Hope everyone had a pleasant Halloween. Sorry for the longer-than-usual wait.

Wacko12: naruto should start gathering allies. He should recruit Jugo! Will he get allies? What's his goal?

A: Naruto already has Neji as an ally, as long as he delivers. He will get more allies as time goes on. He currently wishes to crush the great villages and make them feel the same pain Uzu has. Sort of like Nagato but for much more selfish reasons. It remains to be seen whether that will change.

Thor94: but i think naruto look weak if he had difficult to take a genin or few anbu, especially for someone having good teaching and friendly with kurama

A: Keep in mind Kakashi was an ANBU captain, and I'd assume he was in his prime at that point. Itachi was an ANBU captain before he got sick. ANBU are or at least should be frickin strong. Neji (who specializes in taijutsu) was a chunin, and Naruto was limited to ken and taijutsu at the time (had an easy time anyway). He is not 'friendly' with Kurama, Kurama simply doesn't resent him at the moment. All that aside, even if he could fight an entire ANBU squad and two chunin, more would arrive.

plums: I still see absolutely nothing gained from this 'infiltration'. Did he steal family scrolls / his inheritance back? Nope. Did he sabotage the village in some great manor while he was there? Nope. Did he stupidly try and flee the villlage directly after murdering a nurse in the hospital and only gaining 1 medical file? Yep. This chapter makes no sense at all. The risk vs reward payoff for Naruto is simply not there

A: Despite the fact this was already answered in the story, I'll respond anyway. He knew nothing of the outside world, having been in isolation. He did not know who his parents were, and only those in Konoha knew. I don't know about you but family is important to me. If I had a chance to discover my parentage, I'd take it. As for fleeing after impersonating a doctor, slicing his way into a classified section of the hospital, and killing a nurse, I'd be interested to know what you thought should have happened. By the time he left the hospital they had already found the body. Naruto will probably never be strong enough to fight off the entirety of Konoha just because he wants to go sightseeing. Naruto didn't steal his family scrolls (that consist of what, two jutsu?) because I am not gonna make the mistake of giving Naruto something like hiraishin. Not only is the idea completely overused, it makes combat confusing and boring. Oh he teleported again? Great. His inheritance is not exactly accessible. That was a mouthful.

God-ShadowEx100: naruto should not have had any issues with neji, secondly you had better kill sas-gays pathetic queer ass

A: I explained why Naruto didn't crush Neji instantly above. I'm not gonna tear any characters a new one for the sake of it, or at least I won't go out of my way to do it, so Sasuke will not be disemboweled the moment he enters the story. He may be a douche, but every one deserves a second cha... fifth? Fuck it, he's not going anywhere for now.

Assassin Master Uzumaki: will you have naruto rebuild his clans village making a new whirlpool village?

A: That's the goal at least. Maybe he'll fall on his own kunai this chapter and never achieve anything, who knows?

-Hokage's Office-

"Are you certain?" asked a man with grey, gravity-defying hair. He managed to maintain an air of non-chalance and laziness despite his current position and the information he'd received.

"Yes Hokage-sama. Both I and my team saw him. He was not Henged at the time, I can personally confirm that," replied the ANBU captain, unsure of why his superior had taken such an interest in the intruder's description.

"Very well, you can go now."

The boar-masked ANBU bowed before using a Shunshin to leave the room. Kakashi's one visible eyebrow furrowed at the report he had been given moments ago. An intruder managed to infiltrate his village and break into a secure location. He'd have to remind himself to tighten security as well as replace whatever idiots had been posted at the gate. What really bothered him, though, was the very familiar description he had received. 'Sensei? No, I saw his corpse myself. Only one other person could have possibly matched the account, but he's been missing for 7...'

The copy ninja's eye widened in realization. His sensei's son had disappeared years ago and it took him a long time to get over it. Up till this point feelings of regret would rise to the surface every time he thought about the poor boy. He had been forbidden from treating Naruto differently than any other children but he knew he could have and should have persisted. If only he had taken care of the boy, then maybe he wouldn't have been spirited away from the village. It was just another mistake on the ever-growing list, and like the others was still weighing heavily on him.

But now, a boy matching his looks at the appropriate age suddenly appears out of nowhere. It seemed too good to be true, and maybe it was. Kakashi couldn't fathom why Naruto would return to Konoha after so many years, only to commit a grievous crime and leave the village once again. Though doubtful, it was still worth investigating. He owed it to his sensei and father figure to look after his son, and if he was still alive, well he'd need to know about it, regardless of what he had done.

Unfortunately, the initial search was called off after dozens of trails were found leading in every direction imaginable. Whoever the teenager was, he was clever. He just didn't have the resources to send his subordinates after each of the leads.

His line of thought was broken when his two advisors as well as a man mostly wrapped in bandages entered the room. He sighed. His job was hard enough without having these old geezers constantly pestering and antagonizing him.

Hi no Kuni, Eastern Seaboard, Two Days Later

Naruto was pleased with himself for using Mizu Bunshin to throw any pursuers off his trail. They wouldn't be able to even begin searching for him until he was already out of the country. Speaking of which, a small port town suddenly came into view for Naruto. He descended into the village that would take him away from Hi no Kuni, breathing in the fresh ocean breeze. Something about the sea was liberating, and the blonde felt noticeably lighter.

He Henged into a copy of himself, but with dark brown hair and civilian clothes rather than his ANBU-esque clothing he currently had on. There was no reason to draw attention to himself unnecessarily. He wandered through the town, taking his time just enjoying the sights. Naruto decided he liked travelling. After being cooped up for 7 years it was nice to have a change of scenery. Naruto's expression visibly drooped. He just wished he could share his experiences with Akifumi. He had been distracted from some time by his personal mission. He had no time to dwell on depressing thoughts, but he did now.

His grandfather's death was a wakeup call for the blonde jinchuriki. Regardless of the impressive progress he had made in recent years, he needed to be better. Of course Naruto knew the size of his already massive reserves made advanced medical jutsu along with anything that required a high degree of control out of reach for now. He would find a way around it though. He wouldn't allow himself to be limited, and he wouldn't make the mistake of specializing in a single field. If he became close to someone else only for them to die in his arms again, he didn't know if he could handle it.

By now the Naruto had reached the docks. He began asking around, seeing if there were any trips to Mizu no Kuni. All he got were funny looks or laughter. Exasperated, he asked a ship captain why none of the ships were going to Mizu no Kuni. The man snorted, "Who would want to sail straight into a civil war? Times are tough but few people aren't that desperate."

Naruto sighed. It didn't seem like luck was on his side today. Going down the rows of ships the answer was always the same. As he reached the end of the line, he spotted a run down and rotting ship that had obviously seen better days. On the dock in front of it was what he assumed was the captain, a middle aged man with unkempt grey hair and a scraggly beard who appeared to be drinking heavily. Naruto figured it was better than nothing and walked up to the man. The captain didn't seem to notice him until Naruto tapped him on the shoulder. The man spun around a little too fast and tripped himself.

Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose but waited patiently for the man to regain his bearings. "What do you want?" the man asked irritably.

"I need a ship to take me to Mizu no Kuni," the man laughed mockingly, "How much will it take?"

"130,000 yen," a smug look found its way onto the captain's face. There was no way this boy would be willing to pay such an amount.

"Fine," Naruto grumbled, pulling out a large wad of money. The man's eyes bulged when he saw the Uzumaki counting the money. He quickly accepted it before motioning to follow him.

After a short tour, Naruto made his way to the ship's small quarters. There was little more than a single bed and only a few extra feet of space. It didn't seem he'd be able to work on Neji's seal during the trip, but he'd make use of this down time regardless. He sat on his bed and began to focus inward. After a minute or two of clearing his thoughts and meditating, he felt a small tug on his mind. He allowed the feeling to pull him in and everything went dark.

Naruto woke inside his now familiar mindscape. It was still disorienting to wake up without actually going to sleep, but he was growing accustomed to the feeling. He pulled himself up and looked around. Following the path of craters and trenches, he was soon led to the Kyuubi. Naruto noticed the distinct lack of any mountains, even though he had seen them the last time he was here. "Having fun I see." Naruto's face adopted an amused smirk.

"Oh, it's you. What are you here for? I have no interest in chatting, no matter how monotonous my imprisonment may be," the Kyuubi rumbled.

"And here I thought you were beginning to warm up to me," Naruto's expression turned serious, "I'd like to propose a deal."

The bijuu remained silent for a moment. "Go ahead."

"I'm not asking for much. Just a fraction of your power without the overwhelming bloodlust and rage that comes with it."

The Kyuubi scoffed at him, "And why would I let a child play with my chakra whenever he likes?"

Naruto ignored the child comment and retorted, "It would be in your best interest. Whether you admit it or not we both know you won't be able to break free from the seal any time soon. Giving me more access to your power only increases your chances of survival. And don't think I have nothing to offer. I can weaken the seal enough that you will have access to my senses and be relieved of your boredom. As an added bonus, I'll let you have your fun every once in awhile, so long as you don't harm friends of mine."

"How much of my power do you desire?" the fox asked slowly.

"Three tails' of chakra is acceptable."

"Very well. I suppose you have some sort of contract?"

Naruto nodded, before a massive scroll appeared in front of the Kyuubi. He read it carefully before nodding to himself, drawing blood and planting a massive paw print on the scroll as confirmation of the pact. The scroll disappeared and Naruto smirked again at the his prisoner. "Good doing business with you, Kyuubi."

The Kyuubi grunted. Naruto took this as a sign to leave and disappeared from sight. He awoke from the meditation and stretched his muscles. The Kyuubi had been unusually cooperative during the visit. Maybe he really was growing on that furry ball of hatred. He had gotten everything he wanted from the deal, and as soon as his conditions were met he'd have unlimited access to a portion of his bijuu's chakra. That much power without any loss of control could change the outcome of any fight.

Out of respect for the Kyuubi he would use it only when necessary though. If he wanted a better relationship with his tenant then he would need to prove he was trustworthy.

Naruto cleared these thoughts from his mind as he prepared to sleep. He needed to be ready for whatever chaos he would find in Mizu no Kuni. He would need to be aware of his surroundings and being well rested would be conducive to that. It took him a considerable amount of time to fall asleep due to the lack of stability on the rotting ship. He drifted into a dreamless sleep as the boat navigated toward the war zone.

Morning came swiftly and Naruto woke. He rubbed his eyes groggily as he dragged himself out of bed and climbed up to the deck. He was pleased to see a dark strip of land on the horizon. They'd reach land in under an hour, and the ship still hadn't capsized like Naruto had feared.

He went back to his small cabin and got dressed for battle. He donned his chestplate, greaves, and gauntlets over his long-sleeved black shirt and ANBU pants. He unsealed a black hooded cloak he had brought with him, knowing it could become quite cold where he was headed. With the hood up every part of his body but the lower half of his face, ankles, and feet were hidden. He chuckled to himself. He knew he probably appeared pretty intimidating right now. Humans have a strong fear of the unknown, and doing something as simple as covering his face would give him an advantage.

After dressing Naruto went through a quick supply check to see if he still had an acceptable amount of ninja tools and food. He had plenty of weapons left, but he had not brought much food with him when he left his home and he hadn't picked up any since then. Hopefully he wouldn't need more than what he currently had.

He returned to the deck of the ship and wandered to the bow. The captain was nowhere to be seen at the moment and he was glad of that fact. He leaned against the side of the boat and watched the island slowly become larger and larger. It would only be another 10 minutes or so before they were able to dock. However, the captain called to Naruto who turned and gave the ragged man a questioning look.

"This is as close as I'll take you. I don't want to get mixed up in the trouble over there," the man said adamantly.

"Whatever," responded the blonde jinchuriki. He was slightly irritated but he could run from this point so it wasn't much of an issue. Without saying anything further he hopped off the side of the ship and landed gracefully on the surface of the water. He jogged before breaking into a run as the captain turned his ship around and headed back to Hi no Kuni. He reached the shore shortly, and took a moment to take in his surroundings.

He was on a beach that stretched as far as he could see, which wasn't that far considering the entire island was veiled in a thin mist. A good way up the beach was a thin forest. Anything beyond that was obscured by the mist and trees. He made his way towards the treeline at a more subdued pace. He had to be on guard moving forward. It would be embarrassing if he died before he accomplished anything.

He really didn't know where he was headed at the moment. He was hoping for some clue on where the rebel forces he had heard about were encamped. They were probably not near Kiri, since the Mizukage was probably firmly entrenched there. That meant they had to be hiding somewhere on the northern half of the island. It hardly gave him any clues, but it was a start.

He blazed a path inland hoping to find civilization. If he could reach a village they should be able to point him in the right direction at least. He continued running for an hour or so before stopping abruptly when he heard a far-off explosion. 'Guess it's my lucky day'

He approached the source of the sound while masking his chakra and remaining quiet. As he drew near he could hear more explosions and the sound of metal clashing with metal. He was forced to jump out of the way when he spotted a stray suiton jutsu heading at him. The ball of water slammed into a tree behind him with enough force to partially uproot it. Keeping an eye out for anymore attacks, he reached the edge of the clearing. A middle-aged shinobi wearing a blue kimono with spiky blue hair and an eye patch over his right eye who appeared to be a rebel was currently holding off three hunter-nin. He was keeping them away from the downed rebels behind him, each bleeding profusely. It seemed the situation was dire, so Naruto decided not to waste any time.

Naruto, still in his hiding place, went through a series of handsigns before thinking 'Futon: Renkudan'. The compressed ball of wind chakra struck the nearest hunter-nin in the side and sent him careening into the treeline, knocking over one of the other hunter-nin along the way. The unfortunate loyalist was impaled on a tree branch, dying near-instantly. His two comrades were distracted enough for the rebel shinobi to get the drop on one. He drove the kunai through the downed man's chest and threw several shuriken at the other. The last remaining Kiri ninja reacted quick enough and received only a shallow cut on his side from the weapons.

Naruto jumped into the clearing and landed next to the lone rebel ninja. The blue-haired man stole a glance at him and turned back to his opponent. He assumed that the cloaked individual was not an enemy, considering he had helped him.

The hunter-nin was just beginning to grasp the severity of the situation, and tried to make a run for it. He tossed a kunai with an explosive tag at Naruto and the rebel shinobi and sprinted in the opposite direction. When the smoke cleared only the rebel still remained. The hunter-nin soon discovered why when his face was suddenly met with a fist. He was hit with enough force that his mask splintered and dug into his face, causing him to bleed. He tried to get up only for the blonde to roundhouse kick him on the side of his head, knocking him into a tree. He was knocked unconscious on impact and slumped against the tree.

Naruto looked at the three injured rebels behind the man with the eye patch. The man understood the gesture and hurried back to his incapacitated comrades. He quickly slung one over his shoulder, while Naruto made two Mizu Bunshin which picked up the other two. The original Naruto picked up the unconscious hunter-nin, figuring the rebels might want to interrogate him. He turned to the freedom fighter. "Lead the way"

The man nodded and ran into the forest, Naruto and his clones close behind. They ran in silence for a few minutes, before the rebel spoke up "Ao."

Naruto's eyes flickered to him for a moment before he responded, "Naruto."

"I appreciate the help but you're still going to have to stick around so you can be asked some questions," the now identified Ao said.

"I understand. And it was the right thing to do, no need to thank me."

Ao nodded, and the silence resumed. They continued to tree hop through the forest until they felt several presences. Naruto tensed, while Ao didn't seem to react. A half dozen shinobi in ragged clothing cut them off. As soon as they saw who it was their faces brightened, "Ao-sama, Mei-sama was getting worr-," the speaker paused as he noticed the boy beside him, "Who is this Ao-sama? Why did you bring him to our camp?"

"Don't worry, he's a friend. Had he not helped me I would probably be dead right now."

The rebels were not entirely convinced but nodded anyway. Naruto and Ao handed off the wounded and the POW while the other shinobi motioned for them to follow. "Mei-sama will want to see you right away Ao-sama, along with the boy accompanying you."

"I guessed as much. He-," he gestured toward Naruto, "Already agreed to being questioned, I'm sure he won't mind talking to Mei."

Naruto nodded as confirmation, and he followed his guides through the camp. He was surprised by the size of the place. It was massive, and it seemed that civilians lived there as well, alongside the ninja. It functioned like a small village, with makeshift shops and markets mixed with barracks and supply depots. They passed the camp hospital, and Naruto was able to make out dozens of bodybags being carried out the door and lined up behind the facility. It seemed things were not going so well, and the expressions on people's faces attested to that. He continued to assess the state of the camp until the command tent came into view. It was easy to spot because it was larger than the rest and there was a steady stream of ninja entering and leaving.

Ao entered the tent, but the two guards on the outside stepped in front of Naruto. Understanding what was going on, Ao told them that Naruto was with him. They entered the tent and it was abuzz with activity. Ao ignored the commotion and continued to the back of the tent. Naruto followed him until they came to a more private section separated by screens. He could hear talking from the other side, and apparently so could Ao, because they stopped and waited patiently for the meeting to end. They weren't able to catch much but it sounded like negotiations for some type of funding. After nearly a half hour, a man dressed in a formal kimono exited the room. He had a smirk on his face, pleased by the outcome of whatever they were speaking about.

They entered the makeshift office and to say Naruto was surprised would be an understatement. This Mei who was apparently the rebel commander was hardly 20. Not only that, but she was a woman. In the sexist shinobi world they live in, she had to be especially strong both physically and mentally for so many to follow her. She was a tall, slender woman with ankle-length, auburn red hair styled into a herringbone pattern at the back, a top-knot tied with a dark blue band, and with four bangs at the front. Two bangs were short, with one covering her right eye, and two long, crossing each other on her bust, just below her chin. She was wearing a long sleeved, dark blue dress that falls just below the knees. It is closed at the front with a zipper, kept open on the right side from the waist down. The dress only covers up to the upper part of her arms and the underside of her breasts. Underneath, she wore mesh armour that covers slightly more of her upper body than her dress. She also wore a skirt in the same color as her dress and, underneath those, mesh leggings reaching down over her knees. Around her waist, she was wearing a belt with a pouch attached to the back on the left along with high-heeled sandals and shin guards reaching up over her knees, dark blue polish on her fingers and toes, and blue lipstick. She currently had her hands covering the upper half of her face.

What stood out the most, of course, was the familiar red hair. It was similar to Akifumi's hair, who had told him the only people outside of Suna with red hair were Uzumaki. He had a feeling this woman was an Uzumaki, or at least partially. It would be unlikely for anyone in Suna to travel all the way to Kiri to have a family, and Uzu had been very close to Kiri. Either way, it should be easy to find out.

Ao coughed to gain Mei's attention. She removed her hands from her face, allowing Naruto to see her dark green eyes. When she saw Ao a warm but tired smile found its way onto her face. "Ao, I'm relieved that you're back, I was getting worried. What happened out there?"

Ao's expression visibly darkened. "We were ambushed. We had already destroyed the target and were in friendly territory when a squad of hunter-nin intercepted us."

Mei frowned. "It's not like them to stray so far into our territory. They're getting bolder." Her eyes landed on Naruto, who still had his hood up. Besides a few locks of blonde hair, she couldn't see much of him. She turned to Ao and asked, "And who is this you brought with you?"

Ao was about to respond, but Naruto cut him off while watching Mei carefully, "Uzumaki Naruto, at your service, Mei-san," he said as he removed his hood. Ao frowned thinking Naruto had not shown proper respect, while Mei choked on her own spit making her cough a few times.

Naruto smiled. She may be powerful but she sure was terrible at hiding her emotions. "Something wrong Mei-san?" he asked, feigning concern.

Mei's gentle expression changed as she narrowed her eyes at the blonde. "What do you think you're doing?" she questioned Naruto in an accusatory tone.

Naruto was not expecting this type of response. "What do you mean?"

"You said you were an Uzumaki, but there has never been an Uzumaki with blonde hair. You're spitting on that name by using it so lightly," she seemed to be getting angrier.

"Actually, my mother was an Uzumaki while my biological father had blonde hair." Naruto tossed his mother's medical file he had stolen onto Mei's desk. "What interests me though is why you seem so bothered by the idea of me disrespecting that name. Does this mean you're an Uzumaki?"

The tension was lifted somewhat though Mei was still a little skeptical of the explanation. She answered the question anyway, "Officially no, but yes I have Uzumaki blood."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Officially?"

The redhead sighed. "My surname is actually Terumi, as was the rest of my family. Keeping the name Uzumaki was dangerous, I'm sure you know why." Naruto nodded. Kiri would not have wanted to harbor a group of Uzumakis so soon after Uzu's destruction. It would cause serious problems with the other nations if they knew some survived. "Unfortunately when the bloodline purges began my family was killed. My parent's died so I could escape, and here I am now." She was beginning to tear up a bit but controlled herself.

Naruto gave Mei an apologetic look. He couldn't quite relate, but he understood the pain of loss.

A bit more subdued than earlier, Mei spoke up again, "So tell me Naruto-san, why exactly are you here? The entire country is a warzone, if you're vacationing you've come to the wrong place."

Naruto chuckled. "Actually, that's exactly why I came here. I can easily see things aren't going too well from the sorry state most of your people are in."

Mei looked at Naruto incredulously. "And how is a kid your age going to make a difference? The Mizukage's forces outnumber us 2 to 1. One teenaged shinobi isn't going to win us the war."

Ao interjected, "Mei-sama, he was actually the one who saved me and my team from the hunter-nin. He managed to kill one, helped me kill another, and incapacitated the last. Besides, we need all the help we can get. We shouldn't refuse help, we can't afford to."

Mei looked at Naruto again. "Are you sure you want to do this? I won't lie, there's a very good chance of you dying in the field."

Naruto scoffed, "I'm not going to die. I have far too much to do for me to die."

The rebel leader sighed. "Well since you are so adamant I will accept your help. However, I cannot send you on normal missions yet. Just because we are family does not mean I can trust you."

"I would be worried if you did. What do I need to do for you to be sure of my intentions?"

The redhead tapped her chin thoughtfully. "We are short on manpower, and some people were exiled before the civil war started. One of those people is Momochi Zabuza. His crimes were against the Mizukage, Yagura, so I have no problem pardoning him. That is, if he joins our cause. Your job is to find him and give him the offer, and do anything possible to convince him and any subordinates he may have." She handed him the letter of pardon. "You should be careful though. He was a member of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen and is very dangerous. He may even try to fight you. If you complete the mission I'll give you a position in our forces."

"Where exactly is he?" Naruto inquired. Hopefully it was close so he could finish the mission quickly. It was necessary to build trust but he didn't like being a messenger.

Mei gave him an apologetic look. "He was last seen in Nami no Kuni, working for the businessman Gato. That would be the place to start. It'll be a fairly long mission so you should pack for a few weeks. Good luck."

Naruto groaned. Nami no Kuni was on an island on the other side of Hi no Kuni. He was hoping to stay away from Konoha and Hi no Kuni for as long as possible, but it seemed unavoidable. Naruto nodded though and exited the tent.

Thanks for reading. Originally this chapter was a little longer but I wound up cutting some of it off.

Naruto had an easy time with the hunter-nin because he had the element of surprise, and they were already exhausted. Naruto currently has the skill of an average ANBU (a lot more power though) and that will improve quickly as he gains experience.

The more Naruto accomplishes the more he garners unwanted attention from certain unsavory elements. The plot should be less linear as time goes on.