INHERITANCE, a Naruto fanfiction

AU. Naruto's reality is tipped on its head when the mission to Nami no Kuni goes awry. With a set of fresh, untempered skills and a thousand scattered glimpses into tragedies past, is it any wonder he's struggling to remember how to live? (And if he never does... Well, who needed hope anyway?)

"FALLOUT"" INHERITANCE ARC #1 | PROLOGUE: MACHINATIONS

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not Naruto, certainly. I'm far too poor for that.

At the bridge in Nami no Kuni {Land of Waves}, Team Kakashi was currently facing their second true life-or-death fight as shinobi. As Sakura desperately tried to defend the bridge-builder Tazuna, and silently prayed for her teammates' success, her teacher Hatake Kakashi, the infamous Copy Ninja, was battling the Kirigakure no Kijin {Demon of the Hidden Mist}, Momochi Zabuza. They battled in ninjutsu, taijutsu and kenjutsu, and found themselves evenly-matched.

The most intriguing fight, however, was that between Haku, a descendant of Kirigakure's Yuki clan, and Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. Haku's use of Hyōton (Ice Release) ninjutsu was too much for Sasuke and Naruto to bear, and both were riddled with senbon. Their movements were becoming progressively more sluggish, and Naruto was currently only semi-conscious on the ground, having received blows to multiple pressure-points that would normally render a shinobi catatonic. Fortunately, as both a jinchūriki, and an unknowing descendant of the Uzumaki Clan, Naruto was highly resilient to such attacks.

The faux-oinin {Hunter-nin} was positioned within his Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals), senbon at the ready to launch at his foes. He watched as the raven-haired one scanned the mirrors attentively, searching for any indicator as to which held the original, and where the next attack may come from. "You… move well…" Haku commented, both pleasing and confusing Sasuke with the hint of admiration in the voice. "Regardless…" the Hyōton user continued, "this time I'll stop you."

'Your body, reflexes, ability to react… you should already be at your limit…' Haku thought as he prepared more senbon for another barrage. He noted that the kind boy he met mere days earlier in a clearing rose also, standing himself beside his comrade. "He's coming!" he heard the orange-clad shinobi exclaim, and the Yuki once again found himself questioning how exactly the blond-haired boy passed whatever examination was required for promotion to genin in Konoha.

"Shh!" the raven hissed lowly, as both drew a kunai. "Calm down, concentrate and see through it, usuratonkachi!" Naruto nodded and both trained their eyes on the mirrors in preparation for the next barrage, ignoring their own beaten, bloodied forms. As Haku launched the senbon, both boys dodged to the right at the last moment, the blond being nicked slightly but otherwise free of any newly-acquired injuries.

'They saw it?! No way!' the faux-oinin internally protested, shocked and confused at the pair's reaction. As the two lifted their faces, Haku found himself gazing into the eyes of the Sharingan. Or rather, to be more accurate, two sets of Sharingan, one with a collective three tomoe, and the other with two between them. 'Those eyes… it can't be… the Sharingan?!'

Naruto was confused as to how he could suddenly see so easily, and looked over to Sasuke, only to gasp. "Sasuke, you have eyes like Kakashi-sensei's!" Naruto exclaimed, completely unaware of the change in his own eyes, bar the noticeable increase in the clarity of his vision. The blond Uzumaki saw his teammate turn his head with a smirk, only for aforementioned Uchiha to stop dead and do a double-take.

'How…?' Sasuke thought in shock, completely unsure as to how he should react in this situation. Suddenly, he was snapped out of his shock by the voice of their enemy, which was really starting to get on his nerves.

"Ah, so you two are also bearers of an advanced bloodline… no matter," the androgynous figure trailed off as he launched the senbon, Naruto being caught by several more due to a moment of confusion regarding the figure's words. Sasuke, meanwhile managed to dodge. 'How does the dobe have the Sharingan? Don't tell me he's… family?' Sasuke wondered.

The idea seemed foreign to the last Uchiha – 'Not-so-last, now', he mused idly. After spending so many years of his life alone, knowing that the only living family he could have now – 'Itachi does not count. He will NEVER count, not again!' his mind insisted – would be those he fathered and raised himself. And, honestly, that was a little further-down on his priorities list right now. Killing the bastard came first. But… maybe he wouldn't be as alone as he thought, now…

'Wha- what did he mean, two of us? I'm not… I'm not…' Naruto wondered in confusion as his body gave out momentarily from the damage sustained once again. He heard the figure speak again, and his eyes widened in panic as he saw the figure race out of the mirror directly across from him and hurl senbon at him, most likely to strike him in the eyes – an instant kill.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan active, was having similar thoughts. As time seemed to slow down, he ran for Naruto as the masked figure shot at the blond-haired… Uchiha? Hmm… perhaps… Regardless, Sasuke had only just gotten some form of family back, and he'd be damned if he lost it this quickly. 'Naruto… Damn, make it in time!'

Running to intercept the attack, Sasuke was left with little option but to throw himself between the oncoming attack and his teammate.

Holding a hand against his bleeding chest wound, Kakashi panted as he stared at Zabuza, slightly panicked. "Ugh…"

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura exclaimed in horror as Tazuna watched on with terrified eyes. Seeing the figure of a mildly-bloodied Zabuza not metres away from her, Sakura couldn't help but feel weak at the knees as panic struck her. The visage of the Kirigakure no Kijin was truly living up to its moniker; or at least, in her mind, anyway.

"You were too late, Kakashi…" Zabuza mocked in his raspy voice which spent cold shivers down their spines. "Did your desire to save these brats cloud your mind and make this mist thicken further?" he idly wondered, smirking at the fear he invoked in his foes.

"Even with that impressive eye, your ability to read my movements is dimming…" Zabuza trailed off, once more fixing his voice in a mocking drawl. "Hehehe, let me enjoy this more, Kakashi… I want more fun as I return the favour… Don't worry about yours brats; Haku has probably already killed them," Zabuza commented, sadistic mirth twinkling in his eyes as he saw Kakashi's jaw tighten beneath the man's mask. "Oh, don't worry, Hatake. I'm sending you to the same place they're going… so you'll get to apologise for being too weak to protect them!" His last words were a shout, leaving the three to stare in shock at the sickening thirst for blood shining in the man's slightly-manic eyes.

Sakura, in her anger at the man's words, drew unnecessary attention to herself. "NO WAY!" she shrieked. "SASUKE-KUN WON'T BE DEFEATED BY A GUY LIKE THAT SO EASILY! SAME FOR NARUTO!" she continued as her 'inner-self' shouted its agreement.

"Exactly…" Kakashi agreed, shocking Zabuza with the certainty in his voice. "I believe in their strength," the Copy-Ninja continued with a solid stare at the 'Demon', daring the man to disagree. "Naruto's unshakeable determination and drive… and Sasuke's heritage as the last of one of Konoha's most prominent clans…"

Zabuza stiffened in shock. Remembering the time he saw the boy, he realised he may have made a fatal mistake in sending Haku against the raven. "You mean…" he trailed off uncertainly, rather worried about the conclusions his mind was making. Of course he'd heard of the single survivor…

"Yes…" Kakashi affirmed, "His name is Uchiha Sasuke, a genius ninja with the kekkei genkai of the Uchiha Clan running through his veins."

"An offspring of that tragic clan…" Zabuza halted, realising things he should have seen sooner. Kami-dammit. 'No wonder he's been progressing so quickly…' he continued his train of thought as he made hand signs. "But that's the same case as Haku, then; there's never been a case of the Makyō Hyōshō failing," Zabuza announced as he vanished into the mist once more.

"He disappeared again!" Sakura exclaimed, stating the obvious. Kakashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes and inwardly promised to introduce Team 7's lone kunoichi to his friend Kurenai. Or maybe Anko…

Right. Not the time.

"Sakura, stay here. It's about time I finished this fight," Kakashi ordered as he bounded out into the mist, not even bothering to listen to his student's reply. He vaguely saw what he thought to be the outline of Zabuza through the mist and spoke up. "You seem to think I survived in the shinobi system with naught but my Sharingan, Zabuza. But, I am afraid I'm a former, trained member of the Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai {Special Assassination and Tactical Squad} (1), so I'll show you the ninja I used to be. Instead of copying jutsu… I'll show you my own!" Kakashi declared with certainty, inwardly hoping that his genin were faring well against their foe, and deciding that they would all need to get some training done once this mission was over.

Naruto stared in shock at the scene before him, a startling clarity to it as the reality he knew crumbled. In front of him, Sasuke stood slumped forwardly slightly, his body ridden with senbon, panting heavily. Across from them, Haku was collapsed on the ground in pain, having borne the brunt of Sasuke's counter-attack.

"Tch, dobe… You're always getting in the way," Sasuke remarked as he slumped backwards slightly, Naruto catching his body as it fell, staring in shock at the blood and the sheer number of sharp, pointy implements sticking out of the Last Uchiha's downed form.

"Sasuke… you…?" 'Why?'

"What's with that face, you moron?" Sasuke smirked weakly as Naruto gaped at the raven, uncomprehending of how events escalated to this point. 'Why would he save me?' Naruto wondered. "Pft. I hated you…" Sasuke continued hoarsely, feeling his body giving way to the blood loss and poison on the senbon.

"But… but…" Naruto trailed off weakly, until his anger spiked. "WHY?! I NEVER ASKED FOR YOUR HELP, TEME!" Naruto raged, refusing to accept this despite the fact that he could feel it being burned into his memory, forevermore.

"I… don't know…" Sasuke trailed off uneasily, his face scrunched up in the very epitome of pain. "My body… moved on its own," he continued, as Naruto watched in shock. "Idiot…" He paused a moment, and then, "That man… my brother… I swore I wouldn't die until I killed him. But now… you're here. Avenge our clan, for me, please…" he coughed up blood, chuckling weakly. "You better attain your dream… dobe…"

And with that, Uchiha Sasuke died.

"He landed a heavy blow on me, and died for you without even flinching… he is truly strong, to protect his precious person in such a way," Haku commented as he rose. "He is a shinobi that truly deserves respect." He finished, staring at the body of the Uchiha in his kin's arms. "Is this the first time you have lost a close friend? This is… the way of the shinobi!" Haku proclaimed as he prepared to send another hail of senbon and end the fight, stepping back into the mirrors.

"Shut up…" Naruto exclaimed quietly, his body exuding extreme killing intent as he rose slowly, his arms still cradling the dead Uchiha. Guilt churned deep in his gut - a soul-deep anguish haunting him. A dull ache crept into his eyes. Hatred bubbled, spat and boiled, and he wanted nothing more than to scream. To make the world - to make his enemies - feel pain. This was his fault. If only he'd been faster, better, stronger... 'I hated you, too', he thought quietly. Suddenly, the ache in his eyes turned to sharp, burning, blinding pain, and he finally let loose a resounding cry of rage and anguish.

Kakashi, Zabuza, Sakura and Tazuna's attention turned in the direction of the ice dome as an inhuman scream tore through the previous quiet, and a heavy killing intent leaked into the area. Sakura took a step backwards, quaking in fear as Tazuna fell to the ground, barely refraining from soiling himself. Kakashi and Zabuza began to sweat and gaze in the direction of the battle between their respective students.

'What is this?' Zabuza thought, having flashbacks to the time he attempted to depose the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura, the Sanbi jinchūriki. Images settled in his mind, of the blond, whiskered boy, and the tales of the legendary Kyūbi. 'Wait… no, surely not… that child cannot be…'

Kakashi, meanwhile was panicking. If this was what he thought it was… no, there was no doubt about it. The seal was either weakening… or it had broken completely.

'What could have evoked such a reaction from Naruto?' he wondered, as both he and Zabuza raced to the Ice Dome, their mutual animosity temporarily ignored.

Within the Hakke no Fūin Shiki (Eight Trigrams Sealing Style), the Kyūbi opened its eyes after taking a month-long nap, chuckling darkly as it felt an increase in the amount of chakra its host was drawing from the seal. It had been watching over the years as the host had absorbed its chakra from the seal the brat's father had placed before his death. The gaki was pathetic, and now the bijū could finally act on its plan to not only gain its host's favour, but also to up the host's power, and come one step closer to escaping the damned seal… after all, what it was about to do could damage to seal nigh-irreparably, and without the key to the seal, the gaki couldn't do anything about it. Even then, making amendments to Uzumaki Seals was finicky business, best left to the experts, the Uzumaki themselves.

In the meantime, as much as the bijū hated to admit it, the ningen was effectively its representation in the world, meaning that the mortal had to seem the part. After all, to the 'shinobi' of the Elemental Nations, the jinchūriki was the incarnation of the beast in human form – and the Kyūbi would be damned if this ningen made it look weak.

Sending a surge of chakra through the boy's body after collecting it from where it had lain before – attached to his very being like a disgusting stain that it couldn't quite purge, until now – the Kyūbi smirked slightly. Oh, sure, it was possible that the surge may do irreparable damage to the host body, but then the ningen of that village would simply extract the bijū and place him inside another vessel, allowing the whole process to begin again. And the Kyūbi had nothing, if not time. Although it doubted any lasting harm would eventuate – after all, the boy was a distant descendant of him, not that the gaki could ever compare.

As the strongest bijū finished sending the surge of chakra, it suddenly felt a familiar type of chakra, one that left a certain identifying 'footprint' that the Kyūbi hadn't felt for twelve years… Its eyes widened significantly when it became aware of events outside the seal once more, and it realised just how much of a mistake it may have made.

'This is not good,' the bijū mused.

The faux-oinin watched in horror as the blond's head rose to show the spinning Sharingan in his eyes, which slowly morphed into a different form of Sharingan. Each tomoe – 'Now fully matured,' he idly noted – extended in opposite directions, starting at a sharp point that originated from the centre of the eye – the pupil of which had remained black – and extended outwards in curves of black, each forming a sort of 'brace', of which there were three placed at equal intervals around the eye. (2)

Suddenly, the boy's body became awash in incredibly foul chakra, bubbling red and leaking ill-intent. Then, just as suddenly, the chakra receded, and countless spear-points emerged all along the boy's upper body, pointing in all directions around him. 'What on earth…?' Haku thought, stunned, before his thoughts were silenced forever as the spear points all shot forward on chains, embedding themselves in anything around the blond, and impaling themselves throughout multiple points in Haku's body.

As the mirrors shattered and the chakra chains receded, Naruto gazed out on the mist with red-and-black eyes before slumping forward into unconsciousness.

Hatake Kakashi graduated the Konoha Shinobi Academy at the age of 5, and was promoted to the rank of Chūnin at age 6. He was later demoted – a blight on his record that he would never admit to, even in the face of death – and was re-promoted after spending some time under the command of Namikaze Minato. He made jōnin at age 13, ANBU at age 15, and ANBU Captain not long after that. He'd like to say that he'd become impervious to shock, confusion, and other such frivolous emotions, due to the harsh life he had lived as one of Konohagakure's elite.

However, as it stood, he could positively say he was totally, completely, utterly flabbergasted.

And he would never admit that aloud. Ever.

When he sensed the sudden increase in killing intent and chakra, he had immediately feared the worst; after all, Minato-sensei taught that it is best to prepare for the worst, and hope for the best. As it stood, he immediately recalled the last time he had felt this particular chakra, on that night twelve years ago when he lost his last two precious people – 'Kushina-sama, Minato-sensei' he thought forlornly – and immediately prepared to dash in, extract Sasuke, and high-tail it out of there, mission be damned.

But then, as he and Zabuza had appeared outside the Makyō Hyōshō (Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals), both peered inside to see the form of Naruto standing over Sasuke's limp form as spear-heads emerged from the boy's body. In an instant, the sound of rattling chains and shattering mirrors announced to the world the death of one of the last of the Yuki Clan. Death by impalement on flying chains made out of chakra, to boot.

How embarrassing.

Kakashi, for his part, survived the sudden bombardment of sharp, pointy implements - courtesy of his blond-haired student - due to instinct and hard-trained reflex alone. His mind was reeling when he saw the golden Kongō Fūsa (Adamantine Sealing Chains) extending outwards from where the dome of ice once stood, and he recalled the last time he saw those chains. Kushina-sama had said that they were a rare bloodline of the Uzumaki, awoken only once every few generations, and to see two wielders in any single lifetime was exceedingly rare. Kakashi's mind was abuzz with questions.

Had the bloodline been adapting, and was now available to each generation? Was it something in Minato-sensei's genes that brought out the latent skill? Did Kushina-sama only unlock the ability due to her amazing chakra? Was it just a random fluke of genetics?

Or, perhaps the scariest thought of all, but also the most confusing;

'Is this the work of the Kyūbi?'

Momochi Zabuza was afraid of very few things – a consequence of the life he'd lived as the Kirigakure no Kijin. Indeed, he could count on one hand the number of things he was truly scared of, and even then, he'd have a digit to spare.

Yagura. The kid was a psycho. And regardless of what the Yondaime Mizukage said, Zabuza would, to his dying day, insist that the little bastard was still a teenager.

Bijū. Pretty reasonable, given the fact that he'd fought Yagura. Besides that, he'd witnessed the carnage that jinchūriki and their bijū were capable of unleashing on the battlefield. It made ordinary shinobi look like children. Children playing at the games of the Triad.

Okaa-sama. Zabuza gave an involuntary shudder every time he thought of that woman. The sheer pride in her eyes after he slaughtered that entire graduating class still haunted him in his nightmares. She was… well, its best just said that she ranked above the bijū for a very good reason.

At least he knew where he got it from…

Last, but not least, was the most terrifying individual he had ever met, a woman whose very existence struck fear in the hearts of Kiri-nin to this very day. Some parents even told stories to their children, of how the devil woman who moved with unequalled stealth and grace would come into their homes and teach them the meaning of fear and pain if they didn't do what they were told, and eat all their vegetables.

Uzumaki Kushina. More commonly known as Konoha no Kusari-Teikiatsu {Chain Cyclone of the Leaf}. The very embodiment of the Three Things that made an Uzumaki deadly – Swords, Stealth, and Seals.

He'd met her once. On the battlefield. Of course, he was just a young boy back then, barely beginning his teenage years and still not quite on the level of the Kiri no Shinobigatana Shichinin Shū {Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist}. Not that their power did them any good in the long run, since they lost two members to that woman alone during the war. She wasn't overly skilled in the ninjutsu department, but her fūinjutsu, kenjutsu and stealth were nigh-on unmatched. She personally led the battlefront between Kirigakure and Konohagakure during the Third Shinobi World War, a masked figure whose identity remained largely unknown. Her rumoured lover, the man who went on to become Konoha's Yondaime Hokage, had led the charge against Kumo; they were a match made in heaven for Konoha, and it was widely acknowledged that, if the two had ever raised an heir together, the child may very well have been the next Shinobi no Kami {God of Shinobi}.

He remembered the battle that made history in Kirigakure, the day that a masked woman with blood-red hair led the forces of Konoha to battle, in a final conflict that signified the end of Kirigakure's involvement in the Third Shinobi World War. Akarikujō no Tatakai {Battle of the Bloodied Shore}. The battle turned up-scale when the Rokubi jinchūriki was ordered to release the bijū she contained on the Konoha shinobi, after which Uzumaki Kushina restrained the bijū with her chains made of solid chakra. The Kusari-Teikiatsu was known for her tough-mindedness on the battlefield, and her unshakable resolve to defend her home. Factor in the knowledge that Kirigakure played no small part in the decimation of her clan's home village and, well…

It was a massacre. No other words could describe it. Zabuza himself only survived by 'playing dead', hiding under a dead body, and later claiming he had been knocked unconscious (or risk incurring the Sandaime Mizukage's wrath).

Due to their loss of the Sanbi in an earlier incident not months before, the Mizukage was left with no other option than to offer Konohagakure their unconditional surrender, and cessation from the War itself, alongside some other concessions. In exchange, they got the two swords of the Swordsmen that they'd lost back, and they got to keep their bijū.

Joy.

So, when he saw the Kongō Fūsa, his primal instinct to survive outweighed anything else. Jumping back at the last moment to dodge and inwardly worrying over what happened to Haku, he released his Kirigakure no jutsu (Hiding in Mist technique). The mist cleared, and Zabuza saw the slumped form of the blond Kushina-spawn – 'for what else could he be, with that infernal chakra?!' – next to the gaki's downed Uchiha teammate. Across from them was the bloody mangled form of-

Zabuza's breath hitched.

'Haku.'

As Zabuza made his way to what little remained of his once-apprentice, Kakashi's pinkette genin screamed.

Haruno Sakura was sheltered, really. She had lived a quiet childhood, with no major familial deaths, no horrible fights with her parents, and no run-ins with bullies after she'd managed to get into the academy 'in-crowd'. Her mother was a chūnin-level kunoichi working in Konoha's Cipher Division, and her father retired from the shinobi trade and opened a shop after realising he may very well become a career genin at the rate he was going. She honestly wasn't overly bothered with a true career as kunoichi, much preferring the civilian lifestyle. But alas, she simply had to remain a kunioichi of Konohagakure, or she'd lose her shot at Sasuke-kun.

And she couldn't have that. No. Not at all.

She knew that she should have taken her training more seriously. Done more than fixate on her appearance and attractiveness, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Every time her parents suggested that she go and train, or eat more, or do something healthier, she had wholeheartedly refused. And it had really come back to bite her in the ass.

When she heard the rustling of chains and what suspiciously sounded like shattering glass, she was confused. What in the name of hell had done that? Then, she noticed that the mist was clearing slowly and she immediately tried to see the weird dome of ice that the strange figure with the mask had made earlier. The one that Naruto had run inside without a second thought. 'Tch, moron,' she thought. 'Cha, that fool is going to get in Sasuke-kun's way, Shannaro!' her inner-self raged.

When Sakura saw that the Ice-thingie was gone, she was about to give a shout of joy, realising her love had vanquished the faux-oinin. Alas, that was not to be.

No, instead, she saw the crumpled, bloody forms of Zabuza's subordinate, Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasu-

Sakura screamed.

'No! That's not- that's not… THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE!' her mind bellowed, refusing to believe the sight before her was real. 'It's just a Genjutsu! That's it! Just a… just a…'

Her inner-self was conspicuously silent.

Sakura's mind tracked back to the Academy lessons on Genjutsu. Raising her hands into a seal and not even noticing the forms of both Zabuza and Kakashi walking over to their respective students, she immediately expelled chakra from her body and shouted "KAI (Release)!" at the top of her lungs. Mentally preparing herself to see the actual goings-on beneath the illusion, Sakura was immediately confused as to why the Genjutsu had not yet lifted.

"But… but…" she stuttered aloud, unsure how to deal with this, until her mind flashed back to the lessons on Genjutsu once again, and she realised where she'd gone wrong. 'High-level Genjutsu sometimes require other stimuli to be introduced, in order for escape to be possible.' She remembered that lesson, and remembered what to do, extracting a kunai from her pouch and immediately stabbing it into the tip of her right index finger.

Nothing happened.

Trying again on her wrist, Sakura drove the kunai across the previously-delicate skin, trying desperately to prove that everything she was seeing was a Genjutsu. 'It's not real. It's not real. It's not real!' her mind repeated, a mantra that she would happily continue to her dying day. She didn't even notice Kakashi's sigh of relief as he detected a weak pulse in both Sasuke and Naruto's forms, or the flicker of grief that alit in Zabuza's eyes. She was too busy trying to prove that this wasn't real.

By the time she'd made several cuts across her wrist with a kunai in a vain effort to disprove reality, she was becoming truly desperate. When she felt a hand wrap around the wrist on her kunai-wielding hand, she looked up into the saddened eyes of their client.

The emotions dancing in Tazuna's eyes – sadness, pity, sympathy – were too much for the girl to handle, and she finally came to realise that everything she was seeing was not a Genjutsu.

Genjutsu could not possibly manage to reflect the emotions in those eyes so well.

And then, with that realisation, came horror. And she screamed again, louder, and maybe, just maybe, there were some tears mixed in for both of her teammates.

It was at that moment, in her grief, that Haruno Sakura stared at her bloodied wrist as she screamed, and swore to herself that she would get stronger to avenge her teammates, and never fail anyone else so significantly ever again.

When Gatō and his goons approached the bridge, they had expected any one of a number of different scenarios. Best case scenario? The ninja had all killed each other off in a single, bloody conflict and the bridge builder, who they honestly forgot the name of, was caught in the crossfire. Worst case scenario? The ninja were all still alive, still fighting and the bridge builder was unharmed. If that was so, all they had to do was run in, axes swinging, and slaughter the fools while they were unawares. Honestly, how strong could a ninja be, really?

The one thing that none of their number had expected, was to see a bunch of slumped over, bloodied forms that might have been kids, and the bridge builder alongside both adult shinobi staring at afore-mentioned bodies as some small girl with pink hair screamed her head off like a banshee.

That also happened to be exactly what was actually going on at the bridge.

"Oi, we got ourselves a screamer lads!" one of the more depraved individuals amongst the thugs called, and his fellows either wolf-whistled or grinned lecherously. Their actions were halted, however, when Gatō held up a hand.

As it stood, this proved to be more than enough sound to gain the attention of the shinobi present, and Gatō stepped forward to speak. Identifying the most bloodied of the three forms as that of Zabuza's subordinate, Gatō grinned and went to kick the corpse.

His leg was caught by Zabuza mid-swing.

As the slimy businessman lost his footing and fell backwards, Zabuza spoke. "What, pray tell, are you doing here, Gatō?" the voice of the man was sickly-sweet – or at least as sickly-sweet as the man could sound, given the fact he normally spoke in a rather hoarse, grating drawl – as he applied more pressure to the ankle of his employer, thoroughly enjoying the manner in which the sleazy little man swallowed nervously.

"Hey! Unhand the boss!" one of the more stupid in the encroaching crowd of morons – for really, who would take on a shinobi with civilian-level skills? – demanded as he broke into a run towards Zabuza. Before he even got close to Zabuza, he met his end via kunai to the brain, courtesy of one Hatake Kakashi.

"Truce?" the Copy-Ninja requested of his companion, silently hoping that the man had put two and two together, looked underneath the underneath, and seen that he was about to be double-crossed. Just as Zabuza was about to reply, a particularly over-muscled thug interrupted them.

"This isn't any of your business, Konoha-nin!" the brutish man exclaimed, not looking fazed in the slightest by the death of his 'comrade'. Kakashi doubted any of these fools even knew the dead one's name. "We're just gonna double-cross the guy and kill 'im! You can take your precious kiddies and sod off!" Evidently, this goon was equally as idiotic – if not more so, in fact – as the one whose body still lay between Gatō's cronies and the two shinobi.

"SHUT UP YOU FOOLS!" Gatō demanded, sweating profusely and staring up at the visage of the Kirigakure no Kijin with no small amount of fear. Zabuza put an end to that, quickly and efficiently inserting his kunai through the smaller man's jaw and pushing it upwards. As the taller ninja once again stood fully upright, Kubikiribōchō resting on his shoulder as he glared at the thugs, he released much of his remaining chakra from his body in waves, the visage of a demon appearing behind him, giving more credence to his moniker. As the thugs each took a step back in fear, Kakashi turned an eye-smile on them.

"I suppose it would be too much to ask you to simply leave?" the silver-haired nin inquired, his form appearing just as terrifying as his companion's to the cronies of the – now deceased – Gatō. When none of the thugs was forthcoming with a response, Kakashi reached his own conclusion. "Ah, that's a shame… shall we get to it, then, Zabuza-san?"

One of the few men to ever fight the Yondaime Mizukage and live turned to face the Copy Ninja of Konoha, and grinned.

And then, there was a massacre.

He had been ignored.

In fact, that was the very reason he existed. To be ignored, that is. And it hurt. Oh Kami, did it hurt.

He knew the original didn't like him. Wouldn't like him, and in fact the other didn't even know he existed. He was the real them! The other was an imposter, just a weak mask that didn't show what was hidden deep inside.

He was born to protect them both, and to protect the world. To protect everything from himself. The irony was not lost on him; that was for sure.

But, even though he resented it – which he could do nothing but, considering he was a being made of such vile, dark emotions, and nothing more – he did his appointed job dutifully, as had been instructed to him. Not willingly, of course. No, never willingly. But damn, their stubbornness gave birth to him, to hide all that negativity away!

Oh, and there was so much negativity! Leading the life that they had, the life that he protected them from! He had done all the hard work, guiding them through the tough times.

He wanted nothing more than to talk to the other. For his existence to be acknowledged – 'Irony, again,' he idly mused – but the other just would not give into the darkness, not even for a moment! 'Why won't you accept me?' his mind demanded, 'Acknowledge the demon of your own creation!'

He knew the one within favoured him, rather than the original. Maybe the creature empathised with him? To be sequestered away, against your will, to protect the world? Who knew, really?

Then, he felt it. An opening in the defences that were constructed so painstakingly by the other for so long, until finally, at last, they gave birth to him. The other was breaking. His mind, riddled with negative emotions, was allowing him access for the first time in so long. And he yearned for the feel of the real world.

He would force the other to acknowledge him. Of course, he ran the risk of the other oppressing him again, and forgetting him, but he doubted it. The other would be haunted. Maybe the other would accept him. Maybe, finally, they could become one, once again, and protect each other as the same individual, forever.

As was his duty, he remembered. To protect the original. And he would always do so. Always. Without fail. Or his name wasn't-

Aha! The opening he felt. There it was.

And in that moment, when the original's mind was already so broken and confused, his body so damaged due to the machinations of the one within, did both other and him combine.

Within the Hakke no Fūin Shiki, the Kyūbi chuckled darkly, and grinned. Not a friendly grin, but rather, a self-satisfied one, promising pain and vengeance.

'At least one thing went completely according to plan.'

Hello!

Now, while Naruto is powerful, and possesses two kekkei genkai - Sharingan and the Chakra Chains - he will be developing. In fact, if anything, Naruto after this will be weaker. Not for long, but for a bit, at least. For those wondering what will be going on with the Kyūbi's influence, the extent of the machinations of everyone's favourite fox will be revealed fairly quickly. Its motivations are also fairly obvious, but will be elaborated on for clarity in the next chapter or so.

Now, since I know this can be a major sticking point for some people - yes, Minato will be half-Senju, but not descended from Hashirama or Tobirama.

In the way of WARNINGS:

1. There will be OCs. The size of this project makes this an inevitability. Especially in the other villages.

2. Excessive Character Death. This is a fanfiction about ninja - death is a fact. I have literal pages of established deaths. You have been warned.

3. Additional Villains. One of them is entirely new, and the other three are a game-only villain, a movie-only villain and a character from the Canon that doesn't get much time, who will be expanded dramatically. Additionally, several characters that weren't villains in Canon will now be against the protagonists, for their own reasons. I do intend to flesh them out, and already have back stories written out, so worry not.

4. OOC. Naruto will be a mix of himself and... something else. So he's a little different. From there it'll all be development after the initial modification. Regardless though, anyone who convinces themselves that characters in a fanfic such as this are purely in-character is lying. Naruto also isn't the only one. Most characters will go through character changes, be they major or minor, and this will likely include characters you don't like.

5. Fanon Tropes. Mostly modified to have their own, unique twist. You would not believe how much of what I once considered Canon is actually Fanon! Ridiculous!

Pairings:

Naruto is paired with Ino. I'm not pairing Naruto with Canon!Ino, I'm pairing him with Inheritance!Ino - a fierce, powerful kunoichi who will be near to, if not on, the same level as Naruto. How will that happen? You'll have to read on to see.

There are also many other pairings - feel free to drop a review/PM to ask who is with who. Although, I will say now - I have every pairing planned out, and they are FINAL. Amongst these are both historical and current/developing pairings, and not all of them are heterosexual. 'Cause really, what universe is composed entirely of heterosexuals? Certainly not ours! :P Also, one threesome, between some main-ish characters? But just one. :/

NOTE: I'm not going to write Lemons. Why? 'Cause I'm no good at them, and they're technically against the rules anyway. So YES, the 'M' rating is for dark themes, not other stuffs.

(1) The longer version of the name for ANBU Black Ops. ANBU translates to Dark Side.

(2) Naruto's Mangekyō is effectively a well-detailed, curvier version of the brace symbol (READ: '}' ) on your keyboard, with three of such symbols inter-spaced equally around the iris. It's a black-on-red design, unlike Sasuke's.

On the matter of the whole 'Kushina is an S-Rank ninja' thing, the full explanation can be found on my profile. Needless to say, I stand by my choice, and I hope you understand my reasoning.

'Till next time! J