the habit never stopped. In fact, it had gotten worse as seen by the other members of Akatsuki.

Still, his sensei never dissuaded the habit since it was sort of a good strategy. The way he acted threw off the enemy's perception and would see him as of no consequence. By the time, his enemy starts to take him seriously, it would be far too late.

He smiled behind his mask as he walked around the clearing in a clueless manner trying to find out where his enemies lay hidden. By now, he figured that the ninjas doubted his credibility as a member of the infamous terrorist group.

"Tobi could've sworn that there were people here. Tobi wonders if he made a mistake," he said as he scratched his head and kept on going around the clearing. "If Deidara-senpai hears about this, he'll bully Tobi again. Senpai always did have a short fuse and always uses his art on Tobi."

He felt some movement from his enemy. It seemed that his acting convinced them that he was weak. He turned his back on the ninjas he chased after and closed his eyes as the air shifted signaling the arrival of several shurikens and kunais. He evaded in a comical manner and deliberately slipped, falling on his butt.

"The Akatsuki must've made a mistake in letting a weakling like this join them," a kunoichi with a slashed Kumo hitai-ate sneered as she dropped down from the tree she was hiding in. "Here I thought that he was strong," she continued with a predatory smile.

"Did you see how he evaded those attacks? A _genin_ could've done better than him." This time a shinobi wearing a slashed Iwa hitai-ate said from the tree top.

"Stop playing around, you two. Just kill him already and let's leave. There's nothing we can get from him," a gruff voice stated as the eldest of the three appeared from behind Tobi. "I doubted that the famous Uchiha Itachi mentioned something of significance with this trash."

Tobi stood up while brushing the dirt from his cloak. "Tobi was right, after all. That means Tobi did well," he said cheerfully. He ignored the Iwa-nin heading straight for him with a kunai raised. "Sensei told Tobi not to leave any loose ends because it might risk Tobi's mission. Tobi is a good boy," he continued as he gracefully avoided the attack this time. "That's why Tobi is sorry that he has to kill the three of you now."

"Don't joke with me, you piece of shit!" the kunoichi shouted as she also attacked. This time Tobi did not avoid it and the kunoichi smirked in victory. Then the impossible happened. Her face morphed into surprise as she passed through the masked ninja like he was made of air.

"W-What the hell?" the Iwa-nin said loudly as he saw his comrade pass through the ninja they were fighting. The same expression of disbelief crossed his features.

"Fuck! Let's regroup and get the hell out of here!" the other shinobi shouted as he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up after he witnessed the spectacle. He realized too late that despite the weirdness of the masked ninja, there was a reason he was in Akatsuki.

"Tobi cannot allow anyone to escape," Tobi said as he materialized before the shinobi in an instant. There was a ninjato in his left hand. The most prominent features of the weapon were its dark blue tsuba and a blade made with black steel. As he channeled wind chakra into the weapon, it shined an eerie dark blue. With a swing, the shinobi's head was cut cleanly and he fell to the ground dead. The other two wasted no time in running away.

"Shit! I know who this guy is now," the Iwa-nin mentioned as he and the kunoichi immediately left the area. "He isn't as famous as the others but he's been in the bingo book for quite a while now."

"Who's he? I don't recognize him that well," the Kumo-nin said as she looked behind her and saw that no one was following them.

"Like he said, Tobi is his real name. He became well-known about three or four years ago. I recognized him because of that blade as well as that technique," the Iwa-nin stated. "He is famous for using futon ninjutsus and was given the name _Kuroi Arashi._"

"Looks like we've lost him," the Kumo-nin said as she turned her head back to see if anyone was following. As she jumped towards the next branch, she saw Tobi materialize in a swirling vortex. With her position, she wouldn't be able to stop her collision course with him. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw a blue colored sphere made of pure chakra rise from his palm. The swirling chaos of energy collided with her chest, shredding her heart. She was dead even before she hit the ground.

The Iwa-nin sent a barrage of kunai in Tobi's direction but all of it just phased through the masked shinobi's body. He performed the hand signs for a katon jutsu and like before, it didn't work against his enemy. "What the hell are you?" he questioned as he backed away from the approaching figure. He thought that the enemy was pushover but when he saw his two comrades killed so easily, he realized too late that he was fighting a monster. They didn't even manage to injure or scratch the Akatsuki member. As the imposing figure approached him, he knew that he had no chance of escaping.

"Tobi is Tobi. He is just like everyone else. Though, Tobi likes to think that he's unique," Tobi answered brightly as he walked towards the cowering Iwa-nin. He saw the hopelessness and fear in the man's eyes. He decided to stop playing around and end this short battle.

The Iwa-nin saw Tobi's eyes shift from azure to a dark crimson. He saw the tell-tale features of a doujutsu from the single eyehole. "That's the –" He was cut off as white flames appeared out of nowhere and devoured his body in an instant.

**-xXx-**

Jiraiya looked up from his notepad containing his research materials as soon as he felt a rather familiar chakra signature approaching his location. He had chosen a secluded place in the mountains as meeting point in order to avoid any witnesses and spies. Only he, Tsunade, and Shizune were privy to this person's true identity. From the distance, he saw the black cloak with red clouds. The signature of the Akatsuki.

He couldn't stop the feeling of relief spreading through his veins when he saw the familiar orange mask appear in the distance. He knew how dangerous the mission was and he understood why Tsunade protested so violently when they first came up with the plan. But Tobi was insistent and Tsunade relented eventually under the condition that he would pull back the moment their enemies caught up with their plans.

Tobi always had a thing for anything orange and as a ninja, it was a color really not meant for their job. He didn't wear bright orange jumpsuits (another life maybe) but he wore little accessories throughout the years that Jiraiya and the others noticed well. He remembered that Tobi wore orange goggles before that mask made its appearance.

"What have you got for me, Tobi?" Jiraiya said without missing a beat. He knew Tobi's real identity and he was going to keep that a secret no matter what happens. That was why even in private, he referred to the young man as Tobi. It was a safety precious in just in case situations.

Tobi handed over a scroll containing the newest information regarding the movement of Akatsuki. "I confronted Itachi-senpai yesterday before he went to meet with his otouto. I recently found out that he didn't go through his plan and vanished off the grid. The other Akatsuki members are currently looking for his whereabouts," the young shinobi stated, momentarily letting go of his childish persona.

"I see that he listened to your warning and it's a good thing too. He doesn't deserve to die like that," Jiraiya uttered. Being a sannin and the one who manages Konoha's spy network, he was privy to the secrets of the Uchiha clan massacre. "Well, I'll also look for his whereabouts but knowing him, he'll find the both of us first."

"I want to help him but Madara is already wary of me. Most of time, the man is staring at me as if he suspects that I'm somehow not what I seemed to be. I'm worried that I might be found out sooner than planned," Tobi said truthfully.

"Don't worry about it. Your acting is pretty superb and no one knows who you really are. Rather, everyone believes that you died nine years ago," Jiraiya assured the younger shinobi. "Sarutobi-sensei is still beating himself up for what happened under his nose," he added as he remembered the last time he saw the Sandaime.

"He doesn't need to feel that way. It wasn't his fault and I'm sure that he did the best he could to protect me. Too bad most of the council went against his back and sold me out to my enemies," Tobi stated.

Jiraiya smiled at his newest student. "At times like these, I wonder why you still protect Konoha from the shadows. You, more than any else in this world, have the right and reason to hurt Konoha. But here you are, working to keep it protected from those who wish to destroy it."

"You already know the reason for that so stop pretending you don't know, sensei," Tobi replied.

Jiraiya laughed heartily as he heard the answer of his student. He had always been fond of Tobi and not once had he regretted taking the young man as a student. "By the way, have there been any changes with your sharingan?"

"None as of yet. I'm still unsure as to what happened three years ago when my sharingan evolved," Tobi answered truthfully. To show the sannin, the sharingan appeared on the single eyehole of his mask. A few moments later, the three tomoes disappeared. It transformed into four points that go around in a circular, saw-like motion.

Jiraiya whistled as he saw the abrupt change. "No matter how many times I see it I'm still amazed that Kyuubi outdid himself this time. He must've been desperate enough to retain his individuality that he gave you such a gift in order to give you a fighting chance against Madara."

"But still, I don't know why it turned into a mangekyo sharingan without having an Uchiha blood and without killing the person closest to me," Tobi asked in curiosity.

"There's still a lot of mystery to your sharingan since yours wasn't implanted like Danzo's and Kakashi's but rather created from out of nothing with the use of demonic chakra. There's also the fact that you're not suffering from any of its ill effects like blindness. Aside from that, from what we know already, Kyuubi has control over illusions which make your genjutsu quite formidable," Jiraiya stated as he recalled everything they knew about Tobi's sharingan. "Your sharingan's main abilities are the white flames and its minor control over time."

"The control over time is tricky at its best. I don't have the proper grasp at the ability's strength and limitations," Tobi recounted.

Both Jiraiya and Tobi sighed at the lack of any new information.

"Well, I'll try to figure out more about the sharingan and Kyuubi using the old records. For now, keep doing your assignment. Take care of yourself, brat," Jiraiya said fondly as he ruffled the young man's hair.

_Seems like I have a knack for teaching brats who turn out to be formidable shinobis, _Jiraiya thought._ It shows how awesome I am! All I need now is for Tobi to become a Hokage in the future and I can boast the fact that I taught two Hokages. Tsunade and Orochimaru told me I'll never amount to anything. Hah! Goes to show they don't know awesomeness when they see one!_

Tobi watched in confusion as his sensei smirked wider by the minute.

_Let's not forget the ladies. Hoho! Tobi doesn't know that I saw him getting cozy with two of the hottest kunoichi in his generation. Those two girls have the biggest breasts I've ever seen in their age._ Jiraiya continued his trail of thoughts. This time though perverted giggles escaped him. _That is Icha Icha material right there! Hmmm… I can see it now. A young man torn between his passion and lust for two different women…_

As Tobi heard the perverted giggles and the telltale blush across the toad sannin's face, he decided to leave unless he wanted to suffer in the older shinobi's company. He couldn't deny that Jiraiya-sensei was one of the strongest shinobi he ever met but sadly, his respect for the man was slowly dwindling. He could do without the toad sannin's lecherous train of thoughts and behavior.

Sometimes his sensei was weirder than he was.

Without waiting for Jiraiya to get his head out of the clouds, Tobi left in order to head towards Konoha to meet one of his precious people.

**-xXx-**

Tobi materialized at the top of the Hokage Monument in Konohagakure no Sato a few hours later. He closed his eyes as he searched the perimeter for any sign of ninja patrols and he gave a sigh of relief when he found none. He was a bit miffed at Konoha's lax in security. No wonder foreign enemies (he didn't include himself) managed get in and out of the village.

A full, silver moon hung above, and when Tobi lay back on the head of the Yondaime, it was perfectly framed by a thousand shimmering stars. He reached from under his coat for his prized necklace. A blue crystal sat in between two silver bells under a black cord. He gazed at it as he remembered the day it was given to him.

She was reluctant to part with it since she had the idea that it was cursed and everyone she loved died wearing the necklace. When he finally inherited the crystal four years ago, he proved to her that he wouldn't die. He kept his promise to survive and he would continue to do so until this war ends.

He had changed so much that he doubted that anyone of his past acquaintances would've recognized him. He trained so hard and sacrificed a lot in order to come this far. Ever since that fateful day, he vowed to keep on living just to prove that there was meaning to his existence. He was given a second chance by fate and a certain bijuu who wanted freedom.

Tobi thought back on his meeting with Itachi and he hoped the Uchiha was hiding somewhere Akatsuki wouldn't be able to find. He was sure that Madara would kill Itachi for this betrayal and he thought that there was no need for such a senseless death. Among all of the Uchiha he met, Itachi seemed to be someone who deserved redemption. Sasuke could also belong in that category but as the years went by, Sasuke was further descending into madness.

"A penny for your thoughts," a feminine voice remarked and Tobi sat up to see the Godaime Hokage walking towards him. Senju Tsunade hadn't changed at all and Tobi felt nostalgic just seeing her up close after quite some time away from her. "When are you going to come back home? I have the half mind to drag you back here forcibly so that you wouldn't keep on getting yourself in harm's way."

"I haven't finished my mission yet. There are still some loose ends I have to take care of," Tobi said seriously and quite unlike his previous cheery persona.

Tsunade sighed as she sat down beside the masked shinobi. "Do you know how worried I always am about you? I keep thinking everyday about whether or not I'll hear from you again," she said sadly. "It doesn't ease my worries when most of Konoha thinks you're an enemy even though you're the farthest from it," she continued.

She was surprised when he took off his mask and she saw his face for the first time since he left. The young man's face was unmarred by any scars and he had grown to be quite handsome. Black hair forever styled in untamed spikes fell neatly on the young man's features. It was a bit longer than before but it wasn't long enough to need a hair tie. More and more, he looked like Minato. If Tobi stopped dyeing his hair black and back to blonde, he would be a carbon copy of the Yondaime.

She looked into his eyes and saw so much there. She always would. His eyes were a vivid blue, and so clear it seemed like she could look in there forever and never reach an end.

"I'm sorry for making kaa-san worried and for all the trouble I caused," Tobi told her sincerely.

Tsunade smiled as she remembered him when he was still that little brat who came into her life unexpectedly. The determined kid who wanted to make a difference in this world and who changed her outlook in life. He brought back the hope she had lost when Nawaki and Dan died. No matter how many years had passed, he would always be her son.

Namikaze. Uzumaki. Senju. Arashi. Naruto. Tobi. Whatever name he used didn't matter to her because at the core of it all, he was most her precious person. Her only son. The one who carried her legacy.

She knew that if something happened to him, she would die. She didn't think she would ever recover if she lost another person she loved. He was her world and he was her reason for living.

"I should be the one to apologize for not being able to help you more," Tsunade replied. "Anyway, good job on staying under the radar for so long. It seems that mine and that pervert's stealth training paid off pretty well. Anything new on your end?"

"I finally found where the Kyuubi is being held and right now, I'm almost finished in the sealing method that would be used to secure the bijuu," Tobi answered before taking out a scroll from his coat. "The research is written in that scroll and I was hoping to have a second opinion from both you and Jiraiya-sensei. Sensei already has a copy. There is also some vital information to Akatsuki's operations."

Tobi stood up and placed the mask back on his face. It was time to depart as he saw the lightening sky. He gazed back at his adoptive mother and saw the worry etched on her face.

He smiled as he said, "I promise to be careful and to come back home safe and sound. I know how to keep my promises."

"You're right. After all, my first lesson to you was that men always keep their promises," Tsunade uttered as she gave Tobi a smile. "Take care always."

"Hai, kaa-san," he said cheerfully. "After all, Tobi is a good boy."

He heard her laugh as he left Konoha once more, he thought back on how it all began and the steps he had taken in order to reach this far. The road he took was filled with pain and hardship but there was also happiness in between. He remembered everything as though it all happened just yesterday.

Nine years.

It all started that fateful day, nine years ago. The day he lost everything and the day he gained something in return. It was the day he died and was reborn anew.

**-chapter 00 end-**


	2. 01 Chance Meeting of Fate

**Author's Notes:**

The prologue of the story has been reedited since I realized later on that I was missing a lot of details. So once again, I posted the newest version of the prologue along with the first chapter of this story. Hope you guys enjoy these fanfiction and please read and review… =)

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**Shinobi Chronicles: Advent of the Black Storm**

**Chapter 01 – Chance Meeting of Fate**

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"_No matter what he does, every person on earth plays a central role in the history of the world. And normally he doesn't know it." – Taken from The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho_

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_**Seven years after the Kyuubi attacked Konoha…**_

'_You should be honored, little jinchuuriki, because through your sacrifice, this world will be cleansed from its sins. Your death will bring the organization a step closer to attaining true peace…'_

Naruto gazed blankly at the darkened skies and wondered briefly if the heavens were crying for him as well. He knew that he was dying. There was no other explanation for the empty feeling and growing numbness on his body. Whatever he did now was useless and he thought that maybe this was marginally better. At least, he wouldn't have to keep on suffering anymore. The rain somehow reminded him of the place where he was held captive for a short period of time. It always rained there and back then, it had become a constant companion.

He loved the village he was born into but it seemed that the village didn't love him in return. He knew since long ago that he was not welcomed anywhere in Konoha. A lot of people went to the trouble of reminding him every now and then that he was unwanted and that he should just disappear. They said that the world would be better off without a demon like him.

The insults. The occasional beatings. The cold glares. The solitude. The knowledge that it wouldn't change. Each and every one of those chipped away at his self-worth and beliefs. Until there was nothing left but a lie. A façade. A mask.

He tried everything to remain spirited despite the hatred that surrounded his existence. He acted like an idiot. He immersed himself in creating pranks and havocs just to prove that he was still alive. That his heart was still beating and that he existed in other people's eyes. He smiled even though the only thing he wanted was to keep on crying. He even decided to become a Hokage one day so that everyone would acknowledge his existence.

Throughout the seven years going on eight of his life, he experienced so many painful things. Too many to count.

But the most painful of all was this sudden betrayal.

'_You'll finally get what you deserve, you damned demon brat! No one will save you this time… Not even the Sandaime can help you now. We're finally getting rid of you and I'm sure that the villagers would be celebrating as soon as the news of your death reach their ears…'_

One of the ninjas wearing a black cloak patterned with red clouds told him that some of the higher-ups in Konoha sold him out. The ninja said that those people were trying to save their own skins and that they were very happy with the deal. A single, insignificant life for the lives of everyone there. When he learned that truth, he felt his world crumble and he had never felt so lost as he did then.

He remembered only bits and pieces of what happened when he was handed over to those ninjas. He was so out of it that he realized that they must've kept him constantly drugged or used a jutsu on him. From his cell, he heard snatches of his captors' conversations but he couldn't understand any of it. After some time, they dragged him towards a room with a weird statue. The unsealing process as they called it occurred a few moments later. The intense pain lasted for three whole days and he could vaguely remember Kyuubi saying something to him within his mindscape.

'_You have gained my respect, little human. I can't help but admire your strength of heart especially for one so young. You are the same as the man who sealed me into you. Foolish yet admirable. For that I am giving you a special gift to help you survive in the shinobi world. Use it well and one day when you are older and far stronger, you will free me from this new prison…' _

He remembered the feeling of being torn into pieces when the red chakra suddenly flooded his entire being before the seal shattered and the bijuu was taken away from his body. He knew then that the Kyuubi was gone.

He had no idea how he managed to survive through the pain of being sucked dry from the inside. The feeling of a thousand knives being stabbed into his body. The feeling of being burned without respite. He felt all of those tortures and he was sure that he managed to lose consciousness at some point. Those men said that the demon vessel dies as soon as the tailed beast was unsealed. But he was unsure as to why it didn't happen to him.

The last thing he remembered back then was a deep guttural voice and the blurry outline of a red chakra entering a huge statue before finally waking up feeling worse for wear in this forest. It seemed that whoever those ninjas were decided to just dump his body here after what happened. But he couldn't be sure. His memories were scattered all over the place and he couldn't make out a lot of details.

He had known since he was four that he was far different from normal. He was an orphan whose village gazed at with scorn. He learned to take care of himself and he knew that he had to grow up faster because no one would take care of him. He was far mature for his age and he learned to hide that fact through a mask of stupidity. He kept on pretending and lying so that he wouldn't get hurt. He was an actor of the highest degree. Despite the guilt he felt at doing those things, he reasoned that he didn't want to worry his few precious people.

He admired ninjas and wanted to be one when he grew up. Because he couldn't attend the academy early, he decided to take matters into his own hands. He watched from the corners as some ninjas practiced their techniques and he committed every tiny detail into his memory. He even sneaked into libraries and archives to read everything that had to do with ninjas. The history, the techniques, the strategies – were a few of what he learned.

By the time he was five; he unlocked his chakra and already knew the basic E-ranked jutsus. He read a lot of history and books on tactics. He was even fascinated by the art of sealing and medical ninjutsus. He was far advanced than those of his own age but he hid everything away and pretended to be far stupider than he truly was. For the general population, he was an orange-wearing and ramen-loving idiot who would never amount to anything. Let alone be a ninja of the village.

Hokage-jiji never knew that he was aware of the Kyuubi being sealed inside him. All those dark mutterings of devil incarnate and demon child prompted him to do some research. He snuck into the library and learned all that he could about bijuus and sealing. It wasn't long before he put everything together and came to the conclusion that he was a demon vessel. It was further proven to be true when he accidentally found a journal in the Hokage tower. The Yondaime's journal.

He was six that time and he lived with that knowledge ever since that day. It was also the time he stopped trying to make friends. He realized that time that no matter what he did, he would never be accepted. He was a bit bitter about the whole thing but it wasn't like there was anything he could do about it. What was done was done. No amount of complaining was going to make it go away or change the facts.

Despite that, he couldn't help but feel a little angry at the Yondaime. The man who single-handedly ruined his entire life. The man who placed far too much trust in other people. The man who was also his father. His family. His flesh. His blood. He couldn't understand why his father was so naïve and stupid to believe that those people would respect his wishes with him gone. Couldn't he have done something else? Why did the villagers have to know what he carried? The trust that the man placed was pointless because in the end, he wasn't a hero. For Konoha, he was a monster. Always was and always will be.

He felt a few tears escaping his eyes. Despite knowing the inevitable, a part of him wanted to live. He wanted to keep on living. To prove to himself that he was born to do greater things not die in some forest all alone. He wanted to make his father proud and prove that his sacrifice wasn't in vain. He might not have the Kyuubi anymore but he knew that he could do anything as long as he put his mind into it.

He felt that it was too soon for things to end this way. He tried so hard to keep on living and because of the actions of a few selfish people; he was going to die all alone. He tried to will his body to move but he could only twitch a finger in response.

_Is this the end?_ He thought sadly as he found that his tears wouldn't stop. _Is this all I'm ever going to be? Just a sacrifice… And nothing more…_

As he pondered on the hopelessness of his situation, he heard a rustle of leaves from somewhere and was taken aback when he came face to face with a blonde-haired woman.

**-xXx-**

Senju Tsunade was known as the best medic ninja in all of the Elemental Nations. She was one of the sannin who faced Hanzo the Salamander back in the Shinobi World War. Her name was famous in all the hidden villages and many kunoichi's aspire to be as strong and beautiful as her. But she wasn't as perfect as others view her. Like everyone else, she also had her imperfections. In her case, it was her addiction to gambling and sake. Not to forget the fact that she kept a special genjutsu in order for her to look younger than her actual age.

She loved to gamble despite the fact that she always had a losing streak. Not once did she win a bet that she started. Piles of debt began to add up as she trekked Hi no Kuni and as a result, she was given the name 'Legendary Sucker.' She kept on gambling and drinking, wasting her life away in hopes that she would forget the tragedies in her life.

Two of the people she loved most in the world died with their dreams unfulfilled. Their deaths cemented the belief that her necklace, her grandfather's heirloom, was cursed. After all, they died a few short days after receiving it. And that the Hokage seat was nothing but a stupid and foolish dream. She couldn't take seeing Konoha and remembering their deaths. That was why she left the village, vowing never to step foot in it for as long as she lived.

Tsunade lived her life forming little to no attachments to anyone. She was under the impression that the less people she cared about, the more she would be able to avoid the pain of losing them again. The only person she kept close was her apprentice Shizune. Aside from the young lady, there was no one else in her life. She went her way to avoid both her sensei and her teammate. What she didn't know was that one act of fate would bring her the one person who would bring forth the feelings she had kept inside for years.

Currently, the slug sannin was steadily cursing a storm in her head. Those bastards had to be cheating. There was no other explanation as to why she would lose otherwise on that damned poker game. She couldn't believe that she lost again. She heard her apprentice sigh in defeat from right behind her as she stomped away from the small town. The weather wasn't helping her temper one bit but she was determined to leave as soon as possible. The little rain wasn't going to stop her.

As she trudged the muddy path, she came across a weird sight. There was a yellow blob in the distance. If she wasn't a ninja, she would have never noticed the out of place detail and probably passed by. Curiosity getting the better of her and her gut instincts telling her to go nearer; she veered off in the direction she spotted whatever it was.

What she came across was something she never expected in a million years.

It was a child.

A small child who couldn't be any older than ten years old. He was too pale and he had various wounds on his body. The sight of blood stopped her on her tracks and she felt the telltale signs of her fear taking over her body. She backed away a step as she thought that he was already dead but she caught a movement from the corner of her eyes. The child was now gazing at her with his dulled crimson eyes. She caught the plea for help and she forced her medic instincts to take over. Like hell was she letting an innocent child die.

Despite her apathy and pessimistic view of the world, Tsunade continued to care about children. She kept her distance but she liked watching them play around and smiling as though there was nothing in the world to worry about. They were bursting with life and innocence. As a medic, she came to love life. She believed that every life was important and she dedicated herself to saving many lives in the past.

She buried her beliefs for years but the sight of this lone child seeking for her help, awakened her desire to heal him. She instantly forgot her fear of blood as she rushed towards the broken and injured child. Her hands were already going through the signs of her healing technique. She kneeled beside him as she ran her hands across his body, sending healing chakra everywhere. Shizune wasted no time in joining her.

As she looked at the child closely, she couldn't help but see the resemblance he had to her late younger brother. This particular child reminded her too much of Nawaki. Maybe that was why it hurt to even think of the child passing away under her watch.

There was too much damage and she wondered why he was injured like this. As she continued in her task, she found signs of severe chakra exhaustion in his body and bruising in his internal organs. She healed the bruising in no time but she was worried about the current state of his body. He was severely malnourished and some of the cuts were infected. She briefly saw Shizune bandaging some of his deeper wounds and Tsunade felt proud to have the young woman as an apprentice.

The slug sannin was taken aback when the child grasped her other hand weakly. He had no energy left and his hand was shaking so badly from the effort of moving. It was as if he was searching desperately for something tangible to hold onto. The pain in his eyes was clear and Tsunade found her own hand unconsciously holding tight to his in return. She offered him a small smile as if to reassure him that everything would be okay.

"Shizune!" she shouted. Her hand still trying to heal the gashes and other injuries. "We have to get him back into town. Find us a place to stay."

Her apprentice nodded her head in response and immediately vanished in a shunshin, leaving the sannin alone with small child.

Tsunade managed to heal most of the damage but she knew that being soaked like this wasn't helping the child one bit. She was sure that he would be burning up with fever as soon as she got him to a dry place. It would be a long healing process but at least he was out of the woods. She had already healed the serious injuries.

She easily lifted the boy up and winced at how light the child was. Now that she looked closely, he was too thin and she was correct in her assessment earlier that he was definitely malnourished. She took a mental note to feed him properly. She was pretty sure that the child was an orphan. It explained why he was alone and injured in the forest. Her motherly instincts were screaming at her nonstop to take care of this child. And she found that she didn't dislike that idea one bit. It was surprising to find out that she got attached to this little boy so easily.

As she followed the trail back towards town using her own shunshin, she wondered what it would be like to raise a child and if the little blonde would want to stay with her.

**-xXx-**

"What the fuck has Sarutobi-sensei been doing for these past seven years? Or better yet, where is that damned perverted teammate of mine?" Tsunade raged a few hours later as she sat at the dining room with a bottle of sake in front of her. "Don't tell me that he abandoned his godson and left him to die in the streets! He should've at least visited and saw to it that the child was taken care of properly! When I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring his neck and break _every_ bone in _his_ body!"

Shizune paled considerably as she saw how pissed off her shishou was. "Please calm down for a second, Tsunade-sama. You might wake Naruto-kun up and you know that he needs every rest he can get after what he went through," the dark-haired young woman reasoned. She breathed a sigh of relief as the slug sannin stopped shouting.

Tsunade closed her eyes as she tried to reign in her temper and reminded herself that there was a sleeping seven year old child in the bedroom across from her.

She remembered that after they headed back into town with the child in tow, Shizune had managed to book them a room in a nearby hotel. She immediately took off the child's wet clothes and that was when she saw it. There on the child's neck was a necklace with a pendant shaped into a mini version of a familiar tri-pronged kunai.

The Yondaime's Hiraishin kunai.

That was when she saw the familiarities the child had with Minato. Blonde hair that stuck in all directions. The angle of his face was leaning more towards his father. Give it a few more years and the child would look almost the same as him. Hell, the child looked the same as Minato when he was still a kid.

Namikaze Naruto.

That was the child's name according to Jiraiya.

The last time she checked, Naruto was the Kyuubi's container. And as far as she knew, she didn't feel the bijuu's presence. According to the information she knew about demon containers, they sometimes had possession marks and Jiraiya once mentioned years back when he finally managed to track her down that Naruto had whisker marks on his face.

So why the hell was the marks non-existent on his features. As she pumped another wave of healing chakra into his body that was when she realized what was wrong with the picture. The seal that was holding the bijuu was gone.

There were no traces of the seal anywhere on the child's body and what was more; Kyuubi was not where he was supposed to be. There were a few wisps of red chakra running along Naruto's chakra network but other than that, the bijuu was no longer in his body.

"Naruto was almost near death when I found him," Tsunade said sadly. "If we hadn't come across him, he might've died from the injuries as well as the stress of having the Kyuubi ripped away from his body. It was a miracle he even managed to survive this long."

"I thought that Naruto lives in Konoha. Shouldn't he be protected if he's the Yondaime's son?" Shizune asked.

Tsunade took a sip of sake from her cup. "I don't know what the hell sensei has been doing but he did a crappy job. Whoever took Naruto unsealed the Kyuubi for purposes unknown and left him for dead. He's lucky that he somehow inherited Kushina's vitality." She sighed deeply. "It's a good thing also that Minato's a real genius in fuuinjutsu or else Naruto's chakra coils would've been too damaged. Minato designed a really complex seal and maybe that is the reason why Naruto still has a chance to be a ninja if he wants to be."

"That's pretty good news, Tsunade-sama. But why do you look sad?" Shizune remarked as she decided to let her shishou have her fill of sake for today.

"It's going to be a long healing process for Naruto from here on out. His body is still weak and for the next few months, his immune system would still be severely compromised. Aside from that, it might take a year before he would be able to use his chakra network because of the strain it took," Tsunade said seriously. "All in all, he needs someone to take care of him," she concluded.

Shizune's mind was starting to work overtime as she realized the implication of the statement her shishou told her. It was hard to believe but she knew that she wasn't wrong. It seemed that Naruto-kun had managed to worm his way into her shishou's heart and from what she was saying earlier, she wanted to be the one to take care of Naruto-kun. Being the calm and sensible person that she was, she managed to curb her excitement at the prospect of having a little brother to take care of.

"I'm going to be selfish once again, Shizune," Tsunade said with a smile. "If he doesn't want to go back to Konoha, I'm going to adopt Naruto and be the one to take care of him."

**-xXx-**

Voices kept Naruto company, though he didn't recognize most of them. After what seemed like an eternity, he forced his eyes open. His eyelids felt heavy with sleep, but he awoke in a soft bed, swaddled in clean white sheets. His heart ached, but it was beating. His lungs burned, but they were breathing. His body hurt all over… but he lived. He survived, somehow.

He was suddenly aware that a woman was sitting next to him. He turned to look at her. His vision was still blurred, and there was a window behind her, making it look as if she were glowing. He didn't know who she was, though something about her looked familiar. He didn't even know where he was.

"Seems that you're finally awake. You've been sleeping for almost a week," Tsunade inquired as she watched the child. He was different from what she imagined him to be but there was no denying who his father was. He looked too much like Minato and she wondered why the villagers couldn't see the uncanny resemblance. Now that the whisker marks were gone, he definitely took after his father. She wondered briefly if the child inherited Minato's genius since the child definitely inherited Kushina's vitality and chakra capacity.

The only unusual feature Naruto had was his eyes. The pupils were slitted and they were a bright shade of blue. Tsunade thought that it was criminal that a boy had those beautiful blue eyes. The slug sannin remembered that his eyes were a dull shade of red when she found him in the forest. She decided to take some tests later in order to be sure whether or not the kid had a kekkei genkai of some sort.

"You're that lady in the forest," Naruto stated with a voice rough from disuse. Tsunade gently propped him to a sitting position and offered him a cup of water which he gratefully took.

"Yes, I am. My name is Senju Tsunade and I know that your name is Uzumaki Naruto," Tsunade said as she watched Naruto. "Any reason why you're found near death in a forest, miles away from Konoha?" she asked frankly. She had the feeling that she should treat him like an adult. There was maturity in his eyes and she was sure that Naruto had seen the reality of their world.

Naruto knew that he should be on his guard especially since Tsunade knew his identity. But then, she healed him when she had no reason to. She saved him from death and he thought that he owed his trust to her. So far, she had been nothing but civil and kind towards him.

"Some of the council members handed me over to the ninjas wearing a cloak with red clouds," Naruto said as he remembered the fear and confusion he felt that time. "They kept me imprisoned in a place that was raining all the time." The rain was his constant companion aside from that blue-haired woman who visited him daily. "After a few days, they did a ritual and I felt the seal holding Kyuubi break and then, I woke up in forest," he concluded.

Tsunade felt her temper rise when she heard that the council members were the one who tried to kill Naruto. She couldn't fathom how those people could still sleep soundly after having known that they condemned a small child to death with their actions. This wasn't the Konoha she was born into and it wasn't the same village that her loved ones died to protect. This wasn't the Konoha her grandfather built.

_That is why I'll never step foot in that accursed village again,_ Tsunade thought vehemently.

She also didn't miss the fact that the kid knew a lot more than he should. It only served to cement the fact that the kid was pretty smart just like his parents and she smirked internally at the fact that her old village just lost a diamond in the rough. With enough training, she knew that he would become quite a force to be reckoned with.

It made her feel a bit excited at the prospect of teaching another person her techniques and once Naruto agrees to be adopted, he would be the one to inherit the Senju legacy. She knew that she was too attached to a child she had just met but as she took care of him for the past few days, she felt a sort of bond, as if she knew him all her life. She smiled at him fondly, remembering the times she spoke to him and caressed his hair as he slept soundly.

She realized a few moments later that there was still a matter she had to discuss with Naruto.

"I want you to tell me the truth on this one," Tsunade said breaking the peaceful silence as she gazed determinedly at Naruto's eyes. "Do you hate Konoha? Do you wish to seek revenge for what they did to you?" she questioned as she waited for the kid's response. She wouldn't blame him if he said yes, given the way he had been suffering for seven years because of reasons he had no control over. It wasn't like Naruto wanted to be a demon vessel. It was a choice he didn't make because his father made the choice for him. Aside from that, those ungrateful villagers kept on blaming him for things he didn't do.

"I don't hate Konoha and I don't need such a thing as revenge," Naruto answered truthfully. His gaze not wavering and he saw the brief flash of surprise on the female sannin's face. "It would be wrong of me to hate the village as a whole because of the actions of some of the villagers. Hokage-jiji taught me better than that," he continued and his face softened as he remembered the Sandaime's kindness. The old man was his light in the darkness and he was Naruto's only refuge from the hate that followed him constantly.

"So you don't hate Konoha for what they did?" Tsunade asked in confusion.

Naruto looked down and Tsunade saw that a few tears dropped from his eyes. "I hate the council members and I'm not sure if I can ever forgive them for what they did. But I don't want to seek some stupid revenge because it won't turn back the time or change anything," he said sadly as he wiped the tears from his eyes. "Paying them back would only prove to them that I'm the same as them. That I'm the demon they make me out to be. I know better than to sink to their level."

Tsunade smiled and ruffled Naruto's hair fondly. She received a sound of protest as he tried to pry her fingers of his head. "You're surprisingly deep and mature for your age. If I didn't know any better, I can say that I'm speaking to an adult instead of a seven year old brat," she said with a hint of teasing in her voice.

Naruto pouted cutely as he replied, "I get that a lot from Hokage-jiji. He thought that it's because of how I grew up." As soon as he said that, he erupted into a series of coughing fits that left him a bit breathless. He closed his eyes as he felt Tsunade place her hand on his warm forehead.

"You should continue to rest, your body is still in no condition to move around," she stated as she helped him to lie down again. "What do you want to do now? Since you're here, you're free to do anything you want," she asked, hoping that he would want to stay with her.

Naruto smiled sadly as he said, "I'm not ready to face the village so soon. I'm afraid that things would go back to the way they were and that I won't be able to stop myself from hating everyone in the village."

"You can stay with me if you want," Tsunade declared as she held his hand in reassurance like she did before. He closed his hands around hers as he told her yes.

"Anything you want to accomplish?"

"I –I want to grow stronger. I don't want to be weak that I can't even protect myself," Naruto said softly. "Because if I don't know how to protect myself, how can I protect the other people I care about? I don't want to lose the people I care about. I want to be strong enough to protect them."

_His heart is in the right place,_ the slug sannin thought as she heard what he said. Despite what happened to him, he was still intent on protecting others. _It seems that grandfather's will of fire burns brightly in Minato's son._

"That's some determination you've got there, little brat," Tsunade commented with a smirk. "If you're that serious, I guess it wouldn't be too bad to help you," she laughed lightly when she saw the disbelief across Naruto's face. "I'll train you to become a ninja as long as you keep on working hard. I don't need a pupil who isn't dedicated."

Naruto smiled brightly and Tsunade was taken aback by how natural it was on his face. "Hai. Thank you very much," he said cheerfully.

"Good," Tsunade answered. "We'll have to change your appearance a bit and of course, your name. That way, you won't have to worry about Konoha trying to take you back. I'm sure those council bastards would want to lock you up again," she continued gravely. "As much as I hate to admit it, we need that pervert's help," she said with a sigh of resignation. _Maybe I'll have the chance to beat him to the ground for letting Naruto get hurt._

"Pervert?" Naruto asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

"Yup. My perverted teammate. Jiraiya of the Sannin."

**-Chapter 01 end-**


	3. 02 Paths and Possibilities

**Shinobi Chronicles: Advent of the Black Storm**

**Chapter 02 – Paths and Possibilities**

* * *

"_What matters is to live in the present, live now, for every moment is now. It is your thoughts and acts of the moment that create your future. The outline of your future oath already exists for you created its patter by your past." – Sai Baba_

* * *

Naruto closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness overcame his whole being. He placed a palm on his forehead and felt that he was a bit (_okay, a lot to be exact_) warmer than usual. He sighed as he concluded that he was running a slight fever just like always. Maybe, his kaa-san was right and he should've stayed at home instead of going on a walk to god knows where. _But_ he was terribly bored of staying indoors for the majority of the time. He could only take so much of inactivity before he exploded from the sheer boredom of such tedious lifestyle. Though, maybe he shouldn't have risked it.

He was confident in his assumption that if he collapsed on the street or somewhere far away from home, she would never let him out of the house without an escort for a _very long time._ He shuddered every time that thought came up.

With that grim prospect on the horizon, he retraced his steps and headed back towards their house. The one they temporarily rented for the duration of their stay in this particular town. His kaa-san traveled a lot and they didn't stay in one place for more than a year.

It had been six months since Senju Tsunade adopted him as her own son and in those following months, he had been the happiest in all of his eight years. She loved him like he was her real child and Naruto found himself loving her like a real mother in return. She was everything he ever wanted for a family.

Though, he could do without the overprotective streak she developed quite recently.

He wondered if his birth parents were still alive, would they be this overprotective? As he thought about it, he came to only one conclusion. Definitely.

Naruto smiled warmly as he recalled the different things that he and new family did for the past few months. It seemed his kaa-san and Shizune nee-chan were determined to make up for his lost childhood by going to festivals, celebrating his eighth birthday, buying him a lot of stuff, letting him decide where to go during some of their trips, and many other things.

The only thing he hadn't attempted was practicing chakra control and jutsus.

His kaa-san warned him that his body was still recovering and it would be best not to strain it while it was still in the process of healing. He had also been asked (_forced)_ to avoid training himself so his physical exercises were limited. With those things out of his reach for the time being, he turned to reading various books and scrolls. Sometimes, his Shizune nee-chan would test him on his understanding of the different materials he read like etiquette, history, and others. She sometimes tutored him in throwing senbon and other projectiles accurately.

Meanwhile, his kaa-san started him on basic medical knowledge and showed him some of her iryou ninjutsus (medical techniques). She was determined to pass on her techniques to him after she found out that his father apparently did the same.

They recently discovered an intricate seal inked on his right wrist when he tried to mold chakra for his daily check-up. After studying it closely, his kaa-san said that it was a storage seal and when activated, he found out that his father left him a lot of ninja related tools like technique scrolls, various weaponry, and others. He smiled as he thought about his father's insight and care for him. It seemed that he provided a means for him to survive in the shinobi world now that he was long gone.

He was fascinated with his father's modified storage seal and wondered if he could tweak it a bit in the future to incorporate it with some of the jutsus he thought up. Of course, most of those jutsus were from his overactive imagination.

As he started his trek back to his house, he came across a very unusual sight. There was a fairly large and tall man crouching up a tree using a telescope. He stopped and followed the man's line of sight and saw the fence of a hot springs. The women's side of the hot springs to be exact.

His right eye began twitching as he thought of only one word to describe this person.

Pervert.

This old man was a damned pervert.

The tall perverted man (_ero jii-san)_ had waist-length, spiky white hair tied back into a pony tail, with two shoulder-length bangs that framed both sides of his face. He had red lines that ran down from his eyes and wore a horned forehead protector with the kanji for 'Oil.' He also had a noticeable wart on the right side of his nose. He wore a green short shirt kimono and matching pants; under which he wore mesh armor that showed out of the sleeves and legs of his outfit. It was then completed with hand guards, a simple black belt, traditional geta (wooden sandals), a red haori with two simple yellow circles on each side, and a large scroll on his back.

As Naruto took in what the man looked and was currently wearing, he came to a horrifying conclusion. One that he never thought was possible.

This was the person his mother was currently in the look-out for. This was Jiraiya, the Gama Sannin. The legendary shinobi who fought Hanzo the Salamander alongside his teammates during the Second Shinobi War. The man who taught his own father.

He had the notion that his kaa-san was just joking with him but seeing what the man was presently doing, he had no choice but to accept the inescapable truth. The super strong sannin he had read in countless of history books was a dirty old lecher.

"You have got to be kidding me!" he said incredulously, his head ache forgotten at the shock of the lifetime he received. "_This_ is the great Jiraiya of the Sannin. I can't believe I thought this guy was also someone to look up to," he continued as he face-palmed at the startling revelation.

He whined in his head about how the history books never mentioned something like this. Didn't the readers have a right to know this life changing fact?

He sighed as he continued on his way, intent on heading home and clearing his head of this discovery. He would tell his kaa-san about Jiraiya as soon as she arrived after her duties at the local hospital and she would handle the rest.

As he walked on, he was unaware that he had caught a particular person's eyes.

**-xXx-**

Unknown to Naruto, Jiraiya had heard his incredulous mutterings and he wondered how the small child knew his glowing reputation. Though he reasoned to himself that maybe the child was a shinobi in training so his parents must've shared the knowledge with their son.

The toad sannin was calm on the outside but inwardly, his chibi-self was dancing in complete and utter abandon at finding out that children _knew_ him as the great and awesome Jiraiya-sama!

The kid intrigued him so much that he decided to abandon his research for once and discreetly followed the kid across town in order to satisfy his growing curiosity. There was just something very familiar about him and it peaked Jiraiya's interest to find out what was recognizable about this particular _gaki_.

As the kid stopped in front of a stall to speak to someone, he finally saw his face up close.

_Holy shit!_

The kid didn't just _feel_ familiar; the small child _looked _like his late student.

He resisted the urge to gape at the shocking sight and it took all of his willpower not to rush over there and confront the kid.

Heck, the only difference he could see was that this kid had spiky black hair instead of bright blonde. But the angle of his face, the color of his skin, and most of all the color of his eyes – the same brilliant and perfect shade of blue – were just like Minato's own.

The mini-Minato (_as Jiraiya referred to the kid in his mind_) wore a black t-shirt and dark blue trousers. His ninja sandals were black and he had orange colored goggles with dark brown lenses on his neck. He finished off his look with a burnt orange hooded jacket with cream colored fur lining around the hood.

He was assaulted by memories of the past as he saw the startling resemblance of this child with the late Yondaime Hokage. He had to admit that he missed the blonde idiot so much and he found himself wishing sometimes that the man didn't have to die so early. After what happened in Konoha eight years ago, he immersed himself in running the spy network and was unable to return for a long time. He knew that the death of his prized pupil hit him hard and he hadn't found someone who could carry on his legacy like Minato had done.

Still, he was hoping that he would someday find someone who carried the Will of Fire as his sensei usually called it so strongly in their heart.

As he reminisced about the past, something caught his attention and when he realized what it was, he was left completely speechless and taken aback.

_No way!_

There was just no way that _he_ of all people was here of all places!

Now he understood why the kid resembled his late student in startling clarity. The freaking kid was Minato's own son! The proof was there on the black-haired child's neck.

Dangling from the end of the silver chained necklace was a mini version of the Yondaime's infamous tri-pronged kunai. He remembered that Minato spent a lot of money in purchasing that particular customized and hand-crafted necklace when he learned that Kushina was pregnant. Every last detail of the pendant was a perfect replica of the hiraishin kunai. Minato showed it off to him more than once as soon as he go t it and said that he wanted his son to wear this necklace all the time.

The last time he visited Konoha was when Naruto was still three years old and Sarutobi-sensei informed him that Naruto was well taken care of and that the child loved the necklace. His sensei told him that Minato's son treasured it and mentioned that the kid said that he felt warm feelings emanate from the necklace whenever he wore it near his heart.

Naruto was safe in Konoha and that was why he decided not to take Naruto with him when he left. He then wondered what the kid was doing so far out of Konoha and the sudden change in hair color. There had to be a reason and Jiraiya would do his best to find out what it was.

As he continued to tail Naruto from the distance, he noticed some glaringly obvious changes in the child.

One was that there were no whisker marks on his cheeks and two was that the child's chakra levels were a lot lower than he remembered it to be. It was impossible for it to reach that low level since he had the kyuubi. The sannin's brain was working double time as he pieced together the disjointed clues and came to one horrifying conclusion.

_Goddamit! No, it couldn't be!_

There was only one thing that would lead to those changes and why Minato's son looked pale and out of shape.

_Forget out of shape, the kid looked dead on his feet!_

Right now, he didn't want to think about why this happened and why he wasn't informed. Because he knew that the more he thought about it, the angrier he would get. He felt a sudden sense of betrayal from the people inside Konoha. After all, his sensei promised him that Naruto would be protected. All those years of hard work, of spying, of staying away from Konoha, of never visiting his godson, were all for nothing.

Because in the end, Naruto was still hurt.

His godson almost died.

Before he could think on this revelation further, he was broken out of his thoughts when he heard a familiar voice shout someone's name and apparently heading in the kid's direction.

He saw a fair-skinned woman of average height and slender built with black eyes and hair. Her hair was straight and shoulder-length with bangs that cover her ears and framed her face. She wore a long blueish-black kimono with white trimmings, held closed by a white obi, and open-toed sandals with low heels.

It was Kato Shizune, Tsunade's apprentice and attendant.

Jiraiya was surprised at the appearance of the young woman and realized a few seconds too late that if Shizune was here, Tsunade wouldn't be too far away. He gulped as he realized how close he had been from getting pummeled to the ground by an angry female sannin. She wouldn't take too kindly at his lecherous behavior that hadn't diminished since childhood.

He was once again taken aback when Shizune approached Naruto and began talking to him in n overly familiar manner as if they had known each other for a long time. It didn't escape him that the young woman used a different name in addressing his godson.

"Tobi! What are you doing walking around when you're still sick?" Shizune inquired worriedly as she ignored Naruto's protests and placed her palm on his forehead.

Naruto pushed away from her and said, "I'm fine, nee-chan. It's not that serious."

Shizune placed both of her hands in her hips and her lips settled into a frown as she heard his response. "You're far from fine, Tobi. You're running a fever and I'm surprised you didn't collapse already. Come on, we're heading home," she said sternly, not taking no for an answer.

"But nee-chan," Naruto whined as Shizune grabbed his wrist.

"No buts. You're heading home and taking a good long rest whether you like it or not," Shizune answered back. "Or do you want me to go and tell Tsunade-sama that you're not taking care of yourself again…" she continued and let the threat hang in the air.

Naruto paled even more the moment he heard his kaa-san's name. He hanged his head in defeat and let himself be dragged back to their house by his older sister.

Jiraiya watched the proceedings from his hiding place and knew that he would find the answers he was looking for from his old teammate. He wondered why his sensei never mentioned to him that Naruto was currently missing from Konoha. Was there something going on in Konoha that somehow, the issue with Naruto didn't seem all that important?

He gritted his teeth in anger at the callousness of the villagers and some shinobis in Konoha.

As he pondered about the questions flitting in his mind, he went across town searching for the teammate he hadn't talked to for a very long time.

**-xXx-**

"What brings you around to these parts, pervert?" Tsunade stated bluntly as soon as she spotted Jiraiya standing outside her doorway. "I thought you'll be spending the majority of your time peeking at women in the hot springs. You're lucky I'm not in the mood to beat you to a pulp."

Senju Tsunade had blonde waist-length hair tied into two loose ponytails with shoulder-length bangs framing both side of her face. She had a purple diamond mark on her forehead and she had a light complexion. She had a slender yet noticeably curvaceous frame and had the largest bust in all of Hi no Kuni (_Naruto usually glared at everyone who leered at his mother_).

She wore a grass green robe with the kanji for 'gamble' written in black on the back, inside a red circle. Underneath that she wore a grey, kimono-style blouse with no sleeves. It was held closed by a broad, dark grey obi that matches her pants. Her blouse was closed quite low, revealing her sizeable cleavage. She wore open-toed sandals with high heels and red polish on both fingernails and toenails. She also wore a soft pink lipstick and the Shodaime hokage's necklace were in clear view on her chest.

Jiraiya entered the house to face Tsunade and sighed deeply. He had been looking all over for her for the better half of the day. "It's about the kid," Jiraiya stated seriously. "I met _your_ kid a while ago and imagine my surprise at seeing him here of all places."

"Let's talk somewhere more private," Tsunade replied as she led Jiraiya to her room. "My son is resting right now so I suggest we keep our voices to a minimum. He needs all the rest he can get."

She had gotten home to find that her son had gotten sick again but she knew that it was to be expected since he hadn't fully recovered from the Akatsuki incident. That was why she kept putting off some strenuous training and focused on the milder ones in order for him to heal completely. She thanked the gods that Naruto was mature enough to understand her reasoning because she was sure that if he wasn't, he would've been whining about her being unfair.

"I thought he was still back in Konoha safe and protected," Jiraiya uttered.

Tsunade snorted at hearing those words. "Safe and protected, my ass! You don't understand the majority of what happened inside that damned village," she said bitterly. The memories of what happened six months ago came into the forefront of her mind. It reopened wounds that were better left forgotten. "He didn't want to go back to that place and wanted to stay with me instead. Who am I to deny a kid like him with that request? He was broken badly when I found him and I decided that it would be better for him to stay than have him go back to that hell."

Jiraiya knew where Tsunade was coming from since he also felt that way towards the village now that the truth regarding Naruto was beginning to come out in the open. But he wanted to make sure that his assumptions were correct and the only way to do it was to push Tsunade to reveal those secrets.

"But Konoha has a lot of ninjas that would be able to guard him from potential enemies," he reasoned out.

Tsunade felt her temper rise at those words. "I can protect him better than those idiots who call themselves ninja could ever do," she hissed as her hazel-colored eyes narrowed in anger. "They're ignorant assholes who can't differentiate the Kyuubi from Naruto. Those idiots who've been hurting him since the day he was born. Those idiots don't deserve his father's sacrifice and they certainly don't deserve to have Naruto protecting them in the future."

Jiraiya stayed silent as he heard his teammate's words. Even if he was loyal to the village, he couldn't help but agree with the slug sannin's words.

"_Safe and protected?_ What a fucking lie that was," Tsunade said angrily. "Those dangerous people you've warned me about managed to kidnap him and Konoha didn't even lift a finger in order to help him. No one rescued him while he was held captive for god knows how long. He suffered a lot and nobody even saved him," she uttered as tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. "He wanted a new life and a family to call his own. I gave it to him wholeheartedly. He's my son now and hell would freeze over before I let anyone take him away from me."

"I never knew," Jiraiya said shamefully as he looked at his feet, knowing that he was as much to blame as the village for Naruto's plight.

"Of course you never knew. You were never there for him. For Kami's sake, he's only eight but he talks and acts as if he's much older," Tsunade stated frankly. Knowing that she was finally letting out her frustrations and anger. "Before I found him he was always alone and now you're thinking that I should've taken him back to Konoha. To that damned hellhole! Don't joke with me, Jiraiya. I'll kill you if it means I'll be able to protect him," she continued with a hint of venom in her words. "He's not the same Uzumaki Naruto anymore. His name right now is Senju Tobi and he's my only heir. The one who will inherit the legacy of my grandfather."

"Can't believe that the kid would end up with you. But I guess in the end it did turn out for the better," Jiraiya said after a while and offered Tsunade a smile. "I still can't get over the fact that Akatsuki managed to kidnap him without much fuss."

Tsunade calmed down. "So that's what they're called… Akatsuki," she murmured absently. "At any rate, whoever those people were managed to extract the Kyuubi from Naruto. If you look at him closely, the evidence is there. His health hasn't gotten any better since six months ago and he's recovering very slowly. He gets sick and tired all the time as well," she said to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya's features turned grave as he thought of something. "I don't want to say it but I believe that someone handed him over to the enemy. It's impossible to get Naruto out of the village without raising any alarms and it leaves only one option. They let him get taken willingly."

"I came to that conclusion long ago, Jiraiya," Tsunade stated tiredly. "Now, do you understand why I have a low opinion of Konoha? It's become so corrupted that I can't see the Will of Fire that grandfather's been talking about many years ago."

Tsunade went over to her cabinet and pulled out a bottle of sake and two cups. She knew that this discussion was far from over and she needed something to drink to calm herself. As the two drank their sorrows and pain away, Jiraiya suddenly broke the silence.

"Looks like Naruto's the first jinchuuriki they've extracted a tailed beast from," he said as he took out his notebook and wrote that piece of information. "I would've thought Akatsuki would extract the beasts in order starting from the one-tailed beast or else the statue would break."

"The statue?" Tsunade asked in confusion and Jiraiya explained to her the myth of the sage of the six paths and the legend behind the tailed beasts. After a while she asked, "If Kyuubi was supposed to be sealed last, why would they extract the nine tails from Naruto so soon?"

"It's only a theory but I believe that whoever is leading Akatsuki must've secured another vessel and used another means of sealing method. They extracted the Kyuubi from Naruto and transferred it into another."

"Why go through that process when they could've just used Naruto and kept him imprisoned?"

Jiraiya thought about it for a moment before answering, "I think that somehow they're afraid of him. They must've known about his true heritage and was afraid that if he lived longer and learned to harness the bijuu's power, he would bring an end to their ambition. Whoever the leader is, he didn't want to risk keeping Naruto alive and escaping at some point. Better off dead before he could start his career as a ninja and grow stronger."

"Can't deny that reasoning. Even I have the impression that Naruto would do great things in the future and it happened the first time I saw him," Tsunade supplied.

"For them, it was killing two birds with one stone. They get the bijuu easily and they kill Uzumaki Naruto as a result. Too bad that they didn't know he inherited his mother's abilities. It hadn't manifested physically but the signs are all there. He survived because of Kushina's blood."

"That's why I need your help, pervert. You have to make sure that no one finds out that Naruto is still alive. Make everyone believe that he's dead and gone or else they're going to hunt him down again," Tsunade stated seriously. "He won't only have Akatsuki to deal with but the traitors inside Konoha as well. He isn't strong enough to face all of them yet so no one has to find out the truth."

"Very well. I'll do it but on one condition," the toad sannin replied.

"What is it?"

Jiraiya grinned. "Let me meet the kid."

**-xXx-**

"It was a scene I had seen before. It was an evening hazed in heavy rain…"

_The apartment was too quiet and the sound of footsteps echoed eerily in the silence that pervaded the place he called his home. The sanctuary that shielded not only him but her as well from the glares and harsh words of other people. People who didn't understand the pains and burdens they carried. The emptiness he felt as he walked inside was constricting and he felt those negative emotions tug at his already wounded heart. _

_It wasn't fair for her at all. _

_He wanted to curse the unfairness of all that had happened to her. She had just lost the one person who had loved her since the day she was born. The one who protected her from the pressures of her clan. The one who shielded her and assured her that she was strong. As the rain pattered through the glass windows, he felt that it was truly the best weather to describe what he and she felt in this very moment._

"Drowning in the sadness of losing someone important and frightened at the fate that had befallen her…"

_He entered the room and watched her as she clutched a picture frame in her chest. Her back was turned away from the door and despite his rather sharp vision; he couldn't see his friend in that dark, lonely void he knew was called 'grief'. He wanted to comfort her but somehow, the words died in his throat. He could do nothing but stand there as he heard her crying softly. Her crystal tears the clear evidence of her crushing misery. _

"Unable to do anything, able to only cry and bear the cold passing of time. She reminded me so much of myself. The part of me that I hid behind closed doors so no one would know. The part I tried so hard to never let out in the open…"

_He could only approach her and wrap his arms around her sobbing form. Hoping that somehow he could share her pain and spare her from this agony. She was his only friend and she had been there for him always. She knew him better than anyone and he trusted her with the knowledge of his deepest secrets._

_She didn't deserve what happened and he knew that she would now be faced with a huge responsibility to her clan. He pitied her and more than that, he was worried about her. She was special to him and he promised to himself that time that he would protect her._

_Always. _

_Just as she vowed to stay with him._

_Forever._

**-xXx-**

Naruto slowly opened his eyes as slumber finally left him, he was still tired and a bit warm but it wasn't as bad as it was before. He turned to the side and saw that a few streaks of sunlight were peaking through the closed curtains of his room. He must've slept through the afternoon and night from the looks of it. He didn't feel the urge to get up and opted to just lying in bed as he thought about that dream he had.

A reminder of a past he could never go back to.

He only wished that she was happy and that she would forget about her promise to him. What was the point of the promise if he wasn't there anymore? But he knew her just as she knew him. She would hold onto the belief that he would come back because he promised he wouldn't die. He promised to her that he would watch her change her clan for the better.

She shouldn't wait for someone who most likely would never return.

He told himself that she deserved better. After all, she was the princess of her clan and he was the village pariah. He was aware of that fact and he tried to push her away but she clung onto him, reasoning that he needed a friend. He knew that she was very shy person yet she gathered her courage to talk to him and to befriend him. Ever since that day, they became best friends. She was one of the precious people he had in that village. He was glad that she would be protected because of her status and hoped that the clan had not been pressuring her too much.

His only consolation now was the belief that she was doing well.

Suddenly, he became aware of another presence in the room and realized he wasn't as alone as he thought he was. _Was I too out of it to notice her presence?_ He thought as he shifted his gaze to the right and saw a beautiful woman sitting on a chair placed on the side of his bed. His kaa-san was busy looking through a book in her hands but his sudden movement brought her gaze towards him. She smiled gently as she put the book down and gazed at him with her light amber-colored eyes, filled with concern and warmth.

"You shouldn't keep on pushing yourself too hard, Naru-kun," she said softly as she stood up from the chair and opted to sit down on the side of the bed. She brought her hand to his forehead and checked his temperature. Her brows were knitted with concern as she felt heat radiating through Naruto as he lay down on his bed.

"Kaa-san…" Naruto murmured as he placed his hand on tops of hers to ease her worries. He moved to a sitting position as she moved her hand away while clutching his own and settled by his side. He leaned back on the headboard with her assistance as he willed the slight headache that accompanied his movement to cease as he focused his attention to her.

"You had a bad dream again?" Tsunade asked as she fixed her gaze on her son and hoped that he would feel better soon. Even as a medic nin, she could only do so much for him. She knew that she had to be patient, he would get better soon and in the meantime, it was up to her to care for him and protect him danger.

"Not really. It's more like a memory from the past," Naruto answered softly. He then proceeded to tell her about what he dreamed about and his feelings about the person on his dreams. He tilted his head cutely at the expression that his kaa-san wore.

Tsunade stared incredulously at her son and wondered whether she should feel amused or exasperated. It seemed that he didn't only inherit Minato's genius but he also inherited the man's denseness regarding the opposite sex. She felt sorry for the girl since she knew that the girl had a little crush on her son and it didn't help that her son never noticed. She could only hope that Naruto didn't inherit his father's klutziness.

She remembered Jiraiya telling her about Minato and his apparent clumsiness whenever something nerve-wracking came up. The habit didn't diminish even as the man had gotten older and was the source of amusement for Kushina. Tsunade could only imagine Minato's reaction when Kushina told him she was pregnant. _Must've been a disaster_, she concluded.

"Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Naru-kun," Tsunade said as she stood up from the bed and walked over to the medicine box in the bathroom. She rummaged through a number of bottles until she found the medicine she was looking for. "Just had a random thought," she added with a sweat drop as she also got a glass of water and walked back to the bedroom.

Naruto took the medicine from her and drank it without fuss. He handed her the empty glass which she placed on the bedside table.

"You look very tired. Working too hard is bad for your health," Tsunade uttered as she looked him over and noticed how paler he was than usual. She knew that it was partly because of his condition and the other was that he was overworking himself like usual. "I admire your tenacity but you should take some time to relax every now and then," she added scoldingly as she fixed him with her stare.

"Gomen," Naruto apologized as he kept his eyes lowered and knew that his kaa-san's protective urges were making its appearance. He loved that about her but somehow, it smothered him at times. He really didn't need to be taken care of all the time since he was capable of doing it himself. "I guess I did push myself too hard during the lessons and trainings," he said as he remembered the times he spent learning and training to be a shinobi.

"You shouldn't rush yourself and instead, keep everything at a moderate pace," Tsunade said with a smile. "When you get better, I'll start your chakra control training and who knows, you might be able to reproduce some of my techniques before the year ends."

"Arigatou, kaa-san," Naruto said sincerely. "I'm sorry for worrying you all the time. I guess I've gotten used to thinking I shouldn't waste my time and instead get stronger sooner that I've forgotten a lot of things."

"You're always telling me you want to get stronger."

"It's because I want to use that strength to protect my precious people," Naruto said brightly.

No words were needed to be said as his kaa-san moved from her position and wrapped her arms around him just like how he used to do whenever his best friend was near and he was extremely happy. Tsunade wanted him to feel her happiness and that she would always be there for him no matter what.

The slug sannin knew that it might be too soon for her son's wounds to heal, but she knew that one day he would get past it. After all, he still had the strength to keep on smiling and thinking that the future would get better. For now though, she was satisfied with holding him close and promising to herself that she wouldn't lose another precious person.

The warm atmosphere was suddenly broken by the arrival of a certain person.

"I see that you're doing well now, gaki," Jiraiya said as he walked inside the room. "Being Tsunade's son, you must've heard a lot about me. I'm –"

"Ero ojii-san," Naruto interrupted tonelessly as he gazed at the toad sannin. He couldn't stop a grin from breaking out of his face as he heard his kaa-san's laughter and Jiraiya's indignant sputtering.

_This is my life now,_ he thought determinedly._ I'm the one who chose to walk this path and I'll make sure that I'll see this through until the very end. _

**-xXx-**

"You'll never believe this but it looks like that damned bitch had a son," a man said excitedly to his companions. Their features were bathed in shadows but if one were to look closely, each one wore a slashed hitai-ate signifying their status as a nuke-nin.

"Never thought that woman would have a child. Maybe she just adopted the little brat," one voiced out.

The only woman in the group laughed heartily before suggesting, "Adopted or not doesn't make any difference, you idiots! The bottom line is that she loves the brat and is her family. Wouldn't it be the perfect revenge for her to lose her only son?"

"Heh! You're damn right. What better way to pay back that big breasted bitch than to kidnap her only child? Besides, it'll be a piece of cake for us to take on the little brat," another one suggested with confidence.

Everyone voiced their agreement amidst the cheering.

"Looks like everyone's in," the woman commented.

The leader of the group then said, "It's settled then. Our target this time is Senju Tsunade's son."

**-Chapter 02 end-**

* * *

**A/N:** Looks like another chapter is finished! Hope everyone enjoyed reading this story! =) Naruto and Jiraiya finally met and looks like a group of nuke-nin are after Naruto. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed as well as added this story to their favorites and alerts list. You guys definitely inspired me to continue this fic!

The next chapter would feature a lot of action as Naruto tries to face off with a group of nuke-nin intent on bringing him harm. With his condition, how will he be able to do just that? Find out in the next chapter…


	4. 03 A Place to Go Home to

**Shinobi Chronicles: Advent of the Black Storm**

** Chapter 03 – A Place to Go Home To**

* * *

"_Home wasn't a set house, or a single town on a map. It was wherever the people who loved you were, whenever you were together. Not a place, but a moment, and then another, building on each other like bricks to create a solid shelter that you take with you for your entire life, wherever you may go." – Sarah Dessen_

* * *

"You're one of _the_ most boring people I ever met, gaki. Don't you have any other hobbies aside from _this_?" Jiraiya commented off-handedly as he watched his newest apprentice read through the different learning materials that Tsunade had provided for the day. Most of which included extensive history of the elemental nations, proper etiquette, human anatomy, sealing techniques and so on.

The toad sage wondered how Naruto could stand reading those books. He remembered when he was Naruto's age; he hated the sheer boringness of those materials. It was enough to make him sleepy and Sarutobi-sensei always complained about him goofing off instead of training his mind. It was followed by a long lecture of the importance of training both mind and body.

His sensei later on learned that he preferred the hands-on approach rather than theory first, action later.

It had been a good three months since he first encountered Minato's son and in that space of time he had become attached to the kid. He wouldn't be lying if he said that he quite liked Naruto and he found teaching the kid to be worthwhile. He had the definite feeling that Naruto would be great shinobi in the future and he was going to be one of those who would help the kid reach those heights. His teammate had already started and he was sure that the kid's parents had done the same (_he was currently staring at a scroll with handwriting that looked suspiciously like Minato's_) and he would be damned if he didn't make his own contribution.

"If you consider peeping as a hobby then my answer is no I don't," Naruto replied cheerfully as he wrote some side notes on his journal regarding the scroll he was reading. He was fascinated by the theories regarding space and time displacement along with fuuinjutsu or sealing techniques. Currently, he was tweaking the sealing arrays and recording the important details of the hypothesis.

The toad sennin sweat dropped at the smart assed response. Definitely reminded him of Tsunade and Kushina. Maybe a bit of Minato's quick wit mixed in there. He wondered briefly if this was going to be a regular occurrence between the two of them.

It wasn't his fault that he couldn't stop admiring and worshipping the beauty of a woman's body. He was just a man following his instincts. His Icha Icha books were dedicated solely for the purpose of sharing the magnificence of females to the opposite sex. Besides, his inspiration appears only at the sight of a woman's bare body.

_Damn Tsu-hime for influencing the gaki to dislike perverts._

"Kids your age should be rolling around in the mud and doing _fun_ things. Not sitting around inside your house being this boring," Jiraiya continued exasperatedly. "When I was your age…" He would have stated a lot more but something caught his eye. "What the hell is this? Hmm… Those are quite detailed explanations. I have to say you have good penmanship for a little kid," he said in surprise as he scanned one of the notes Naruto had written.

On the outside he was calm and he exuded the aura of a confident yet proud teacher. On the inside though was a different matter.

Jiraiya's chibi-self was crying rivers of tears and sulking in the corner of his mindscape as he thought about how unfair it was that an eight year old child had _better_ penmanship than him. His editors often complained about how his handwriting looked more like chicken scrawls than a form of art.

"Are you saying that because you're handwriting sucks or something?" Naruto asked, not knowing that he hit the proverbial nail in the head.

Chibi Jiraiya's crying had gotten stronger and seemed to flood his mindscape with tears at the question.

"You know what, gaki?" the sannin said, his right eye twitching in irritation. "You're getting more and more like Tsu-hime every passing day."

Naruto cocked his head to the side in confusion. "That's good," he said as he stopped writing in his journal to stare at his sensei pointedly. "Despite you being a strong ninja, I still wouldn't want to be likened to a pervert like you."

"I'm not a pervert," Jiraiya said indignantly, causing Naruto to gaze at him steadily, wondering if his sensei would deny the statement. "_I'm_ a super pervert!"

Naruto resisted the urge to face fault and instead settled on sweat dropping at the response. He sighed deeply and returned back to his work. He didn't want to get caught in his sensei's bout of childishness _and_ stupidity.

"You damned brat! Pay attention when I'm talking," Jiraiya shouted as he playfully ruffled Naruto's hair. Knowing that the kid disliked it when he did that.

"Gah! _Sensei_!" Naruto shouted in protest as he tried to push Jiraiya's hands away from his head. He exhaled loudly as he realized that his hair had gotten even messier than before (_it looked more like a bird's nest now_) and he glared at his sensei for making it that way.

Jiraiya was unfazed by the glare and opted to chuckle at the kid's predicament. "You know, you should enjoy life more," he said good-naturedly. "You're still a kid, Naruto. It's okay that you're dedicated to your training and studies but sometimes you need to relax every now and then. Make friends, see the sights, or stuff like that."

Naruto smiled sadly.

"I don't think I'm good at making friends, sensei. I've never really been a well liked person back in the village and every time I tried to make friends it always ended up in a disaster," he stated with a far-off look in his eyes. "That's why I stopped trying even though I didn't want to. I thought that it was better off for me to be alone. Less chance of getting hurt."

Jiraiya gazed at his student with concern. He had heard from Tsunade already that Naruto lived a hard life but he realized just now how hard it truly was. He couldn't fathom the feeling of being alone at that age. Kids like Naruto needed acceptance and companionship from others especially those of his age. But it seemed that Naruto didn't have that. All because of narrow-minded adults.

_Another reason for me to dislike the village. Any more of these revelations and I would start thinking of Konoha like Tsunade does._

He thought that it would be the end of the conversation and was surprised when Naruto spoke again.

"But I was mistaken," Naruto continued with a nostalgic smile. "She told me that no one deserves to be alone. That if I wanted to, she could be my friend. She taught me the importance of friendship and having bonds with other people."

"I can see that she's a very important person for you, gaki," Jiraiya mentioned.

Naruto nodded. "She's my best friend. She's the only person my age who played with me and who kept me company. I don't think her father likes me very much though but at least, he didn't try to force her away from me like all the other adults did. He just turned a blind eye to everything me and her did."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"I do," Naruto confessed. "She's been a huge part of my life and she knew me better than anyone else. Probably because we shared a lot of secrets with each other. For her, it was her problem with her clan and her father. For me, it was the Kyuubi."

"She knows?" Jiraiya asked with surprise written all over his features.

Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "She was already putting together the pieces when I finally told her the truth. I mean, the villagers weren't exactly subtle at their name calling and actions. If anyone just bothered to look closely, they can piece the truth. So I then told her that I would understand if she hated me as well and that I was happy to be her friend."

"So what happened next?" Jiraiya said as he brought out his infamous _research_ notebook and started scribbling the details. There was something sweet and cute about the story and he wasn't about to pass up the chance to add the scene to his next Icha Icha book. He would tweak the details a bit but all in all, it was good material.

"She hugged me, crying all the way. Then she told me that I was stupid and that I'm not a monster," Naruto said while blushing a bit at the memory. "That having Kyuubi inside me wouldn't make a difference and that I'll always be her best friend. I cried that time too and we spent an hour trying to dry our tears. Not the coolest moment in my life but I guess it didn't matter since I found a really great friend in her."

"Hoho… That's some friend you got there," Jiraiya said as he thought about how one little girl was smarter than all of the adults in Konoha. At least she knew the difference between Naruto and the Kyuubi.

"I'll never regret meeting her and I hope that one day I'll see her again," Naruto said as he stood up and wore his goggles around his eyes. With the item in place, some of his features were hidden. Along with his black hair, he wasn't recognizable as Uzumaki Naruto. "I'm heading out for a while, sensei. I'll be back before dinner."

"By the way, who is this person? You never mentioned her name once in our talk," Jiraiya asked as he watched his student heading for the door.

Naruto pulled up the hood of his jacket, casting his features in the shadows. "Hyuuga Hinata," he said before disappearing from sight. Not noticing that a little toad was following him.

**-xXx-**

'_The number one tool of a shinobi is deception. Everything is based on surprise and misdirection.'_

Naruto remembered that lesson very well and he had lived under the guise of deception all his life. He knew now what he needed to do and he figured that this will be a test for him. These people didn't know him and right now, he had a chance to create a new identity for himself. One that he could use in the future. The name Naruto couldn't exist because that name died all those years ago. He was called Tobi now. His kaa-san gave him the name Senju Tobi.

It only meant that these ninjas were after him because of his mother's name. He counted that there were four of them and he knew that he couldn't let these people get a hold of him. Not when he still had a lot to accomplish. He steeled himself and prepared for a confrontation.

"Is there something you need from Tobi?" Naruto asked childishly as the man wearing civilian clothing approached him. He knew that the man was a ninja judging from the way the man moved. There was a certain grace and danger with the man and he had learned to read movements all those years ago in Konoha. "Tobi needs to hurry home because kaa-san would worry too much."

Unseen from behind his goggles, his eyes narrowed as he took in everyone's reaction. He could see clearly that they saw him now as a weird little kid who knew nothing about being a ninja and with their guards down it meant that they thought of him as no threat or a weak brat.

_Looks like this kind of persona had its advantages._

"Can you help us find our way in this town?" the man asked in a deceptively innocent voice. He had a scar on the left side of his face and his wheat colored hair reached his back. "You see, we're kinda new here and I would very much appreciate it if you help direct us to the nearest inn. Of course, we'll pay for your services. How about it, kid?"

Naruto went into an exaggerated thinking pose, looking like the naïve child they thought him to be. In his head, he was already going to different plans on how to get away from these people. He knew that they far faster than him and stronger for that matter, his only chance lie in being able to catch them off-guard.

"Kaa-san always tells Tobi not to talk to strangers," Naruto stated as he straightened up. "Tobi is a good boy. That's why Tobi has to go now," he continued.

"Wait! My name's Sakasaki," the man said as he walked forward. "If you're a _good boy_, shouldn't you help us out? It won't take too long," he reasoned.

Naruto could hear the note of desperation on the man's voice. Naruto knew that he was still far from home but if he managed to outwit and outrun these people, he might be able to find help. He knew the chances of an eight year old doing it was slim but there was really no choice but to try. His survival was at stake and he would be damned if he went down without a fight.

"Sorry but kaa-san's orders come first," Naruto said as he released a large smoke bomb and broke into a run, heading towards the thickets and pulling out a couple of modified explosion tag from his pocket. He distantly heard the shout of the man telling his comrades to hurry.

He cursed his luck at the current predicament. He went to the forest near the town in order to train some of his techniques after finding nothing to do when he left his house. Before he could head deeper into the forest and away from prying eyes, these people approached him. It was bad luck that those people want to kidnap him.

He ducked as a kunai went sailing past his head and he forced himself to run faster. He felt only one chakra signature following him but he knew that it wouldn't be long before the others followed this trail.

He fell down as he avoided another kunai, his left hand scraping along the earth. He gritted his teeth and stood back fast. The area he touched glowed faintly but it was mostly ignored with all of the action. Naruto then spun around, blocking the numerous projectiles coming his way with a kunai in each hand.

The enemy ninja appeared in front of him. "That's weird. I didn't think you carried any weapons on you earlier."

"Maybe ninja-san is just imagining things," Naruto answered. "Tobi always carried these kunai. Kaa-san said they're to protect Tobi in case of danger," he added innocently.

"It's not going to protect you, _Tobi_," the man sneered. "So be a good little boy and just come with us. I promise we won't hurt you."

Naruto shook his head.

"Do you really think you can take me on? _You_, a little brat who isn't even a ninja?" the man said arrogantly.

"Of course Tobi does," Naruto said cheerfully and he watched as the man's eyes narrowed at his confident words. Before the ninja could speak he extended his left hand in a shooting motion and said, "Bang!"

There was a flash of light and an explosion occurred under the ninja without any warning.

The man screamed in pain as he was blown back by the force of the explosion. He could smell the blood and burning flesh. He clutched his left hand where most of the pain centered but found that there was no arm left. Further inspection, he found that his legs were broken by the impact. He kept on whimpering as he tried in vain to stop the bleeding.

He looked up when he heard footsteps coming closer.

"I thought that ninjas were taught never to underestimate one's opponents," Naruto uttered tonelessly. His demeanor different from the one before that his opponent reeled back in slight fear.

"W-Who t-t-the hell a-a-are you?"

"I'm Senju Tobi. Someone who survived countless of life and death situations. Who faced stronger ninjas compared to you," Naruto said coldly, unknowingly instilling more fear into the man he was speaking to. "Who felt pain the likes of which would make what you're feeling now a mere child's play. Who saw both the light and dark in our world. I'm not an innocent child. That innocence died a year ago when I lost everything from my former life."

The man couldn't help but shudder at the dark-haired child's words. What the hell had he missed? Where was the innocent child from earlier? _Was everything a goddamned lie?_ He winced as his wounds kept on bleeding sluggishly. _Fuck!_ He shouldn't have let his guard down. He didn't even feel that he was standing on an explosive tag.

"I pushed myself far beyond what was needed in order to keep on living. I know what the real world is like and I have what it takes to survive," Naruto continued, resisting the urge to take off his goggles and rub the discomfort in his eyes. It had been like that since the fight started. "I've been playing this damned game of survival all of my waking moment."

He approached the man, who by now seemed to accept his fate, katana appearing at his right hand. He kept on telling himself not to hesitate. To hesitate is to die. "_Sayonara,_" he whispered. In a single swift motion, the man's head was separated from his body.

With the act done and over with, Naruto proceeded to run towards the bushes in order to puke his guts out. He knew that as soon as this problem was finished, he would be thinking about what he did today.

His first kill.

Done in cold blood.

**-xXx-**

Some time later, Naruto panted for breath as he backed against a row of trees, knowing full well that he had no way out of his predicament. He tried the same plan but it didn't work as well as it did before.

He had been dodging, running and hiding from the other enemies. It didn't help that they were pissed off for what he did. The other ninjas had then surrounded him easily. He also refused to dwell on the fact that he had killed one of the ninjas in his self-defense.

"You fucking brat! I'll fucking kill you for whatever you did!" a woman with dark colored hair and green eyes shouted as she pulled out a kunai from her pouch.

Before she could throw the kunai, the man from earlier named Sakasaki grabbed her wrist. "Stop it, Reika! We can't kill the brat. It's Mako's fault that he got caught in a trap," he said calmly. "Besides, this kid is our meal ticket. We could sell him to either of the hidden villages. He's a Senju and I'm sure they'll pay millions of ryo just to get their hands on him," he continued and let go of Reika's wrist as soon as the woman calmed down.

"Fucking hurry up and restrain the brat before he escapes," Reika stated with repressed anger. "Last thing we need is another repeat of that fuck up from before."

Naruto's eyes widened in fear at what he heard and he thought about means of escaping this mess. The three were now on guard and traps wouldn't work this time around. He didn't have much chakra but he could perform some jutsus. Before he could go through the hand signs, he heard a man's voice.

"_**Kanashibari no Jutsu [1],**_" he said and Naruto made the mistake of looking at Sakasaki.

He found himself not being able to move any part of his body as the jutsu finally took hold of him. He tried to move his fingers but they wouldn't listen to his commands. His heart thudded in fear at the thought of not being able to do anything.

The hairs on the back of Naruto's neck tingled the way they always did when he felt he was being watched by someone.

The man was no longer looking at him. He was looking over Naruto's shoulder, giving someone a curt nod. The other, the woman named Reika was smirking at his predicament.

Naruto tried to move his head but it proved harder than he thought. Before he could see who was behind him, he was yanked forcefully backward. His arms were swiftly pinned. Something coarse and woolen was shoved in his mouth. It balled his tongue toward the back of his throat, making him gag.

He regained movement as the jutsu finally lost its hold but by then it was too late. He twisted and pulled, trying to fight, until a sudden kick took him off his feet. The world spun as he landed harshly. He was on his back and Sakasaki towered over him. His facial bruise from the explosion earlier, made black by the light, did not conceal his look of utter triumph.

"Blame your mother for giving you the name Senju," he said with a feral smile.

Everything went black as the man's shoe finally came swinging towards his head.

**-xXx-**

"Why didn't you mention earlier that someone's after him? Its common knowledge in this town that I'm together with a little kid who might or might not be my son," Tsunade said as she occupied the seat that Naruto left vacant an hour earlier. "The moment he left this house without any of us accompanying him is the moment those people might make a move. They could hurt him or worse."

Jiraiya's mood turned somber and he gazed at Tsunade with a sober gaze. "It's cruel of me to leave him to face off those enemies alone but it's needed for him to experience this in order to survive in the shinobi world. He needs to do this, Tsunade. Babying him won't get him anywhere."

He felt incredibly old in that moment. In order to fully train Naruto he'd had to take away the kid's remaining innocence and naivety. He knew that it was the only way. That didn't mean that it didn't hurt him in the process. He had spent most of his life trying to save and protect innocence, not tear it down so cruelly.

"But still… He's only eight. Naruto's practically a child and you've left him for the wolves," Tsunade replied with a barely restrained anger in her voice.

"He has powerful enemies wanting him dead!" Jiraiya retorted, not liking the way Tsunade implied that he didn't care for Naruto. The kid was practically like a son to him now and of course, he was worried as hell. Naruto had a way of worming his way into another person's heart without even trying. "I know that he is still a child and don't you dare imply that I'm not concerned about his well-being."

"Well, you're not giving me that impression by doing this stupid stunt," Tsunade said as she stood up and walked over to the window. The sun was almost going down and she was sure that those ninjas were already making a move. If she hurried, she might be able to stop those bastards before they reached Naruto.

"It also pains me to watch him destroy the last vestiges of his innocent childhood because I know that is what's going to happen today," Jiraiya said as he remained stubborn in his decision. "Those ninjas are at chuunin level. Naruto had trained for most of his life and I'm confident he'll be able to keep his ground long enough for us to help him. But we can't interfere too early."

"Why are you doing this?"

"He can't be afraid to face death in the eye. He can't be weak if he wants to protect others. His will cannot falter if he wants to become strong."

"I understand, Jiraiya. But it's _just_ too soon," Tsunade uttered with pain in her eyes.

Jiraiya looked at her in the eye with all the seriousness he could muster. "Time's already running short," he stated. "If he's going to face off with Akatsuki and all those who want him dead, he has to reach S-class status. He had to become a strong shinobi. The sooner, the better."

"He's my son!"

"And he's my apprentice and godson!"

Both of them stared at each other, unwilling to back down.

"He's important to both of us but he has to do this alone," Jiraiya said, breaking the tense silence between them. "He has to learn how to survive on his own. We can't always be there to protect him, Tsu-hime."

"Jiraiya…" Tsunade whispered, knowing that she had just lost the argument. She held back her tears at knowing that she let her son face danger even though she promised to protect him. Despite that, she knew that her old teammate raised some fine points.

Jiraiya's face softened a notch. "You know, Naruto's always so reserved and he keeps on downplaying his skills and his abilities. He has gotten so used to hiding himself that he unconsciously keeps on doing it. It hard to read him and I don't know who he really is underneath all the layers he built. Even now, he finds it hard to open up to others."

"It still pains me to know that I'm letting him get hurt by not protecting him."

Tsunade walked towards the cupboard to retrieve a bottle of sake and cups. She definitely needed a drink to calm her frayed nerves. She was glad that Shizune was still working her shift at the local hospital. She knew that her apprentice would vehemently protest at what she and her old teammate were doing.

"He has to experience the life of a ninja, Tsu-hime. This is the path he chose and we all know that a shinobi walks alongside death," Jiraiya said seriously. "Naruto is surprisingly perceptive and he knows as much as we do. He knows that in the future we'll be facing a lot of strong ninjas the likes of which we've never seen before. Through his capture by the Akatsuki, he had seen the reality of our world. And right now, most of us can see that a war is coming."

"The brat's too smart for his own good," Tsunade said with a small smile. "Reminds me too much of his father."

She walked back to the table and shared a cup of sake with Jiraiya.

"That's the kid for you. Besides, if things get too rough, we'll step in. I already have a toad summon following him around," Jiraiya stated. "But for now, we'll let him do this on his own. Besides, I'm curious as well about his abilities. I've never seen him go all out in our training the past few months."

Tsunade snorted at the statement. "You don't know half of what the brat's been hiding. He's as innovative as his parents. Remember the weird seals on his wrists," she said as she took a sip from her sake and she saw Jiraiya nod his head. "Well, he asked me to put them on him after he created it based on his father's unfinished designs and all I can say is that for now, that's his ultimate jutsu. It's not that strong compared to most jutsus but it can be unpredictable."

"I'll be looking forward to seeing that jutsu in action then. Looks like I'll be teaching him a lot of fuuinjutsu, seeing as he's fascinated with the art."

Another silence erupted at the Senju household as both of them contemplated on the present issue at hand.

"What if today's encounter with his enemy changes him? Not for the better, but for the worse," Tsunade asked, voicing her other concern about her son.

"It won't," Jiraiya stated simply.

The slug sannin raised a brow at her teammate's confidence. "How can you be so sure?" she asked.

At the question, Jiraiya couldn't help but smile as he thought about Minato's son. "His will is strong. Stronger than anyone I've ever met. Give the gaki some credit, Tsu-hime," he said confidently. "Despite everything that happened in his life, the hatred and loneliness, the abduction by Akatsuki, the betrayal of Konoha's council, and so much more, he still has that light in his heart."

"I always found it weird that he can still be the same lovable brat. Other people would have been broken by what he experienced. I mean, he can't go back home and the one constant in his life is gone," Tsunade uttered sadly.

"Like I said, he's strong. That's why I'm confident that he'll be able to move past this obstacle. I'm still not sure about the repercussions of his experiences but at least, I can be sure that he isn't some murdering psychopath filled with hatred or an emotionless tool with no care about human life."

Tsunade sighed in resignation. "I hope that you're right and that my son will be okay after this. Or else, I'll make sure that the beating you received years ago when you peeked on me will be considered a child's play," she said with venom on her voice. "_I'll make you wish you were never born in this world, you pervert_."

"H-Hai…" Jiraiya gulped and paled instantly at the threat. He remembered the event all too well and how close he came to dying that time.

"After this is over, what'll be next on your agenda?"

Jiraiya offered her a wide smile. "He'll be a full fledged shinobi and I'll teach him everything I know."

**-xXx-**

A dull throbbing roused Naruto. Every time blood pulsed through his head it brought a fresh wave of intense pain. He cracked his eyes open and winced; tears rushed to his goggled eyes as the sensation worsened. He blinked and looked away from the bright lantern placed near him. When he tried to sit up, he realized that his hands were tied tightly together behind his back. He remembered with clarity the events that happened before he woke up.

He looked around and guessed he was in a warehouse of some kind. The interior was surprisingly clean. Junk had been moved off to the side, and there wasn't any broken glass lying around. Tires were stacked in the corner by a pile of battered sacks and wooden crates. Moonlight streamed in through the mostly intact windows located a few meters away from him. Steel columns stretched from the concrete floor to the ceiling.

"I see that you're finally awake," the man with a scar on his face said as he sat a few feet away from Naruto. The one who introduced himself as Sakasaki.

With his hands and feet bound, the gag fixed in place with a thick cord, Naruto could only glare at the man with hatred. Not that the man could see it with Naruto's goggles covering the upper half of his face.

Naruto struggled hard against the ropes in hopes of loosening it without resorting to using chakra.

"Don't," the man uttered. "Takashi used two interlocked handcuff knots. The more you pull, the tighter they get. Keep at it and you'll cut off the blood supply. You could lose a hand or foot. And that's something we don't want to happen now, do we?"

The man wasn't lying. The pressure around Naruto's wrists was vise-like.

"It's your fault anyway. You just had to pull that stunt instead of coming quietly with us," the tall woman with dark red hair sneered as she marched over to Naruto and pulled him up by his hair. He gave a muffled grunt and closed his eyes in pain. "You're lucky we need you alive or else I'd have slit your pretty little throat already for killing Mako," she added as she dropped him harshly.

"I wonder how you managed to do that," Sakasaki said with amusement shining in his eyes. "Never thought you had it in you, little kid. Quite merciless. The way you killed him," he continued as he thought back on the time he met the Senju.

Naruto glared at the man and unknown to him and everyone else, his eyes began to bleed into red and formed into a two tomoed sharingan.

"It was careless of us not to assume the brat had ninja training," a man with dark red hair said from the doorway. "That damned bitch must've taught him how to fight," he said as he headed towards Naruto. The red-haired man kicked Naruto in the stomach and Naruto gave a muffled sound of pain.

Naruto unconsciously curled up and closed his eyes tightly. It hurt a lot and it reminded him of the incident a year ago. An incident he wanted to forget but seemed to follow him everywhere. His heart sped up in fear as he found his situation getting worse by the second.

_Calm down! Getting afraid and panicking isn't going to save anyone!_

He had to clear his head and start thinking of another plan. His kaa-san told him that his mind was his greatest weapon. It was time to put it into the test once more. He could escape the bindings even thought it was fastened tight. It would require a bit of chakra but the _**Nawanuke no Jutsu [2]**_ would do the trick. His main problem now was getting away from those three.

An hour later, the other two left the woman named Reika in the room with him. Naruto calculated the distance between them, knowing he had to have room in order to escape. He counted down mentally and when she turned her back momentarily, he released a small burst of chakra that loosened the roped he was bound with. He ripped off the gag and instinctively performed the hand signs for _**Kawarimi no Jutsu [3]**_.

It was a good move on his part as he watched from the corner of his eyes, several kunai and shuriken impacting the sack he used for the kawarimi. The one closest to the window. He wasted no time as he burst through the window in a shower of glass.

"The fuck! Guys, the brat's getting away!" Reika shouted as she pulled another kunai from her holster and threw it in Naruto's direction. She watched as he dodged the projectile again.

Naruto headed towards the forest, knowing he had better cover in the dark foliages and since it was night time, he could blend in the darkness. He thanked his kaa-san for changing his hair color to black. If it was the same blonde, he would have a hard time hiding.

_Make them angry. Anger clouds a person's judgment and makes them commit mistakes._

"Tobi wants to play hide and seek!" Naruto called out cheerfully, trying to keep his voice steady despite his heart speeding up from fear. He waved his hand annoyingly at the ninjas. "Tobi is good at hiding though!" he continued in a sing-song voice as he disappeared in the trees.

Takashi gnashed his teeth in anger. "That damned kid. Getting all cocky on us!" he bellowed as he followed Naruto into the forest. "Reika. Sakasaki. Forget the bounty. I'm going to cut up that little brat for playing with us!"

"I'm with you there! I'll take revenge for what he did to Mako!" Reika shouted back as she followed Takashi into the forest.

Sakasaki gave a cry of frustration as his comrades went on ahead without thinking things through. He knew better than to underestimate the Senju and he partly blamed Reika for pulling this stunt. Maybe he shouldn't have gotten greedy and left Senju Tsunade's child alone. That way they wouldn't have been in this mess.

He heard a rustling sound from somewhere behind and before he could react; he felt a cold flash of metal in his throat. The next thing he knew he was choking on his own blood and everything went mercifully dark.

**-xXx-**

Naruto tried to catch his breath as he leaned against a tree, cradling his wounded arm. It was only a scratch but it stung quite a bit. Takashi had managed to catch him off guard with a barrage of weapons and he had been a second too late in dodging. He retaliated by throwing a kunai wrapped in an explosive tag.

He realized then that for the first time in his life, he _fought back_. He fought against the guy named Mako and now he was fighting the two attackers. The realization sent him reeling. Years ago, he always gave up trying to fight his attackers and let them do as they pleased. He never raised a hand against anyone because he knew that they would only hurt him more. He was the Kyuubi child and any retaliation would be used against him.

But it wasn't the case now.

_Kaa-san and sensei were right. I'm free now. _

_Free to do what I wanted to do. Free to choose my own destiny. Free to be happy and to enjoy life._

He resisted the urge to laugh at the irony of only learning this by being in a life and death situation.

He wasn't going to die. He was going to survive and see his family. He was going to meet Hinata again.

Naruto knew that he had one last shot to defeat those ninjas and he prepared himself by calculating his chakra levels. He was surprised by the steady drain in his reserves since he hadn't been using any high-level techniques. He had no time to wonder about it as he felt that he had enough chakra to activate his new jutsu.

"_**Mugen Buki wo Shoukan no Jutsu [4]**__,"_ he whispered as the seals on both of his wrists appeared and changed from black to red. In an instant, a small tessen appeared on his right hand.

Takashi moved from tree to tree at blinding speed until he was in front of the young Senju. He waited for the right moment to strike, his entire body perfectly still. He grinned at the thought of cutting up the brat who had given them far too much trouble. When the Senju passed below him, he jumped, absorbing the impact of the ground with a smooth bend of the legs that turned almost instantly into a vicious kick directed at the kid's head. He watched in sick fascination as the kid staggered back. He pressed his advantage with a flurry of kicks before reaching for his short-sword.

As Takashi moved his hand to his belt, he lowered his eyes for a fraction of a second. It was then that something smashed into his ribs, crushing some bones and sending a tsunami of pain through his body. His vision blurred in the intense pain but he managed to see the brat pull his hand back and he realized that the tessen or fan was not a mere harmless tool – it was a heavy metal bar disguised as an everyday object, a classic ninja trick

Naruto once again struck with the bar but his enemy easily parried the strike. He knew from the man's expression that he was feeling a surge of confidence at being able to finally manage to free his sword. He watched as if in slow motion as Takashi swung it in an downward arc, calculated to shatter the jaw and cut the arteries in the neck.

Takashi was surprised when the brat somehow turned out of the sword's path, bringing the fan-turned-club down onto his wrist. He felt his wrist shatter at the chakra induced weapon and the sword dropped to the ground just as a fisful of sharp metal destroyed his left eye. A knuckle-duster. His legs gave way and he sank to the ground.

"I-I knew I w-wasn't imagining things," Takashi stuttered out weakly. "Y-You can s-summon weapons."

Naruto stood over the fallen ninja and drew a wakizashi from out of nowhere; the short sword's blade was so sharp that it glistened as if surrounded by heat. He whirled it around his fingers expertly. He saw in the man's remaining eye the resignation and defeat. Without warning, he plunged the weapon into the man's chest.

_I killed another one. In less than a day, I killed another person._

Naruto heard the sound of whirring metal moving at high speeds against the air. His intuition told him to move fast and he knew since long ago that his instincts were mostly correct. Years of being in Konoha where hatred for the demon he once held ran rampant, he honed his senses to the point of being able to detect danger coming for him.

He dived to the left immediately and managed to avoid most of the thrown projectiles. He cried out in pain as two of the shurikens hit him in the shoulder and left ankle respectively. He crashed hard into the ground.

He crashed into the ground as he shakily pulled the weapons from his flesh. He gritted his teeth in pain as he tried to stand but found that he couldn't. He heard footsteps approaching him and he tried to pull himself away.

"Say your prayers, Senju!" Reika shouted as she drew her katana and poised it ready to stab Naruto.

He closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable as he knew that he was not going to escape this one. He heard the sound of a katana whistling through the air. But before it could meet him, he heard someone's voice.

"What the fuck have you done to my son?" Tsunade shouted as she grasped the blade of the katana in her hand.

When Reika saw the person who blocked her attack, her face quickly paled and she took several steps back in fear. Right before her was Senju Tsunade, one of the _densetsu no sannin_. What scared her most was that the woman looked furious beyond words and the killing intent was directed at her. By the look on the sannin's eyes, she knew that the chances of her escaping let alone living were very slim.

"You made two mistakes today," Tsunade said coldly. "One was that you kidnapped my son and the other was that you _dared_ to hurt him and almost killed him!" she practically shouted the last part and her killer intent spiked once more.

Without warning, Tsunade rushed at her and delivered a chakra enhanced punch. Reika dodged at the last second and she watched in fear as the attack created a massive crater. Because of her close proximity, she had several large cuts from the flying debris.

Reika coughed out blood as she struggled to stand. She wasn't going down without a fight.

"Die you bitch!" Reika shouted desperately as she ignored her injuries and rushed at Tsunade with her katana.

"Kaa-san, watch out!" Naruto shouted as he watched the enemy try a last desperate attack on his mother. As soon as he said those words, chains glowing an eerie dark blue burst from out of nowhere and restrained the kunoichi, allowing the slug sannin to punch her with all of her strength. There was a scared look in Reika's eyes as she dropped to the ground dead.

Naruto's shock was mirrored by everyone in the clearing. For Tsunade and Jiraiya, those chains brought back memories of a beautiful red-headed girl from the Uzumaki clan.

As soon as she had gotten over her shock, Tsunade wasted no time and rushed towards Naruto's still form. She wrapped him tightly in her arms and Naruto felt tears sliding down his cheeks as the events finally caught up to him. The fight. The kill. The fear. He closed his eyes and returned the hug. He was so scared that he would never see his kaa-san again and being helpless that time reminded him too much of the past.

He also thought about those weird chains and the way his vision changed slightly. When he fought before, everything moved in slow motion.

_What is happening to me? _He thought with fear.

**-xXx-**

Letting his pain out in the open was something that Naruto never liked other people to witness. Back when he was still in Konoha, showing those feelings were a sign of weakness and it was something they capitalized on. They tried to make things hurt more for him so he decided to hide everything under a false pretense of happiness.

Only Hinata seemed to see through his masks. She was always good at seeing through him and he knew that no matter what he did, she would always know whether he was in pain. She told him one time that it hurt to see him faking a smile.

It had been a day since he was almost kidnapped and his family decided to leave him alone to think things through. His kaa-san understood that he had to be by himself in order to come terms with what happened. But he knew that sooner or later, someone would talk to him.

He sat in his room with his knees against his chin, hugging himself. The wall was pressed into the curve of his spine. His features were concealed by the hood of his burnt orange jacket like always. He pulled the hood lower on his face, casting his features in the shadows.

"What's eating you, brat? It's not like you to sulk like this," Jiraiya commented as he entered the room and perched himself on the bed, right beside his student.

Naruto sighed as he looked up and gazed at the skies outside the window. "I'm pathetic," he said sadly. "I was a little confident of myself and got caught by the enemy as a result. I almost got my secret found out and all throughout the fight, I was scared."

"Things happen, kid. Sometimes not everything is good but it's there so we could learn from our mistakes," Jiraiya uttered in a sage-like way. "The past should stay in the past, Naruto. The only thing you should do now is move on."

"I've killed two of them in cold blood," Naruto said suddenly. "I'm not proud of what I did but I don't regret it either. Does that make me a bad person?" he asked.

Jiraiya smiled sadly as he placed a hand on Naruto's hair and ruffled it in a soothing motion. "It doesn't, Naruto," he said simply. "Those ninjas tried to kill you and you just defended yourself. You should remember that ninjas live alongside death and it is something we cannot avoid. But remember this; you must always fight to protect your precious people."

"My precious people?"

"Yup. Your precious people," Jiraiya replied. "A true shinobi fights for the people he cares about. He would lay down his life to protect those who are precious to him. You know why?" he asked and he saw Naruto shake his head. "Because they are the only one who can keep him sane in a world filled with blood, deceit, and death."

"Hai. I'll always remember that, sensei," Naruto said in a more cheerful tone.

Jiraiya laughed a bit as he watched his newest student. He was right when he said that Naruto was interesting. "I'll have to up your training and this time, I want you to show me the techniques you used in your last fight," he said as he leaned against the wall. He came clean with truth of already knowing about the ninjas beforehand. At first the kid had a hurt look in his face but it didn't take long for Naruto to understand why he did what he did.

"That way, you'll show everyone back home that they made a mistake," Jiraiya continued.

"I don't know about Konoha being my home after all that happened," Naruto said. "But what I do know is that my home is right here. Where my family is."

Naruto looked at his sensei, intending to thank the man for everything he did for him. But was stopped when he noticed a glaringly obvious detail on the man's face. "Ne… Sensei? Why do you have a black eye?" he asked as he tilted his head in confusion.

Jiraiya cleared his throat at the kid's question. "Uh… Well… You see…" he trailed off, hoping that Naruto would drop the issue.

"Sensei?" But to no avail.

The sannin sighed. "Tsu-hime got pissed off that you got hurt and blamed me. She punched me in the face," he said, wincing when he remembered the event. "And let me tell you, gaki, no one wants to be on the receiving end of her punches."

"It was your fault in the first place no matter what the reason."

"Don't remind me," Jiraiya dead panned. "I think she broke my jaw with the first punch. At least, she decided to heal me afterwards. Although she left the black eye as a reminder for me not to pull the same stunt again."

Naruto laughed as he imagined it and a few seconds later, he was joined by Jiraiya. Unknown to the two of them, Tsunade smiled as she listened to her son's laughter.

_You were right, pervert. His will is stronger than anyone,_ she thought before leaving the two.

"So, can you tell me anything about those chains?" Naruto asked with a smile.

Jiraiya grinned. "Now that's a good question, gaki. You see, it all started with a young girl with red hair…"

Naruto listened as his teacher recounted the story about his birth mother. He smiled brightly as he learned about the person who brought him to this world. She was as strong as he imagined her to be just like his father.

Uzumaki Kushina… The Red Death…

Namikaze Minato… The Yellow Flash…

Senju Tsunade… The Legendary Medic…

Naruto knew that he had a lot to live up to but he was certain that one day, he'll make them proud. He believed that in the future his name would be as famous as his parents. It was a long journey but he thought it was worth every step of the way.

-**chapter 03 end-**

* * *

**A/N: **That's the end of chapter three. Hope you guys enjoyed it and please read and review. =) Reviews help inspire me and let me know whether I made mistakes in the chapters. It also helps me improve the story. =)

I also want to thank everyone who reviewed the last chapter and as some of you guessed, the final pairing will be NaruHina. Like I said earlier, I'm not really good at writing Harem.

Next chapter features a huge time skip and whatever important happened in between this chapter and the next would be in flashbacks. Keep in mind though that this is an AU story so the time line would change a bit and lots of details are _very_ different from canon.

**Next Chapter:**

Naruto's freelance mission takes him to a journey heading towards Yuki no Kuni as an escort for a group of people making a movie. Fate steps in as one of the shinobis he would work with is the person he had always been thinking of.

**Jutsu List:**

_[1] Kanashibari no Jutsu (Temporary Paralysis Technique)_ – A technique that physically restrains an opponent, as if the opponent had been tied in invisible steel ropes. It debilitates the target for a short period of time, which allows the user to either strike again, or take the target into custody. This is a D-rank ninjutsu where the intensity will vary greatly according to the user's level of skill.

_[2] Nawanuke no Jutsu (Rope Escape Technique) –_With this technique, the user uses chakra in order to loosen the ropes. Naruto uses fuuton chakra combined with the jutsu to cut the rope instantly.

_[3] Kawarimi no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique) – _With this technique, one replaces their own body with a block of wood or some other object, the moment an attack lands. This creates an optical illusion, making the enemy think the attack was successful. From this, the user can use the lapse in the enemy's attention to attack or flee from the battlefield. It is a basic ninjutsu but it is a useful art that can be applied in variety of situations.

_[4] Mugen Buki wo Shoukan no Jutsu (Infinite Weapon Summoning Technique) –_ An A-rank technique that uses a special seal as a medium in order to store weapons into a separate dimension for safe keeping and can summon them back with relative ease. The moment it is activated, the user can switch weapons in the blink of an eye.


End file.
