– Kirigakure no Sato –
It was a relatively quiet day in the village hidden in the mist, considering that outside of it's country, the rest of the world was experiencing hell on earth.
The 3rd Shinobi World War.
Other villages and countries have been locked in conflict for nigh on two years now, and it didn't appear to be letting up anytime soon. Only something drastic would change the views of the village leaders.
Yagura, Yondaime Mizukage, has only been in office for a year and a half and already he wished he hadn't taken the oath and accepted the position. It wasn't the war per say that was taking it's toll on him, at least not yet anyway, it was his own village. There had been a number of internal problems since he put on the hat.
Chigiri no Sato(Village of the Bloody Mist).
It was a name they had been called as of late by other villages and shinobi, and even by his own. He didn't know what his predecessor had been thinking during that time and why he didn't bother to try and change it. Perhaps he sought to give the village an intimidation factor, to deter others from messing with them.
He had been trying to change that motif of theirs since he began but it was an uphill battle. Once someone had a perception of you, it was very hard to try and change it. Anyone who knew him knows he loves his village and would do anything to see it prosper once more, just as it did in the days of old under their first leader.
Whatever it was, it paled in comparison to the reasoning of allowing such a barbaric ritual to take place in their academy system. It was an ass backwards philosophy, especially for a village of shinobi, all you did was have kids kill one another until only one stood standing. It was a waste of military assets, why groom the one who made it through, when the possibility of others being just as good or competent helped you more. It just made no sense.
Safe to say for future generations, he had put a stop to it.
Unfortunately, he had not been able to help a batch of students as he had taken office just a bit after the ritual had been done. It was a massacre, the only one remaining was a single boy, one who was not even a student yet, Momochi Zabuza.
The boy had been absolutely ruthless and spared none, it had been ruthlessness that he decided to take advantage of, he placed the boy in a special program. The program itself would test him to see if he had what it took to take up one of his villages legendary blades and become a part of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist.
By doing this, it solved two things. One, it gave direction to that bloodthirsty nature of his towards something constructive. The other reason, it was getting him out of the village and out of contact with the general populace. He didn't need needless killings perpetrated by the boy if he couldn't control his urges, he didn't want to have to put down such an asset. Especially with a war going on.
Yagura sighed and rubbed his temples, he had been thinking too much about all of this and his head began to throb. He needed a break, him working while tired could lead to potential mistakes and those were more things he did not need right now.
He got up from his seat and began to stretch his sore limbs.
'Perhaps a walk in the cool morning mist will revitalize me.'
With an idea of how he was going to spend his break, Yagura left.
xxx
Breathing in the cool air was just what he had needed, it had cleared his thoughts while relaxing his body. Once his break had been done, he had decided to take a stroll around his village, check up on his people and see how they were faring.
As he walked, he greeted and waved at the hard working citizens in the market district, each of them trying to sell their items. A few merchants were also out and about, they also trying to earn coin by selling their own wares.
"Good morning Mizukage-sama." greeted a shopkeeper. "May I offer you a piece of freshly baked bread? Something nice and warm for this cool morning." offered the baker.
"It is a good morning and no thank you, sell that to your patrons." Yagura declined the freebie.
He continued walking around before he left the district and decided to head over to see one of the more prominent clans in his village, the Terumī clan.
He was an old friend of the clan patriarch, the two of them had been on the same team during the 2nd war. Time and circumstances drifted them apart, he of course had been getting groomed for his position, while his friend had been clan leader and a husband.
Not being able to make it to his wedding nor to see the birth of his firstborn child, a daughter if he recalled correctly, he had sent his apologies. The man understood of course, it didn't make him feel any better but he understood, he was heading over now because the man had told him some very surprising and good news.
His seven year old daughter, Mei, had been born very gifted. Yagura had been informed of the girl and her two bloodlines, which had only manifested a few months ago. He was glad he was informed of this since it meant she would become a very strong shinobi and do well for the future of this village.
Aside from Konoha, they were the only other village with so many clans that held bloodlines...
"Again!"
Yagura' musing had been cut short when he had suddenly heard an order barked.
"Again, boy!"
The young Kage turned his attention towards the rising voice and could see two people in one of the open training grounds. He frowned when he noticed who it was giving orders, or more precisely, he frowned when he saw what clan one of the people in the field was from.
The Kaguya clan.
To him, there had always been something unhinged within said clan, they would fight fiercely for you one minute and then stab you in the back the next. Whenever he issued orders, he could the loathing and contempt they had for him and his orders, their blood just wouldn't allow them to bow to anyone.
It was a self destructing nature that would only end terribly for them.
"Your going to be our ultimate weapon, with the blood flowing through your veins and your other special abilities." he looked at the boy wary when he mentioned ability. "Your going to make us the most feared clan in the world."
Now this piqued the Kage' interest, they must have a very promising youth if they are putting this much pressure on him. What he expected to see was different from what he actually came across, instead of seeing a teen or even a pre-teen, he saw a mere child getting beaten by his trainer. He looked no older than five.
The boy himself was unique looking, especially for this clan. He had their crimson birthmarks atop his brow but his hair was also crimson. His skin was a shade tanner, not by much, than his clansmen but he did inherit their green eyes and masculine facial features.
His body could no longer hold under the so called training and the boy collapsed to the ground. The Mizukage watched as the adult clan member spat at the boy and left him, obviously not going to bother to heal him.
Yagura sighed as he watched the man walk off, he walked over to the downed boy and began to heal him with what he knew. Most likely the boy was just exhausted, so no real treatment was needed.
"Ugh..."
An eyebrow rose, Yagura half expected the child to be out for a few hours. Clearly, this one was made of sterner stuff.
"Are you okay?" asked the child like Kage.
The boy was still disoriented and took a moment to find his voice.
"...Yes, thank you."
He gave the crimson haired boy a nod, "Why were they training you like that?"
"Because of what I can do and whose blood I carry." answered the child.
Yagura was impressed, this boy was very smart for his age. "You speak very well for a child, how old are you?"
"I'm five." The child showed him with his fingers. "And I can talk this good cause it's what they always tell me. I'm just repeating their words."
That made more sense to the Kage, "I see. If you don't mind me asking, what can you do and whose blood do you carry?" Yagura asked kindly.
Yagura could see the boy was contemplating giving him the information he asked for and silently praised him for this. Many children would have blurted it out to the world by now.
"I can make bones come out from my body."
This time, Yagura could not contain his surprise. He was talking to a child that could use the feared bloodline of the Kaguya clan, the Shikotsumyaku. It was no wonder why they were training this child so hard from the start.
He couldn't help the excited smile that made it's way to his face. "Whose blood do you carry?"
"I never met my Tou-san, but my Kaa-chan is Uzumaki Kasumi." answered the child.
'Uzumaki?
That explained the trademark crimson hair on his head, it also explained once more why they were pushing him so. With the body of a Kaguya who can manipulate their skeletal structure along with the chakra capacity and vitality of an Uzumaki, you had the makings of an indestructible powerhouse. And considering how the boy was talking with him, he didn't share some of his clans more insane battle tendencies.
'Kasumi?' Yagura hummed in thought, feeling he had come across that name Kasumi before. The child must have sensed this and answered for him.
"She was the second daughter of the Nidaime of Uzu."
"How do you know that?"
"She tells me all kinds of stories of her home and her Tou-san...until..."
The Mizukage understood where the child was going. He trailed off because by that time, the Uzumaki clan had been massacred by the likes of Iwa and Kumo during the second war. But still, to think that the young boy in front of him had royal blood flowing in his veins, it never would have occurred to him. He was going to be very powerful in the future, same for his brother.
"What's your name?"
"...Naruto...Naruto Uzumaki Kaguya."
"That's a mouthful, I'll just call you Naruto. You can call me Yagura." he introduced himself.
Recognition flashed in Naruto's green eyes, "Mizukage-sama." he bowed his head.
"It's okay." he tried to calm the boy down. "You obviously didn't recognize me by sight even though you knew of my name. You can still call me Yagura."
"...Very well...Yagura-sama."
"Just Yagura."
"..."
The tiny Kage sighed, this was going to take a while.
xxx
It had taken the Kage an entire day to convince the child to just call him by his regular name but it was well worth it.
"Where are you taking me, Yagura?" asked Naruto.
The child-like Kage had come to his clan compound and had requested that Naruto accompany him for the day. Strangely enough, the clan didn't protest to this. Yagura was no fool, he knew they had an ulterior motive, so easily letting their most promising clansmen go with him.
He shook his head of these thoughts. "We're going to go and visit a friend of mine, I didn't get the chance yesterday since I spent it with you."
"Oh." Naruto had the decency to blush in embarrassment. It really was embarrassing for him, it was like he was being taught to speak again.
"Hey Naruto..."
"Hm?"
"How would you like to be personally trained by me?"
Naruto was surprised by the out of the blue question. It was a fairly magnificent question but one he already had an answer to.
"I can't." he shook his head.
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Cause I have to protect my mother and baby brother."
Yagura raised an eyebrow, this was the first time he heard of a brother. "I didn't know you had a brother?"
The Kage noted the beaming smile on Naruto's face when he brought up his brother. "Yep, it's my job as older brother to keep him safe. Him and my mother are all I got left, I'll do anything to protect them." he stated with conviction.
"What's his name?" asked Yagura.
With his smile still in place, Naruto answered. "I got to name him, mom said I could. I named him Kimimaro or Kimi-kun for short."
'Kimimaro. Definitely a name to remember for the future.'
"That's a nice name Naruto."
The boy nodded his head vigorously.
"Then how about a compromise."
Naruto looked at him confused. "What's that?"
"We both agree to a deal that will benefit the both of us."
The crimson haired Kaguya took a thinking pose and then nodded his head, he understood.
"You can continue to protect your brother but when he gets older then you let me train you and him personally. Then you join my personal guard unit."
The Uzumaki boy did not answer immediately and was once more praised by Yagura. Many would have jumped at this opportunity. What this told him was that Naruto had priorities, even if he didn't know what the word meant.
"You don't have to answer right now. You can even take a few years to answer, just give me one by the time your little brother can begin training. Okay?"
Naruto nodded okay.
"Ah, Yagura."
Both Yagura and Naruto turned to see an older man waving at them from the entrance of a clan compound.
"Greetings, Junichi." greeted Yagura.
Terumī Junichi was a few years older than Yagura and obviously taller than him as well. He was a big man, heavy set, auburn colored hair, green eyes, and a large scar along his face. He was a very intimidating figure.
Next to him was a girl, she had the same colored eyes and hair as the older man. She was wearing a blue combat gear with fishnets. She was very cute.
"Hm, who's this? Don't tell me you had a kid? Yagura, your still only a child yourself, how can you expect to take care of one." Junichi told him seriously.
Yagura' eye was twitching, his friend always loved to poke jokes at him and they mostly consisted of his height and child-like features.
Junichi could no longer hold it in and barked out a laugh. "Really though, who's the kid?"
The little Kage sighed, "This is my friend Naruto Kaguya."
The Terumī clan leader inhaled a sharp breath, no longer laughing. His eyes roamed over the boy. He nodded to himself, clearly liking what he saw.
"I see, it's nice to meet you. I'm Terumī Junichi." He introduced himself before lightly elbowing his daughter.
"Ah, I'm Terumī Mei, it's nice to meet you." she bowed her head.
"Likewise, my name is Naruto Kaguya."
"Mei, why don't you take young Naruto here out back to play."
"Okay, come on Naruto-kun!"
Mei grabbed hold of his arm and dragged him along to the backyard.
The two adults smiled at them.
"Soo...?"
Naruto turned around to the questioning gaze of Mei.
"Yes?"
"Are you really from the Kaguya clan?"
He looked at her funny. "Yes."
"Well, you sure don't act like them. You do talk like them though."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Most Kaguya' I've seen are crazy and want to fight everyone, plus they always give you short answers when you ask them things. At least when they're not fighting." answered Mei. She was curious about the boy across from her.
"Oh, that makes sense." he nodded to her.
"See, there's that short answering." she giggled. "So do you want to play any games with me?"
"I don't-"
"How about tag?" she interrupted.
"What's that?"
She just looked at him baffled, not sure if he was attempting to make a joke or he was being serious. Since none of the Kaguya she knew didn't joke, he must have been serious.
"You don't know what tag is? What do you play with when your with your friends?" she asked tilting her head to the side.
"Ah...I don't have any friends." he shook his head.
"How do you not have any friends?"
He shrugged, "I don't know, many kids in our clan just train. I guess Yagura, my mother, and my brother are my friends."
Mei grimaced, that wasn't much. She didn't really consider his mother or his brother as friends when they were family. So in reality, only Yagura was his friend.
"Sorry bout that." she muttered out her apology. "I'll be your second friend Naruto-kun!" she chirped cutely, giving him a bright smile.
A bit of pink dusted his cheeks. "Thank you." he replied meekly.
"Your welcome, come on. I'll show you how to play."
She led him further into the grounds.
xxx
The two adults went into the house after watching the two children scamper off into the yard. A smile on their faces. A comfortable silence followed them as they went to a more comfortable area, they each took a seat across from one another.
"So..." Junichi started off.
"Yes?"
"Is this a social call or something else?"
"A bit of both. I just wanted to inform you to keep your clan ready in case we need them for anything, we haven't been pulled too deep into the war, but we will sooner or later."
This was only the first stop on his list, Yagura still needed to go and see the Hōzuki, Yuki, Kaguya, and Rinha clans. All of them needed to be ready. He was going to try and take Naruto with him but knew it might be too much of a stretch.
Bringing Naruto was so the boy could get a sense for his village and the other clans. He didn't want the boy' own clan to paint a picture of the remaining clans, if that happened he could have an unstable Kaguya with a lot of power.
"Noted, anything else on this front?" Junichi snapped him out of his thoughts on his friend. He nodded his head.
"I have a few ideas for somethings should we get pulled into this war by Konoha and Iwa, but as of now they are only in their first phase." admitted Yagura.
"I see."
"Now that the business is done with, how is your family?" asked the little Kage.
He was referring to the passing of the man' wife at the beginning of the war, leaving Mei without a mother.
"We are doing fine actually. It's tough trying to be both father and mother to a young girl, there are things I am just not suited to speaking of with her." he admitted sheepishly.
Yagura nodded, that made a whole mess of sense. Just how awkward must that situation be.
"I am sorry that I was not there all those years ago when she was born but duty called that day." apologized Yagura.
"Don't worry about it." Junichi waved him off. "Wouldn't have wanted you there looking at my wife anyways, only I was allowed to." he said wiggling his eyebrows.
"Always with the jokes." sighed Yagura with a small smile.
He was about to ask another question when they heard rustling in the backyard. Wondering what the kids were doing, both of them went to check on them.
"RAAHH!"
They were glad they did, both children were on the floor wrestling, the other trying to kill the other. Junichi pulled Mei off of the boy while Yagura picked Naruto up from the ground.
Both of them were glaring at one another.
"Okay...anyone wanna tell me what was going on?" questioned the Terumī patriarch.
Mei beat Naruto to the punch. "He called me an ugly, one eyed, cherry girl." she began to cry.
Junichi let his little girl go and cracked his knuckles, nobody said that about his little girl. "Your crusin for a bruisin huh brat?"
Yagura stepped in between the angry father and his friend.
"Now now, I'm sure there is a valid reason. Naruto?"
The young Kaguya nodded his head. "She called me a cherry boy because of my hair. So I called her the same and since I could only see her one eye, I called her that to. And I never called her ugly, she is very cute." explained the crimson haired Uzumaki.
Mei blushed.
Yagura had to admit that it was true, Mei had her hair in a style that did only show off one of her eyes and she did have auburn colored hair. So in a sense, it was valid he called her a cherry, just as she had done to him.
There was no doubt in his mind that neither child knew the true meaning behind the insults that they had just hurtled at one another. It will be a sight to see when they find out.
Junichi sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Okay...who called who what first?" Neither of them said anything but he already knew who it was. He groaned inwardly, Mei was just like her mother.
He looked at the boy and knew he didn't even know how to lie yet, he may be blunt and to the point at times but he was still a pure boy.
"Mei..."
"...Yes?"
"Why did you call him that?"
"It was meant as a nickname!" she exclaimed. "I told him that friends gave friends nicknames, so I called him My Cherry Boy. Since his hair is red and I like cherries, it just fit so well..." Her lower lip began to tremble as the tears were close to falling.
"Don't try that with me young lady, that may have worked early on and with your mother but I have wizened up to your antics."
Mei pouted and crossed her arms.
"Apologize to him now sweetie, and you." Junichi looked at Naruto. "I'm sorry for that but you were kind of asking for it with your hair color."
"I'm sorry?"
"You are forgiven!" cried out Mei as she gave Naruto a light peck on the cheek.
Junichi gasped out loud, "Why you little-!"
Yagura grabbed onto Naruto's shoulder and took him away from there.
Mei giggled, knowing her dad would freak out if she did something like that. Now the heat would be off of her for a while. She couldn't wait to play with Naruto again.
"I'm sorry, it seems me being there caused you trouble."
"Don't worry about it Naruto. Junichi just likes to exaggerate things when it comes to his baby girl." Yagura dismissed his friend.
"Where are we now?"
"Right now, we're near the Hōzuki clan compound. I have some business there and then with the Yuki clan. This will probably be your last stop since the Yuki clan is a bit further out and your own clan will begin to question your whereabouts."
"Okay then, how far to the next clan?"
"Not to far, just a few minutes from our position."
Naruto followed after his friend. "What are the Hōzuki clan like?"
"Hmm, hard to say, just because people are in a clan doesn't mean they are all the same. The clan leader has a son, about your age, who acts just a bit like you. He's quiet and process things just like you do, he's also very talented as well."
"What's his name?" Naruto was interested at the prospect of meeting someone so much like himself and possibly making a new friend. That would be two new friends in one day for him, a new personal best.
"His name is Hōzuki Mangetsu."
Naruto was finally back home within his own compound, he had returned as promised after he had met with the Hōzuki clan. He had hit if off with Mangetsu or as much as two boys who barely said more than five words to people could.
They shared a love of getting stronger to protect their brothers, Mangetsu had Suigetsu, he had Kimimaro. They both also loved to train.
"Kaa-chan, I'm home." he called out softly. He knew his baby brother needed his sleep.
"I'm in the room with Kimimaro." she replied just as softly as he did.
Naruto smiled and went to go and see his family. No matter how harsh his training got with his teachers or if he had no friends, his family would always be there for him. It was for that same reason that he trained so hard, the stronger he got, the sooner he could take missions and begin to provide for them. He was the man of the house after all.
"Hey Kaa-chan, Kimi-kun." he greeted his mother and cooed at his baby brother who gurgled.
"Hey Naruto, how was your day sweetie?" Kasumi looked at her son and gave him a one armed hug.
"It was great Kaa-chan, I made a friend yesterday and I made two, TWO!, new ones today!" He exclaimed, having no qualms about showing emotion to his mother.
"That's great to hear, I'm so happy for you. Keep them close, treat them well and they will be people you can rely on for the rest of your life." she told him in a lecturing tone.
"I will. Did you hear the great news, Kimimaro." Naruto was playing with his brother's arms, watching while the baby began to giggle.
"I'm sure he did Naruto, if his response is anything to go by." she giggled as well. Sometimes, she could forget that her oldest was still a child as well, he just acted so much older than he should have to.
Kimimaro yawned, prompting Naruto to release his own.
"I think you should head on to bed sweetie. You've been out all day today and haven't had a nap." she informed him.
"But..." he yawned once more. "...I'm not tired yet."
"Sweetie, I'm your mother, if I know when your lying to me then I know when your tired. Trust me, your tired." she deadpanned.
"Okay then, I'll see you tomorrow. I love you." he kissed her goodnight, she reciprocated.
"I love you to."
"Love you to, Kimimaro." he kissed his forehead and then went off to bed. "See you tomorrow as well."
– Two Years Later –
Rain and blood. Everywhere he looked, it was there.
The two watery substances were mixing with one another and being soaking into the earth. From his vantage point, there had been no negotiations, no fight, it was a slaughter, pure and simple.
There had been loses on both sides, Kiri had lost the most today. The other village, Konoha, had lost relatively little, one lone kunoichi. He had hoped the other one, Copy Ninja Kakashi, had been taken out as well, no such luck.
The mission, or at least his mission, was to be of relative ease, watch and record. That was it, no interference on his part whatsoever. The team mission was simple as well, deliver precious cargo over to Konoha, that was it, but then two variables appeared. One he had recognized already as Kakashi, someone he had been informed of due to his infamy in the war, but he did not recognize the second person.
They had been obscured by a hood, but after what he had seen him do, he came to one conclusion about him, he was very powerful. Whatever technique he had been using had allowed him to literally erase body parts from his fellow Kiri-nin, it truly was a frightening sight. His blood had demanded he head down there to battle, luckily, the logical side of him won out. Even as he was now, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
The person had gone into a berserker like rage after seeing the girl die. He didn't care if she died, Konoha was not high on his list of friendlies, not after what they did to him. They killed his mother and tried to kidnap his brother. He had found masks with the symbol of a leaf on them but that was it.
However, just because he knew it was them, it did not exalt the suspicions he felt when he looked at hisown clan. He had no evidence for this feeling, some of them had even died fighting that night, but he couldn't rule them out of some form of foul play. They made no secret of her loathing when she married in.
He would have given himself to the training Yagura had offered him all those years ago fully had he still not had Kimimaro in his life. His baby brother kept him grounded. That wasn't to say he hadn't taken the offer, he did, he took it right after his mother passed. It was the reason he was even here recording the events.
Naruto had been trained to avoid senses and treat the shadows like a second home. Anatomy of the human body was also something else he had learned, along with herbs, toxins, paralyzing enzymes, tracking, scouting, and hunting.
His bloodline had been coming along at a good pace, it was mostly self taught with what few scrolls they had on the scarce ability. Often times he would just spar in hand-to-hand with others. Yagura had been in charge of teaching him Ninjutsu while giving him lessons on tactics and politics.
He had been very busy over the past two years, but just because he was busy didn't mean he didn't have time for family. Kimimaro had spoken spoken his first words in front of him, taken his first steps, and even thrown his first punch. He knew his mother would have been proud of him.
Naruto sighed, he adjusted his rain gear along with his pants and shirt, it was time for him to head back to Kiri. This mission had been a failure, the team failed to set off the Bijū bomb within the walls of Konoha.
'Yagura' not going to be happy about this.'
xxx
After reaching the shoreline and taking a boat back to his country, he had finally made it back to the misty village within five days.
He was currently kneeling to his Kage. "Mission accomplished, Mizukage-sama."
Naruto waited until his leader addressed him, his friend had begun to start acting strange about two years ago, when all of a sudden he wished to get involved in the war. He had specifically said he wished to target Konoha. There were moments when his friendly persona broke through his cold one but those times were far and few. Right now, he was looking at his leader, not his friend.
"Give me your report."
The crimson haired Uzumaki complied, he started recounting his report from the beginning of when he left Kiri to when he road the boat back home. He left out no detail.
"I see...this is troubling but not within what I foresaw. However, this unknown assailant with this power you speak of does trouble me. I will send others out to find him, good work Naruto. You are dismissed."
Naruto tilted his head in acknowledgment of the order, he vanished soon after.
xxx
He arrived home to see his brother being fed his dinner by his friend, Mei. She was three years older than him, making her ten. She had already made Chūnin due to the war, he himself was still currently a genin, but only in name really. His skills easily ranked him at the same position, and with him being trained personally by the Mizukage, his promotion would come differently. He did not have to go through team drills with others, at least not anytime soon.
With what few missions he had already done, he put in a mission request for a baby sitter whenever he needed to go out, Mei had answered it and sometimes even Mangetsu did. Although he would always bring his own brother over as well. The heir of the Hōzuki clan often times had to do the same thing he did and put in a mission request but his were far fewer than his own.
"Welcome home, Naruto-kun. My sweet cherry boy~"
Naruto blushed. He had been told what that term had really meant and when he told Mei, well, she didn't really seem all that bothered by it. She just gave him a smile and said she would continue to call him that until he wasn't one, she even said he could continue to call her cherry girl until she did the deed as well. Mei stated it was one of their connections to each other.
He sighed. "Mei, can you please not call me that and in front of Kimimaro no less. If you must, then do it when we're alone."
"Oh~, so you want us to be all alone when I call you that hm~. What else do you want to do when we're alone?"
His faced turned as red as his hair, Mei really had no shame when it came to the topic of sex. He on the other hand was different. Despite having taken a few lives in the name of his village, he was still pure by some standards.
"Relax...I'm just kidding...or am I~?" she giggled at his flustered state. "Well, since your home then that means my mission is over with."
'Thank goodness.'
"Let me know when your going to put in another request, I'll take that one to."
"Thank you very much, Mei. Even when I can't afford to pay all that much-"
"Shh...don't worry about things like that." she placed her index finger on his lips. "I'm not doing this for the money."
"Then why?"
She gave him a sad smile. "Your a genius when it comes to things like battle, but your as dense as your bones when it comes to other things." she said.
He wasn't sure what she was getting at and couldn't open his mouth to bother asking. It was being occupied by Mei' own.
Naruto felt little jolts of electricity when their lips had touched. This wasn't like when his mother gave him a kiss, this just felt different, deeper somehow.
It ended as abruptly as it had began.
"I'll see you later Naruto-kun, Kimimaro-kun. Bye bye."
He watched as she sauntered off, putting a sway into the way she was walking, knowing he was watching her every move. She was finally out the door.
His breathing was slowly returning to normal. "Whoa..." It was all he could muster after all of that.
"She weird." said Kimimaro. He couldn't speak in the words he wanted to as he was still learning but Naruto always knew what he meant.
He completely agreed with his brother's assessment. "Your right Kimimaro. Girls are very hard to understand."
This was all he was going to be thinking about for the next coming days, did she like him as a friend whom she could see lying in bed with or did she see him as more than that? Whatever she saw him as, he hoped it didn't happen until he was at least a few years older, same for her. While they were shinobi and their lives could end at any moment, they also weren't getting sent out on high level missions that required they see combat. So for now, things could wait.
He just hoped she could.
"Come on Kimimaro, let's give you a bath and then once we're done, I'll read you a story before bed." Naruto said as he picked up his two year old brother.
– Two Years Later –
He couldn't believe it when he heard it, karma had finally struck. Everything was going to change after tonight. If the information Yagura had given him and the others of his group was to be believed, and there was no reason not to, then Konoha was in a very weakened state right now.
The Kyūbi no Yokō had just destroyed major parts of the village in a blind rage. As soon as he had been told of this, he set off with the others. They needed to get their first to avoid running into other village spies. Especially now when all of the villages were trying to get something over on the others now that the war was over. It had been a year since it had been over.
He splintered off from the group, his entrance point was coming in from the east wall of the village while the others were to check the others. He applied more chakra to his feet, propelling himself even faster.
xxx
Everything was true!
Destruction incarnate had indeed been walking close to the village and had dealt them costly blows it was a time to rejoice but once he returned.
The east wall was somewhat unharmed compared to the others, which meant less supplies or people would be here since no one was hurt over there. He climbed over the wall and silently landed on the ground, not even making a sound. Looking around, there were many homes and shops, he must be in a clan compound.
Before he could begin his intelligence gathering, his instincts screamed at him to move his body from it's current spot. Had he not listened, four shuriken would have been embedded into his skull the way they were in the wall behind him.
Jumping back quickly from his spot, he located the attacker. 'Why is there even a shinobi here right now? Shouldn't they all be helping with the aftermath?'
Naruto knew this would be a prolonged fight with the skill his opponent wielded. He had managed to get the drop on him while almost killing him. Whomever he was facing, he was good.
Moonlight pierced through the clouds, shining it's rays down upon the two fighters. He was expecting to see a veteran, instead he saw what appeared to be an academy student. There was no head band on his head.
His blood began to boil, it wanted to fight this boy, who looked no older than himself, possibly even younger. To have this much skill at his age, he must be a genius.
The boy himself was a bit shorter than himself, onyx eyes and hair which was tied into a ponytail, and the making of two ridges on his youthful face. His eyes looked much older than they should, just like that of his own.
Quickly moving his body laterally, he dodged the second wave of shuriken while throwing his own.
Clang!
Metal deflected metal with pinpoint accuracy.
'His eyes must be very sharp to deflect them like that.'
On closer inspection, he noticed something that gave him pause, his eyes...they were red. He silently cursed his luck. He was fighting an Uchiha. Yagura had informed him of all the major clans in each village and tried giving him what info he could on them and their bloodlines. All he knew about the Sharingan was that it could cast illusions and track movements with ease.
Hopefully, his counterpart didn't have a fully matured eye yet, or else this mission would be in jeopardy. Quickly bringing his hands forward, he summoned the water from around him and spit out his own, a water barrier formed in front of him just as a fireball hit.
'Shit! He's resorting to using Ninjutsu!'
The use of chakra so far away from the attack sight would draw unwanted attention. The fire dissipated into steam and he bolted straight for the Uchiha who was once more weaving hand-seals. He wasn't going to make it in time if he decided to attack him, but he did something he did not expect.
He fired the shot off into the air, Naruto knew what he was doing and ran through his own seals. He shot off multiple balls of water to quench the rising flare that would no doubt call over reinforcements.
He very badly wished to use his bloodline, he was positive it would give him an advantage but he couldn't risk the boy seeing him use it and implicating Kiri. Naruto did take note of something about his opponent though, he hadn't moved from his spot, not once.
Continuing his assault from before, he engaged him in hand-to-hand combat. Each blow was being parried magnificently by the Uchiha but he knew it was taking maximum effort to do so. The crimson haired Kaguya had been hardening his bones from inside of his body, so every blow he landed or just managed to graze on his person would begin to add up over time.
The Uchiha flinched as he blocked a backhand with his forearm and it was the opportunity that Naruto needed. With as much force as he could muster, he spun to his opponent' open side and kicked him in the ribs, sending him crashing away.
He was about to continue but a soft cry of a voice brought him out of his trance, he looked to the side and to the house his opponent was standing in front of. Looking down, he saw a small bundle moving, and know understood why he hadn't moved.
'He was protecting his sibling.'
"Please...don't..."
Naruto looked over and spotted his opponent struggling to stand on wobbly legs. He was impressed, not many could get up after taking one of his hits, that spoke volumes about the Uchiha.
"Your sibling?" asked Naruto.
He got a nod. "My baby...brother." Wheezed out the Uchiha having trouble breathing a bit.
"You would do anything for him?" he questioned the Sharingan user.
"I would take on the world and it's hate...if I knew he would be safe...and happy."
Naruto nodded, he would do the same for Kimimaro. "You would be willing to put the welfare of your brother ahead of that of your village?"
"I am." Whether this boy knew it or not, he was gaining Naruto's respect.
"Good answer, I would do the same."
"You...are an older brother as well?" questioned the Uchiha.
"I am, and it's because of the sacred bond we share with our siblings that I will leave without more blood being spilled."
"Wait?!"
Naruto stopped. "Yes?"
"Your name?"
He snorted. "Nice try little Uchiha, but just because we are older siblings and we share the same duty does not mean I trust you. Perhaps another time we can exchange pleasantries. Goodbye."
The Uchiha simply nodded. "Goodbye." he said, watching as the crimson haired youth made his way out of the compound.
A soft cry pryed his attention away from his opponent, it was his baby brother. "Don't worry Sasuke I'm here, I'll protect you no matter what." He gave his baby brother a smile.
xxx
Naruto and company were done with their mission, they were headed back to Kiri.
The night would have ended in frustration and failure for Naruto had he not run into the Uchiha. It had been from that sequestered part of the village he had run into a very private area with a destroyed house and three bodies.
While the others had gathered information on Konoha's remaining forces, structures destroyed etc, he had gotten the most important. The Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, was dead. This man had been one of the key factors into ending the last war.
It had only been by sheer luck he had stumbled upon him and the other two. One of the other bodies belonged to a small child, most likely his son, while the other looked hauntingly familiar. The woman looked eerily like his deceased mother, he checked their pulses at the time and found that mother and child were still somehow alive, Yondaime not so much.
Before he could inspect the bodies or even try to move them away from Konoha, he had heard numerous amounts of voices heading in his direction. Someone must have seen the exact landing position of the Yondaime and his family, else they wouldn't be there.
He wanted to stay a bit longer and question the crimson haired woman but he couldn't risk getting caught. Looking back at her once more, he left the area.
'Perhaps we can talk another time...'
xxx
"...And that is my mission report, Mizukage-sama."
The crimson haired Uzumaki just finished giving his report of what he had gathered and encountered on his mission.
"Well done, Naruto. Not only did you find out the Yondaime died but you identified he indeed did have an heir. You also got intelligence on a very talented Uchiha, we will be sure to watch out for him in the future."
Naruto smiled at the praise his friend and leader had just given him.
"Go back home and recover, I will call you when I need you once more. Dismissed."
His smile faded when he was dismissed, his face became stoic, showing no emotion. He did not wish to return back home or he just may be liable to kill one of his clansmen. Hatred ran deep for his clan.
It had happened a little over a year ago, to him it was great news, to his clan, not so much. His little brother, Kimimaro, had inherited the Shikotsumyaku, just as he had. The clan that so much loved to battle and showed no fear in the face of insurmountable odds was afraid of them.
Fear makes people act irrational and what they did to his brother while he was out on a mission deserved nothing more than death. They dared put his little brother, innocent of anything, into a cage, like some rabid animal.
He would have outright killed them had they not threatened his safety, he was forced to obey their commands for the time. Naruto could, would not, go running to Yagura with this. In fact, he was positive he would not be able to do anything at all, this was a clan matter. Plus, with his friend making irrational choices as of late, not many but they were there, he wasn't sure what he would do.
They would occasionally let him out to play and do other things but they never let them interact as a family. Only when one of them was being watched and the other behind a cage did they let them act like a family.
One of these days, regardless of what his friends or village thought of him, he was going to slaughter his clan. Then he could take care of his brother like his mother wanted him to.
He bowed his head and left the presence of his Kage.
– Two Years Later –
Two years, two long years had passed since the news that had shaken the shinobi nations to their core had passed. When news of the Yondaime Hokage had hit, it had spread like wildfire, reaching every corner.
Incidentally, it was their village that had released the news so soon after his death, it was done as a way to harm the village which he was all for. Not much had been learned from his investigation on the death and attempted kidnapping of Kimimaro, which frustrated him beyond belief. Sooner or later, he would find out something and when he did, he was going to kill the person or people involved.
For obvious reasons, Konoha had tried to keep things under wraps until they could fix their hierarchy of command. Which they did. Sarutobi Hiruzen, The Professor, Shinobi no Kami, had taken up the mantle of Hokage once more for his village, despite his growing age.
He had only heard scant rumors of the crimson haired woman but the ones he did just made his resolve to meet her all the stronger. She was supposedly the last known Uzumaki along with her son, Menma. How none could see the resemblance of the son to the fourth was beyond him. He figured she didn't take his last name for fear of retaliation from Iwa but he wouldn't know unless he heard it from her mouth.
No one knew what really happened that night or what happened to the nine tailed fox, people had speculations, but they were all outrageous sounding. He paid them no mind.
He sighed and adjusted his clothing. "I guess it's time to get back to work." he muttered.
Naruto, now eleven, had been promoted to Chūnin just these past few months thanks to his information gathering two years ago. It had taken a while, but it had finally happened. And that wasn't even the biggest news.
He had been offered a position within a subsection of the Anbu corps, the Oinin Butai(Hunter-Nin Corps).
He had accepted and flourished under the training of his instructor, Ao. The man was a legend within the Hunter-Nin corps but he know spent his days training the new recruits.
Naruto had discarded the traditional gear that the Hunter-Nin were supposed to wear and wore gear reminiscent of the regular Anbu. He still wore the same mask though, pure white with two crimson markings giving it its distinguishing feature.
He stared out of the two slitted eye-sockets of the mask and took out a bingo book from his flak jacket.
Flipping through it's contents, he landed on the page of his current target. "Kurosuki Raiga."
This target was given to him by Yagura and was to be a test of sorts for him, despite the protests from his instructor Ao. His mission was to kill the man and take back the fabled Kiba swords the man had taken with him upon his defection.
Naruto had been out of the village for a year looking for this man and would often find his mind wandering towards his family and friends. How as Kimimaro being treated? How were Mei and Mangetsu doing? Those were just some of the questions he asked himself.
"I need to finish this mission." The sooner he finished, the faster he could get back home and spend time with them. Even if it would only be for a few days.
He resumed his mission and removed his mask and sealed it away, he didn't want to rouse suspicion, he was going into a small secluded village in the land of earth. As he entered the village, it really was just that, a small village, not unlike the major villages which reminded him more of cities than anything.
This place was on no map, it had no name to it, this place technically didn't exist. And he could faintly see why. This village had entrances to mines and he could make out the valuables they were digging out. This place was literally a gold mine, but with crystals, it's no wonder this country hid them away.
'They should call this place Kōseki no Sato(Village hidden in the Crystals)
Nobody really went out of their way to try and talk to him or help him, he was thankful for that. The less they knew the better. Despite the wealth this place was digging out they had modest looking buildings. It was made evident when he rented his room at the inn he was staying at.
He waited in his room until nightfall to begin his search, hopefully he would find something here.
xxx
Sneaking and moving through the shadows of this village was incredibly easy but it also helped they had no shinobi. His search, so far, was unsuccessful. He had tried listening around for rumors of any disappearances or sudden killings. Those were things his target was known for.
Granted this information in his little black book may have been outdated, it was all he had at the moment. He needed to find a bounty house or return to his village and request an updated copy.
"Get the she-demon!"
He was roused from his sudden need of a new black book by a shout. A demon?
The only demons that he knew of or the closest things that came to them were the Bijū. If there was one in the area, all of the country would have felt it. It had to be something else these people were talking about.
Moving at a sedate pace atop the buildings, he spotted two adults chasing a child, a girl no older than six. Judging by the makeshift weapons in their hands, they wanted to harm her.
"Please! Leave me alone, I've never done anything to you!" she cried out, moving her little legs as fast as they would carry her.
Her plea fell on deaf ears and the two adults pace quickened.
"Liar!" yelled one of them. "It's because of your cursed power that we lost many of our people!"
'Cursed power?'
Finding anything out on Raiga in this village had been a dead end this night, instead he would focus his attention elsewhere. Getting closer to the duo, he could make out a few key features of the girl they were chasing.
Fair skin, dark eyes, and light blue hair with two strands framing her face described her physical appearance. She was wearing a teal short kimono with a gray turtle neck and short sleeves with a jade green rope belt around her waist, red shorts and navy blue sandals.
"Ompf!"
The girl grunted in pain as one of them had struck her in the midsection, doubling her over. Naruto decided to put a stop to this, reaching into a holster, he pulled out a small pellet and threw it on the ground.
"Take this!"
Before the blow could make connection, smoke erupted all around them. Naruto swooped down, knocked the two adults out and grabbed the girl.
xxx
Sunlight filtered through the window, hitting the girl directly in the eyes. Her eyes began to flutter open.
"Ugh...what happened?" she asked herself.
She began to look around.
"Where am I?"
"Your in my room."
She spun around, coming face to face with a stranger she had never seen.
"W-Who are you?" she asked, trepidation in her voice. Ready to make an escape if she had to.
"Your savior."
"...Oh." She blushed in embarrassment and began to visually relax. She didn't know he had saved her the night before. "Thank you..." she responded meekly.
"Your welcome, but I do have to wonder. Why did they chase you and call you a demon?" Naruto asked bluntly.
"My name is Guren and the reason they call me that is because of my powers..."
"Oh, and what powers are these, Guren."
"Let me show you."
Naruto watched as Guren held out her hands and cupped them together. She began to concentrate and then right before his very eyes, crystal, solid crystal, began to form and take shape in her hands. He wouldn't have believed it had he not seen it.
"...Shōton(Crystal Release)..." he said in an astonished voice.
He had heard rumors of this rare bloodline and that was only because of something one of his seniors had put in one of his reports from the year prior. His instructor would often tell him to learn from the mistakes others made in battle, so in response to that he would often read reports of other missionsfrom the reports room.
There had been an incident last year where one of his seniors had been looking for a missing-nin when he ran across a platoon of Kumo-nin as they were being decimated. They had been decimated by a group of crystal release users.
There was no information on what happened to the crystal users after that incident, but it was safe to assume that Guren had some form of relation to them.
"What did you say?"
"That's what your power is? It allows you to make crystals and use them in any way you want."
"Wow."
"Wow is right. I know I should have asked this earlier, but where are your parents?"
Guren looked downcast. "I don't have any, I've been alone for as long as I can remember."
Naruto nodded sadly, there was a possibility that her parents had been apart of the group that killed the Kumo-nins. He would never be sure of it, but it was something that may give hope to the girl, knowing she may have some blood relatives. He wouldn't tell her now though, he didn't know what kind of effect it could have on her, perhaps when she was older.
"I understand how you feel. My brother and I lost our mother a few years back and know we look after one another. My question to you is, what are you going to do know?" he asked, looking directly at her.
She squirmed under his gaze. "I don't know."
He sighed, he knew he shouldn't do this but this easily could have been his own brother. Alone out in the world with no one to rely on.
"Would you like to come with me?"
Naruto may have invited her to come with him, but he couldn't bring her with him on his journey. She would prove to be a great asset to not only the village but his family. With no place for her to go, she would be living with him and Kimimaro, of whom could use a new friend.
His pay as a Hunter-Nin would cover any expenses the three of them would need.
"Are we almost there?"
He nodded. "Almost, once the mist starts settling in we are getting close to Kiri-"
Clang!
"Ahh!"
Clang!
Sounds of fighting interrupted his explanation. "Stay close." he told her as they made their way over to the fighting.
xxx
"Shakuton: Kajōsatsu(Extremely Steaming Murder)"
Naruto watched in fascination as another rare bloodline not native to his country was being wielded so skillfully by a kunoichi. It was like watching a well orchestrated dance as the orbs of her Scorch release killed off her attackers.
Unfortunately, it wasn't proving to be enough, her attackers were slowly overwhelming her with their numbers.
"Are you going to help her?"
Naruto turned to look at Guren as she had asked him a question.
"Like you helped me."
She gave him a smile when she had brought that up. He sighed.
"Wait here and don't move."
She nodded. He placed his fingers in the Tiger seal.
"Kirigakure no Jutsu(Hiding in Mist Technique)"
He lifted up some water from around him and kneaded his chakra into it, creating mist to surround him and the whole area. It was time to get to work.
xxx
She was beginning to not only tire but get low on chakra as well. For every shinobi she killed, two more would take his place. It was non-stop, and that wasn't even the worst part.
The worst part was the ones trying to kill her, they were shinobi from her own village. She didn't know why her own village would want her dead, but she wasn't going to give them that satisfaction, she was a proud woman and kunoichi.
She would go down swinging while taking a few of the bastards with her.
"Gah!"
A few kunai's had landed on her thigh, they were trying to immobilize her she realized. A subtle mist had begun to envelop the area she noted, not that she was going to tell her enemies that. Before any of them realized it, the entire area was covered in mist and none of them could see in front of them.
Clang!
"Urk!"
Clang!
"Gah!"
The scorch release user heard the sound of fighting within the mist and heard large thuds hitting the ground. She waited a few more minutes until it was her turn, it never came.
The mist began to dissipate until she could see again, and what she saw left her breathless. All of her enemies lay dead on the ground beneath her feet, some with kunai's lodged in their skulls, or others with slit throats. The point is, they were all dead.
Only one person stood among the sea of corpses, the person whom she assumed had saved her.
"Did you do this?" She had to ask even if she knew the answer.
"...Yes."
"...Thank you." she knelt before him.
"Rise." he commanded her. "Tell me, why were your own compatriots trying to kill you in cold bold and in a different country no less. Are they trying to start the fourth world war?"
"I'm sorry, but I don't know their reason. I was merely to act as an envoy of peace to your country when this happened." She gave him her reason for being there, not why they wanted her dead.
"I see, that's unfortunate. It would have helped in answering some questions."
She agreed with his statement. It would have helped had they spilled any information while they tried to kill her. She introduced herself.
"I'm Pakura, formerly of Sunagakure." she said bitterly.
He nodded, he had heard of her. She was famous for stopping Iwa when they were feuding with her own village. It was why they nicknamed her Sunagakure no Eiyū(Hero of the Hidden Sand)
"I'm-"
She cut him off.
"I know who you are."
His eyebrows rose in surprise, she knew who he was? He was pretty sure he hadn't done anything significant to warrant people knowing his name.
"You are the Hōne Atsūmeruhito."
Naruto relaxed a bit, so she didn't know his actual name but instead a nickname. And one he had never heard of nor does he remember someone giving him one.
"Why do you call me the Bone Collector?"
"Is that not your moniker? They say that when you kill someone, you rip out your targets spine along with the head still attached. And place their severed bones as trophies in your home."
Naruto spluttered at her detailed explanation of his supposed finishing move. He shook his head and rolled his eyes as a sigh escaped his lips.
"I think you and I need to have a talk."