A/N: Another new fic I came up with. Hope you enjoy. And I apologize for the delay in updates, I have been busy with my job and life in general. On a side note, I have access to a laptop which should help smooth out some of my writing.

Chapter one: Prologue.

Somewhere in Konoha, in a room reminiscent of a morgue was the unconscious form of a man with pink hair, he was currently slumped over in a chair with his wrists and legs kept in place by the shackles. He snapped awake and gasped, inhaling the musty and stale air. Cursing loudly he struggled against the shackles for a few moments.

Realizing that was fruitless he took in his surroundings, noting the morgue like room, and the numerous body bags sticking out of all the containers... the bags all seemed to be occupied as well. He felt an unfamiliar weight on his chest and looked down and saw a strange device on his chest, lashed together with chains across his body which was locked in by three padlocks that required a key.

If he had to take an educated guess... it was obviously some kind of bomb. What was the point of all this? Kidnapping and ransom? One of his rivals in the Civilian Council? A political assassination by a foreign power? Whatever this was... someone went to a bit of trouble for all of this.

In front of him, a television came on with a small click followed by the picture of a figure, sitting in the shadows to obscure their identity. Then a synthesized voice began to speak through the television's speakers "Hello Kiizashi. I want to play a game. You were once a decorated Shinobi, but after the Shinobi war, you quit that life and married Mebuki. You had a child with her, a happy married life, the perfect life. Then you joined the Civilian council, became the head of it and gained one of the most prestigious jobs in Konoha.

However, in recent years, you have become quite greedy and have forsaken the good things in your life. You no longer try to satisfy your wife, you have constantly told your daughter to worry more about marrying Sasuke Uchiha than her career as a Kunoichi, and you have stolen and embezzled large amounts of money for your own private usage. And what have you spent it on? Prostitutes and dirty dealings with drug traders, and Danzo Shimura, the leader of the allegedly defunct ROOT.

Now, it is up to you to decide which is more important to you, your ill-earned money or living to see your family again. The game is simple, you must locate three keys to unlock the bomb on your chest to be safely discarded into one of the body compartments, you have only two minutes to do so. However, you can buy time for yourself. Quite literally. You can use the device on top of the television to purchase ten, thirty, or sixty seconds of time. But be warned, the price is rather high. Ten seconds will cost you one hundred thousand, thirty seconds will be three hundred thousand, and sixty seconds will be, as you may guess, six hundred thousand.

Live or die Kizashi. The choice is yours. As for the location of the keys... you're in a morgue. So take a guess. The clock starts now." With that the television seemed to turn itself off but blinked back on to show a timer that began to slowly count down, and the shackles keeping the former Shinobi in place clicked open, allowing him to leap up from his seat and dash towards the body bags.

Wasting no time, he quickly unzipped on and found that a scalpel was taped to the chest area, guess whoever kidnapped him did have a sense of fair play. He snatched off the scalpel and cut open the stomach region, to start his frantic search. He dug around in the cadavers innards, his survival instincts currently overwriting his disgust as he rummaged through the intestines. His fingers brushed against something solid making him grab at the foreign object.

When he fished it out from the cadaver, it seemed to be a small and black pill bottle. He popped it open and a slip of paper fell into his palm which read 'Ice cold. Try again.' Kizashi growled as he tossed the paper aside and unzipped a new body bag, with a fresh scalpel waiting for him as he repeated the process of dissecting the corpse for a key.

He looked at the timer on the television screen and saw he had fifty-seven seconds left, he swallowed hard and doubled his efforts since he now knew what to look for. At last he found another bottle and opened it, revealing another note that read out 'Much warmer. So close!' Roaring in fury he tossed it aside and checked the timer again, he only had fifteen seconds left.

He bit his lip and knew that his only chance would be to keep buying a whole minute's worth of time to keep checking the body's but that would suck his funds bone dry! His few seconds of hesitation cost him dearly as he now had only seven seconds remaining, yelling in horror he ran towards the designated device with an outstretched hand, hoping to push a button, any button for more time... but in his panic he accidentally knocked the device to the floor, causing it to break apart.

His psyche shatter as he realized his blunder... that brief moment of greed and indecision... had ultimately doomed him. He looked down and saw the timer count down from three, to two, to one, he clenched his eyes shut tight in fear and the last thing he heard was a loud explosion.

Two days later.

In a darkened underground cell sat a lonely figure at a small table. The sounds of slurping could be heard as the occupant ate a bowl of ramen. In contrast to a usual isolated cell, this one was quite lavish and spacious, while the cell was made of glass it was reinforced heavily with numerous seals to keep the prisoner from escaping.

The sounds of footsteps approached and the door to the glass cell was opened. "Welcome. Please, have a seat. I was just enjoying some lunch." The prisoner spoke in a tone of politeness, but it carried an undertone of sarcasm and venom in it. The visitor in question stepped into view revealing it to be the Sandaime Hokage himself. Glaring down at the inmate with a steely gaze while his hands carried a folder of some kind.

"What's that you have there?" The inmate questioned in a tone of curiosity. Hiruzen slid the folder over and opened it, revealing pictures of the mangled form of Kizashi Haruno with his chest cavity blown wide open.

The prisoner smiled while casually slurping up some ramen and replied in a jovial voice "Not really into Snuff porn, but I think I might still masturbate to this." at this statement the Sandaime visibly cringed in disgust at how delighted the inmate was at Kizashi's death and at the part about pleasuring themselves about it.

"You're as vile as ever. But this isn't just about Kizashi's death. Its about this." He pointed to a photo which was a closeup of Kizashi's neck... revealing a distinctive brand in the form of a swirl mark had been burnt into his flesh. Hiruzen narrowed his eyes as he continued to speak "This particular brand has appeared several times... most prominently during a certain Kunoichi's reign of terror borne from psychological warfare and guerrilla tactics that halted eighteen enemy advances on Konoha.

This Kunoichi would scalp her victims, force them to drink bleach, castrate them, skin them alive, force them to march through minefields, and many other barbaric acts. The few who survived... all bore this particular mark. Your mark... Kushina Uzumaki."

the crimson haired kunoichi smiled broadly in sadistic glee, who violet eyes showing no remorse or pity. "Oh my. Seems I might have a fan." she spoke in a tone of amusement and satisfaction as she slurped up some more ramen, her eyes never leaving Hiruzen's gaze which unnerved him, but he refused to show weakness to this... thing.

"Indeed. And your help is required to capture whoever did this." The Sandaime spoke in a tone of authority, regardless of varying allegations to Kizashi Haruno being corrupt, he was still a Civilian council member, and more importantly, a citizen of Konoha. Someone had to be held responsible for this and face justice.

"Is that a demand or a request? And have you informed the family I wonder?" Kushina asked with a raised eyebrow as she tapped the side of her bowl with her chopsticks.

"Does it matter? You will aid this investigation regardless. As for Kizashi's family, his wife is being informed at this time. His daughter however is about to leave on a mission, she won't be informed just yet since I don't want her mentally debilitated by this news and allow it to affect her performance." The Hokage spoke bitterly, having grown tired of this woman and her sick little games. He knew from the moment she married the late Yondaime that this woman was going to be trouble... but he never anticipated she was a complete sociopath.

"Nah. Don't feel like it. Or maybe I don't want my newest fan to be caught. Here's the thing Hiruzen... you tried very very hard to make the world forget about Uzu, and you have succeeded to a rather significant point. But... Konoha has never forgotten about me. No one has. Whenever the name Kushina 'The Evil' Uzumaki is whispered, the most seasoned of Shinobi pale and cringe in terror, Civilians begin looking over their shoulders and whispering prayers to Kami. Even some children dream of a crimson haired bogeyman haunting the shadows of their bedrooms. And you and your Elders lay in your beds, restless, wondering when the day may come that I will finally escape and burn Konoha to the ground.

That is my legacy as a Kunoichi. And I will not see it end. It's actually rather funny... on that fateful night, after Minato sealed away the Kyuubi... you had your chance to end me. I was there, lying in the grass, holding onto life by a thread with my baby in my hands and a gaping hole in my gut. You could have beheaded me... and that might have been it. But nooooooo, I was, how did you put it? Ah yes, 'too valuable to kill'. When it comes down to it old man, you need me. You need me to find Uzu's secrets and treasures and so much more. You even thought that letting me live in comfort might assuage me and make me more trusting of you... but not once have I ever been allowed a simple visit to see my child. Now, if that were to be rectified... I would consider being much more cooperative." the crimson haired woman spoke in a tone of seriousness and condescension, almost as though she were taunting the Hokage.

"That isn't going to happen. Ever. I won't have a... creature like you corrupting Naruto-kun." Hiruzen spit back angrily as he slammed his hands on the table, outside the cell, the Anbu guards had their hands on their blades in case something were to happen to their Hokage, but slowly relaxed when they noticed that the prisoner didn't even blink an eye... instead she slurped up another mouthful of ramen.

She swallowed then asked in an all too casual manner "Do you love your grandson?" her question caught the Hokage off-guard, his mouth opening and closing but unable to form words. Almost like his tongue had been twisted into a knot or his airpipe had closed off.

Finally he managed to form a legitimate sentence and asked "What do you know about my grandson?" Kushina smirked in amusement as she took a sip of water, her eyes revealing obvious sadistic glee at observing his discomfort.

"Plenty. The guards tend to gossip quite a bit. A little boy with poor camouflage abilities, tends to trip over his oversized blue scarf... has been hanging out with my son recently. A somewhat spoiled child, but a good one that just wants to be recognized as a person and not as a relative of a Hokage. It'd be a shame if something were to happen to little Konohamaru." Kushina spoke with a small smile containing layers of sweetness and venom that made the Sandaime feel a few years of his remaining life span get drained away.

"You... are you threatening my grandson? You wouldn't... YOU WOULDN'T! He's just a little boy! He has done nothing wrong! Are you so cruel that you would harm a child?" Hiruzen cried out in both disbelief and outrage. His every instinct telling him to strangle this woman right now, but he refrained since he knew she would simply overpower him anyway, and likely take him hostage to escape.

"So? What's your point? My son was a little boy who did nothing wrong just as well, and your villagers didn't care. Why should I? Besides, at least now I have your full attention." the Uzumaki replied in an uncaring manner forcing Hiruzen to consider his next response very carefully. If Kushina had some method of communicating with her allies in the outside world, then there was no telling what she might do. Worse yet, she would undoubtedly follow through with her thinly veiled threats.

"What do you want?" He asked, trying to mask his emotions again even though he knew it was already too late... she had already seen through him and he knew it. Now he was simply trying to put on a brave face to save some form of dignity.

"Get me my son. Then we'll talk. I want to meet him someplace public, maybe a nice restaurant or something to make him feel more comfortable. I also want privacy. You Anbu can keep their distance to observe only, but only out of earshot. If I think any Anbu are eavesdropping... well... something unfortunate may happen." She spoke in a blunt manner, signaling that their conversation was now over. Hiruzen slowly backed out so that he may not expose his back to her and exited the cell. When the door shut he turned towards one of his own personal guard, a cat masked Anbu with purple hair named Neko who was undoubtedly one of his best.

"Get Naruto Uzumaki here and hurry. He could leave to Wave country at any moment now. I'll pull a few strings and make the needed arrangements. When you retrieve him, come to the Golden Leaf restaurant." He ordered in a tone of extreme urgency prompting the female Anbu to nod in confirmation.

"Understood. What should I tell him? And what should I tell his sensei Kakashi?" the Neko masked Anbu questioned since she didn't wish to reveal any unnecessary information. If word got out that Kushina Uzumaki was still alive and being held prisoner, there could be untold consequences.

"Mmm. Tell Naruto-kun that he is meeting with... someone who knows about his family. As for Kakashi, only tell him the bare minimum if he asks but give no specific details." The Sandaime replied curtly as he rubbed his temples tiredly. With that, the Anbu nodded and vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Meanwhile, in her cell, Kushina glanced down towards a brand on her forearm and smiled to herself. Whispering underneath her breath so that the guards wouldn't overhear her "Soon Naruto-kun... you shall receive our legacy."

Minutes later.

At the village gates, Team Seven and their client, a bridge builder named Tazuna were preparing to leave. Kakashi ordered a brief inventory check to make sure that his team packed the essentials and that they were prepared for the trip.

As this went on, Naruto stared out the open village gates, his eyes staring blankly into the open road for some moments. "Oi. Naruto. Its your turn now." Spoke the voice of Sakura after her belongings had been double checked by their sensei. The blonde was snapped out of his brief stupor and dropped his backpack to the ground so that his belongings would be checked out.

"You were staring pretty hard into empty space. Thinking about something?" asked Kakashi with a slightly raised eyebrow, wondering what was on his most brash and impulsive student's mind.

"Dunno. Just thinking I guess. This will be the first time I get to leave Konoha, and... I know there are other Nations out there with their own Shinobi villages. I can't help but wonder what their Shinobi are like. If there are stronger Shinobi out in the world. And what other things might be out there in the world, just waiting to be discovered. Heh, I don't know about the rest of you... but I am kinda wishing I get a chance to explore the unknown and see what the world may offer." The blonde explained in a more lengthy manner than intended.

"Well, that is quite mature and admirable of you Naruto. And take it from me, that the Shinobi world is vast. There are still many things that lay undiscovered. If you work hard enough, and maybe get a little lucky; you'll find something long buried and forgotten by the world." Kakashi spoke with an amused eye smile, Sakura also nodded in agreement since that sounded like it might be cool, not to mention it was oddly rare to see the blonde act and speak in such a manner.

"Hn. Like this dobe will ever find anything like that. The past doesn't matter. Only power does. Besides we're just going to protect our client in Wave country, nothing truly interesting will happen." Sasuke muttered in a dismissive tone, earning a light glare from Kakashi due to the Uchiha's own ignorance, especially on the latter part of his statement since it was a general rule to always expect whatever may or may not happen.

"But aren't you the one obsessing about your past all the time?" Naruto asked innocently making the Uchiha blanch at his statement. Inwardly though, the Jonin was laughing almost hysterically since Sasuke stabbed himself in the foot with that one. The Uchiha then turned on his heel while his face burned in anger and embarrassment.

"Okay, enough about all that. We ready to go? The sooner we get to Wave country, the better." Tazuna spoke while drinking some sake prompting Team Seven to nod in agreement, although in the Uchiha's case it was a simple grunt of confirmation. They all proceeded to leave Konoha until a loud feminine shout of 'FREEZE' echoed down the street.

They turned towards the source of the yell and spotted a female Anbu running towards them at high speed with a dust cloud trailing behind her. She lunged forward and tackled the blonde sending the both of them falling to the ground with the masked woman now on top of him, straddling his waist.

The other members of Team Seven and their client all stared at the scene with wide eyes that were now the size of dinner plates. Naruto had swirls in his own eyes as he muttered "Okay. Tackled by a mystery Anbu lady. That's a new one. Does this mean I am being arrested or does the mystery lady want to see me off?"

"I highly doubt its the latter Naruto! When in Anbu is sent after you, it usually ends with an assassination!" Yelled Sakura while grasping at her hair in worry for her teammate.

"I haven't been stabbed yet, so that's a good sign." Naruto quipped bluntly making the pinkette sweat-drop at his statement although there was indeed some merit to it. The masked Kunoichi got off the blonde and extended a hand to him, he accepted it with a nod as she helped pull him to his feet then brushed some dirt off his clothes.

After that she adjusted her mask and spoke in a professional tone "Anbu captain and Hokage guard, codenamed Neko, at your service Naruto-san. I apologize for pouncing on you like that but I was in a hurry." she bowed to him on one knee with her head lowered slightly making the whiskered teen blush since no one had ever bowed to him before.

"Uhh, don't worry about it. Did you need something from me?" The blonde asked in order to learn the reason why one of the Hokage's guards came running after him out of nowhere. It must havebeen for a very important reason.

"Hn. Probably because the Hokage realized it was a mistake to let you leave the village, loser." Sasuke spoke with a small smirk, the condescension being obvious in his voice. Suddenly a hand whipped out and slapped the Uchiha hard across the cheek sending him to the ground. Sasuke's eyes were wide with shock as he touched the stinging sensation on his cheek, he turned to look up and saw the Anbu standing over him, her body language showing that she was very angry.

"Speak when spoken to. And do not belittle your teammates." The purple haired Anbu coldly scolded the self proclaimed avenger, even from behind her mask, the black haired Genin could see her eyes burning with an intense fury and for once... chose to keep silent.

Neko then cleared her throat and took on a more relaxed stance causing Kakashi to raise an eyebrow at her outburst. She then spoke to Naruto in a gentle tone "The true reason I am here is to retrieve you Naruto-san. The Hokage has someone that you should meet... someone that has knowledge about your family."

At her statement, time seemed to slow down for a few moments for Naruto and he could almost swear his heart may have stopped beating for two whole seconds before speeding up again in excitement and anticipation. "FOR REAL? SOMEONE THAT KNOWS ABOUT MY FAMILY?" the blonde yelled excitedly.

"That's great Naruto! You should definitely go! What's a few more minutes right Sensei?" Sakura spoke in a surprisingly encouraging tone, since she felt that her teammate shouldn't waste this opportunity, plus she also felt a bit bad for constantly punching him during their Academy days.

"Huh. So the kid's an Orphan? That explains his poor attitude." Commented Tazuna under his breath a bit, though was still more than loud enough for everyone to hear him. Naruto felt his eyebrow twitch a bit despite the statement being the truth. Shrugging, he decided to let that one slide since he had something more important to deal with.

Dropping his backpack he turned towards his Sensei and spoke "Sorry to delay the mission and all... but I need to go. I'll get back as quick as I can." the whiskered teen promised earning an eye smile and a nod from the silver haired Jonin. With that said and done, Naruto left with Neko to meet whoever this person was, and he couldn't wait to know about his family.

Meanwhile.

Kushina Uzumaki is now wearing a white sundress with a matching wide brimmed sun hat to keep the sunlight off her head, she is sitting outside on the Golden Leaf's patio in order to keep her separated from the general public and to make it easier to observe her while at the same time, giving her the privacy she so demanded. Hiruzen stood by, glaring heatedly at the red haired woman as she sipped a bit of wine. Numerous Anbu were littered across the neighboring rooftops to ensure she didn't try any funny business, and just to ensure she didn't try to escape, a seal was placed around her neck which can be activated with a hand-sign and then decapitate her if she attempted escape... or some freak accident happened to Konohamaru if she failed to hold up her end of the bargain, however unlikely it seemed. It also helped suppress her enormous chakra network and inhuman strength.

Kushina was many things, a monster, and a murderer, but she was always a woman of her word. To the letter. On one occasion during her career, an enemy outpost commander promised to surrender so long as she didn't clap him in irons. She agreed on the spot... but then slapped cuffs made out of silver on him. Hiruzen was careful not to leave any openings or loopholes when dealing with this woman since she was a master of manipulation. He had no doubt that she had someone on the inside of his own infrastructure, possibly a man she had seduced with honeyed words and sweetened but empty promises.

It'd be something he'd have to look into later. Kushina noticed how his face had been scrunched up in thought prompting her to speak her mind "Penny for your thoughts Hiruzen? You look like you are trying to melt me into a puddle of goo with all that glaring."

He grunted slightly as he replied "Just trying to figure out how you have connections outside of your cell. And about what I intend to ask you about Uzu's treasures when this is all over." His response made her chuckle in amusement, her violet eyes being shadowed slightly by her hat, but if one looked close enough there was definitely a large amount of glee.

"That's for me to know. And in regards to Uzu, I can't guarantee the accuracy of any information I give up. It has been a long time since Uzu's fall so I wouldn't be surprised if some other vultures has already picked it clean." she commented of offhandedly, although the Sandaime didn't believe her since Uzu was known to have kept their most priceless resources hidden, the true gems of their vast collections being hidden throughout the Elemental Nations.

And there was one item in particular that was of interest dubbed 'The Mark of the First'. Inside Konoha's forbidden scroll, Hashirama Senju kept several documents detailing some of Uzu's treasures, including the Mark of the First. The details on this particular mark are both vague and sketchy at best, it was recorded that the Uzumaki's themselves knew very little about it including the Shodaime's wife Mito.

From what little Hiruzen discovered, it is some type of seal that predates the Clan wars, maybe even the Rikudou Sennin, that is capable of enhancing certain characteristics and abilities of whoever has it placed on them. However, there is some type of a catch, but there is no record of what that is. The Sandaime decided now might be a good time to ask as any.

"While we wait for Naruto-kun to show up... I have a question regarding one of Uzu's treasures." The Sandaime spoke in a more professional tone of voice, the female Uzumaki sipped some more wine and decided to indulge his curiosity a bit... he did spare no expense after all so it might not hurt to play nice for once.

"Okay old man. Fire away." she replied while adjusting her hat for a few moments, casually leaning back into her chair in order to look up at the sky with a look of playfulness on her face... though for some reason it reminded the Sandaime of a cat that was ready to toy with a cornered mouse.

"I want to ask you about something called The Mark of the First." he spoke in a curt manner, at his statement the red haired woman stiffened up for a few moments before relaxing in her seat. Her violet eyes flicking between Hiruzen and the half empty wine glass in front of her.

Finally she smirked and responded "Straight to the hardball questions eh? That's fine. The Mark of the First has been a bit of an enigma even for the Uzumaki clan. Some think it was the first seal that the Rikudou Sennin use to break apart the Juubi. Some of our Elder's think it was something we received from a clan of demons. No one really knows. Only thing that's been known for sure is that it does indeed make whoever has it stronger and faster... but it was also known to make them more... aggressive."

At the end of her explanation the Sandaime adopted a thinking pose, wondering if the enhanced aggression she mentioned was a possible side-effect, before he could ask further an Anbu appeared and whispered into his ear that Neko had arrived with Naruto Uzumaki. He dismissed the Anbu with a nod and spoke to the red haired woman "He is here now. Don't try anything funny or my Anbu will rush in to subdue you. Make the most of this." He warned her before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

"I intend to." She whispered to herself before quickly straightening out her dress and hair to look more presentable. Out from the interior of the Golden Leaf and onto the patio appeared a young boy, and it was most definitely her only child and the one light in her life of darkness and slaughter... Naruto.

"Naruto Uzumaki? It is so wonderful to meet you at last! My name is Kushina! Please have a seat, take a load off, order whatever you like!" She blurted out in an overly excited manner, which caused her to cover her mouth and blush since she felt like she was already being overbearing on him.

"Uh, no thanks. I have to meet my team soon so I don't want to take up too much time." the blonde replied as he approached the table, but was surprised when Neko pulled out his chair for him and gestured for him to sit in it. He felt a bit surprised that an Anbu was being so courteous to him but he nodded and got into the chair, which was then pushed in by the Anbu.

"If you need me for anything, I'll be inside Naruto-san." She spoke before departing inside the restaurant to give them their privacy. For Naruto, the atmosphere became awkward and a little tense as the woman called Kushina wouldn't stop staring at him. He could almost literally feel her eyes scanning him up and down in a way that someone who made jewelry would inspect a diamond or other valuable stone. It made him squirm just a little bit in discomfort.

He swallowed hard and then decided he might as well try and break the ice by asking "Its Kushina-san right? So how do you know my parents? What were they like? Why weren't they ever around in my life?" he blushed a little since he had blurted out some of his biggest questions without fully realizing it.

Kushina waved a hand from side to side while replying in a jovial voice "Slow down there. I'll answer all of your questions to the best of my abilities. Well... to start with, your father was a man called Minato, he was a kindhearted albeit naive man, but he was a great Shinobi who earned quite a bit of a reputation against Iwa. Your mother was a woman called Uzumaki, she is the one you received your surname from... and she is a stark contrast to your father.

She was cruel and vicious during her time as a Kunoichi, most exclusively during the Third Shinobi war. Ohhhh, the stories I could tell about her torturing prisoners and executing them would turn that golden blonde hair of yours as white as snow. Suffice it to say, she could be your best friend or worst enemy, and you had best wish you become the former. As for why they were never in your life... well... your father died during a terrorist attack, and your mother was gravely injured, her enemies captured her and took her away. Leaving you all alone."

At the end of her explanation, Naruto felt several emotions flood him. He felt joy for knowing much more about his parents, he felt sadness knowing they were gone, and he felt anger that someone had taken his mother from him before he had a chance to even know her or his dad. Before he could ask her anything else, she raised a hand to silence him and spoke in a tone of urgency "Listen very closely Naruto-kun. I would love to tell you more, and I shall at a later date, but there are more important and immediate issues right now. To be blunt, the Sandaime did everything he could to keep me from seeing you. I had to threaten the life of someone very close to him just to get to see you, and at the same time I am quite possibly putting my life on the line by talking to you."

His mouth opened and closed several times at the sudden declaration, but he stiffly nodded anyway sensing that this woman was being completely serious... however crazy it may sound right now. "That was... sudden. Why doesn't the old man want us talking? You know about my family and everything so don't I deserve to know?" the whiskered teen asked while clenching his fists, his eyes narrowing slightly as the gears began to turn in his head despite the sudden change of subjects and mood in this unusual conversation.

"Simple. The less you know about yourself the better. A clean slate for him to overwrite and exploit." she explained bluntly while crossing her arms under her bust, her violet eyes holding a much sharper edge to them.

"Exploit? What's so special about me except..." He fell silent as it clicked in his mind, the one thing that separated him from all the rest wasn't just his mysterious background as an orphan... but it was his 'house guest' the Kyuubi no Kitsune that resided within his own body.

"Yes. The Kyuubi. That's one of the many things that makes you so special. That's why there are people who will want to control you and try to manipulate you however they can. But... I intend to flip the table on them all. Naruto-kun... you have to kiss me." Kushina spoke while removing her sun hat, allowing the sunlight to catch her blood red hair.

"K-k-k-kiss? You? On the lips?" He stuttered with his face turning a bright neon red as things got a lot weirder, now a beautiful and mature woman was asking him to kiss her. Without giving him time to respond, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him in across the table, planting her soft lips against his own. She kissed him with immense passion along with a carnal hunger that made him feel his entire body heat up from this situation.

"You...will...have...to...trust...me...my...child." she spoke between kisses, he screamed into her mouth a bit as she placed her free hand on the back of his head to keep him in place and to muffle his cries of pain as he felt an intense burning sensation on his arm. It felt like his arm was being lit on fire, doused out, then lit again over and over.

Finally, the pain stopped and she whispered to him almost desperately "Hurt me. Hurt me in the worst way you can. Our lives depend on it." she leaned her head to the side, revealing that across the street on another rooftop, an Anbu was there with a hand on his tanto as though he were poised to strike. He didn't fully grasp what was happening... but he knew she was telling the truth. He bit his lip then grabbed a fork and stabbed it into her shoulder.

However, instead of piercing her flesh, the eating utensil suddenly bent out of shape. Kushina shoved him away before he could react then doubled over in fake shock, screaming almost hysterically "I LOVED YOU! I SACRIFICED EVERYTHING FOR YOU! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?"

The blonde glanced at the Anbu he had spotted before, noticing that he now looked confused by this scene if his current posture and tilted head was anything to go by. Deciding to play along for now the whiskered teen yelled out at the top of his lungs "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!" at his yell, the Neko masked Anbu came rushing out from her hiding place inside and carried the blonde away.

At this moment, Kushina dug her own nails into her shoulder to draw blood from her flesh as soon as the Sandaime arrived with his Anbu a somewhat smug expression was on his face as he spoke to the Uzumaki "That went as well as could be expected. Satisfied now?"

the former Jinchuuriki glanced down at her forearm and smirked slightly as the brand turned into an ordinary tattoo before it began to melt off her skin without leaving so much as a trace. She was laughing almost maniacally inside herself as she shook and shivered. Naruto may have been confused but he at least played his part, now the Sandaime will undoubtedly believe she 'failed' in 'corrupting' him. She might have failed him as a mother despite it not being her fault... but she could still help him in her own way. Now she had given him a priceless tool.

"Take her back to her cell. Prep her for tomorrow's questioning. She isn't in any condition to talk yet." Hiruzen ordered causing his Anbu to nod obediently as they helped the Uzumaki to her feet and promptly cuffed her.

"In another moment, down went Alice after it. Never once considering how in the world, she was to get out again." She muttered then spat on Hiruzen, hitting him in the face with her saliva. As the Anbu dragged her away the Sandaime took a napkin off the table and wiped it off. But for some reason... he felt a sense of dread after Kushina had spoken that quote. He recognized it from 'Alice in Wonderland' but he didn't understand what she meant by it. It was probably nothing... but then when it came to Kushina nothing was ever simple.

With Naruto.

Naruto was currently being escorted back towards the village gates by the cat masked Anbu, a gentle hand was on his shoulder that never left him. He said nothing for his mind was reeling with questions. If the Hokage deliberately kept him in the dark about this, and about his burden, what else was he hiding? He could understand to a degree why the old man didn't tell him about the Kyuubi, but keeping secrets about his parents and family? That was totally unforgivable. He would definitely have questions later.

"You're angry and confused." Neko spoke in a gentle tone, snapping him out of his train of thought. The blonde could only nod since she had him pegged already. She stopped then stepped in front of him, crouching down to eye level and placing her hands on his shoulders before pulling him into a hug. "I can't begin to understand how you feel. But... the Hokage has someone precious to me locked away." she whispered to him making his eyes widen a bit.

She then broke the embrace and lifted up her mask slightly showing a pair of ruby colored lips, she leaned in and planted a soft kiss on his cheek making him blush... this was the second time he had been kissed today... by two different women no less. Once she was finished she placed her mask back into place and rolled up his sleeve... which exposed a fresh brand on his arm where Kushina had grabbed him earlier.

"This is what Kushina-sama wanted to give to you. Do not tell anyone what it is no matter what. Not even your sensei. And... Naruto-san... if you ever need my help for everything... do not hesitate to call on me." She whispered to him before stepping to the side and gently pushed him towards the village gates. Naruto swallowed a thick lump in his throat as he gazed down at the brand. This must have been why Kushina had muffled his screaming with a kiss since it hurt so bad. He was no expert on the subject but it looked kind of similar to a seal. But if Neko was aware that it was placed on him... it could only mean she was most obviously in league with that strange Kushina woman.

He was about to ask her but when he turned... she was already gone. Sighing he wiped off the lipstick on his cheek and decided that he might as well meet up with his team and start his first C-rank mission in spite of these strange and unusual events.

Hours later.

"So Naruto. How did it go? What did you learn? Was it bad? You have been kind of quiet for awhile." Sakura spoke as they walked down the road. Ever since they had left Konoha, her blonde teammate had been surprisingly quiet, now the awkward silence was starting to get to her and she was genuinely curious about his parents, hence her questioning.

"Hn. A drunk and a prostitute, as expected." Sasuke spoke with his trademarked grunt, earning him a sharp smack on the head by Kakashi followed by a heated glared from Sakura.

"Sheesh kid. Would ever kill you to be nice and not be an ass all the time?" Tazuna asked with a twitching eyebrow at the Uchiha's general attitude. Inwardly the rest of Team Seven believed that it probably would kill the Uchiha.

"Well, I learned I got my mom's surname. And my dad was called Minato. They were both in the Third Shinobi war and earned a big reputation. And... they... well... didn't make it after a terrorist attack on Konoha." Naruto replied while leaving out some bits of information. Both Sakura and Tazuna gained sympathetic expressions at that, most especially from the latter since he had lost someone close to him too. Sasuke grunted with disinterest but Kakashi Hatake raised an eyebrow. The Jonin got the distinctive feeling that his student was holding something back... but he chose not to comment about it just yet.

Naruto began to sweat profusely as he felt hot all of a sudden. He grabbed a bottle of water and began to chug it down, tilting it all the way up and swallowing it down at a surprisingly rapid pace. However the cool drink didn't feel refreshing at all. He still felt hot under the collar and decided to remove the jacket of his jumpsuit and tie it around his waist, and still the feeling didn't go away.

"Hey. Can we stop for a sec? I don't feel that great." the whiskered teen asked as he rested his hands on his knees, his vision blurring slightly.

"Are you okay Naruto? You look kind of pale." Sakura commented as she approached him, then slipped his headband up a little and placed the back of her hand to his forehead. She immediately pulled her hand away and yelled "Kakashi-sensei! Naruto is burning up! I think he might have a fever!"

The Jonin approached and felt the blonde's head as well. He was burning hot to the touch just like a furnace. The masked Jonin's visible eye narrowed slightly since he knew that Naruto was fine earlier. How could he have gained a fever so quickly in just a few short hours?

Then the blonde suddenly felt cold and he began to shiver and shake, his teeth loudly chattering. Kakashi checked the blonde's forehead again only this time, the boy felt as cold as ice. "Naruto, do we need to take you back to Konoha? I'm not sure if we can even continue the mission if you're this sick." Sakura asked in concern as she grabbed a cloth from her bag and helped wipe some of the sweat off her teammate's forehead.

"I agree with Sakura. I think we should take you home." Kakashi muttered under his mask while considering his options. Naruto wheezed slightly as various colors entered his vision, then everything seemed... sharper. More defined and colorful, like he could see every detail and flaw. His ears twitched as he heard squirrels running along the branches and a nest of baby birds crying for food from their mother. He felt every single fiber of the cloth wiping his forehead along with the soft hands of Sakura checking his forehead again. He inhaled deeply... and could smell strawberries from the pinkette's hand, some kind of moisturizing cream she kept on her person?

"That's weird. Naruto seems to be okay now." Sakura spoke as she felt his body temperature come back down, this was definitely weird by all accounts. Was he having hot and cold flashes for some reason?

"I... feel fine. Better than fine." Naruto mentioned as he stood back up, a feeling of invigoration filling him again. He glanced at Sakura for a brief second and sniffed the air for a second then asked "Hey Sakura. I smell rice and chicken... lemon pepper chicken. Cookies too? With cinnamon? Did your mom make you a bento or something?" at his question the pinkette's mouth dropped open as she opened her bag and revealed the bento with the exact foods that the blonde had described.

"Yeah! My mom made this for me! How did you know?" She asked somewhat bewildered as she placed the bento back into her bag.

"I smelt it." the blonde answered bluntly much to everyone's astonishment, which lead to an awkward silence for some moments. Sensing the mood Naruto shrugged and spoke "Well, I feel better now. Sorry for the false alarm. How about we get back on track?" at his suggestion they all nodded in agreement and carried on their way while trying to pretend that nothing weird had happened.

The rest of the trip was both silent and uneventful except for Sakura occasionally checking to see if her blonde teammate was okay. He was glad to see that she actually cared instead of excessively hitting him. Eventually it was decided that a short lunch break was in order as they all brought out their own food. Naruto sat on a stump close to a nearby puddle. He opened up his own bento he had made for himself and grimaced slightly. For some odd reason... he didn't feel hungry right now.

He glanced at Sakura and he felt a strange sensation. He could hear her every heartbeat, see the movements of her throat as she swallowed her meals and he could smell watermelon shampoo in her hair. He wasn't sure why, but he was starting to notice that his senses had inexplicably sharpened. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was all in his head. Shrugging he decided to at least eat a little... until he noticed something on the ground. It was the shadow of a bird. And it wasn't moving.

Looking around, he saw that the birds in the sky had stopped flying in midair, his teammates and client had also frozen up in the middle of their meals... it was like time itself had stopped. "I don't understand the attraction to Sakura. Buuuuut I do get why you like the pink hair. She doesn't have much of a figure, but if you're into petite girls there are some benefits. You could lift her up in some interesting positions." Spoke a female voice behind him followed by an unfamiliar pressure now resting on his back.

He jumped from his seat and turned around slightly, and was met with the form of a strange woman. She looked much like the form of his coined 'Sexy Jutsu' except she seemed older, probably in her early adult years and her hair was black as night and her eyes were a deep red. For clothes she seemed to be wearing a black business suit with pinstripes along with a crimson silk necktie.

"Hey there. Nice to meet you." She greeted in a jovial tone of voice. The whiskered teen sensed no immediate threat from her... but there was definitely something off as well.

"Who or what the hell are you? And why has time stopped?" he asked while pointing an accusatory finger while adopting a more defensive stance in case she was a threat.

"Me? I am you. A part of you at least. Call me Naruko if you like since its as good a name as any. And I decided to put the area around us on 'pause' so we could chat in private. Didn't want your little teammates or Sensei wonder why you're suddenly screaming or talking to yourself." She answered with a smile as she adjusted her necktie.

"Part of me? Am I going crazy or something?" He asked while clutching at his head in dismay. Naruko held up a finger and waved it from side to side as a more saucy grin formed on her face.

"Not in the traditional manner. Call me a guide or something. I'm the gal that's gonna be your secret counsel and the one that will show you the ropes." She proclaimed as she did a quick tap dance followed by jazz hands. The blonde immediately sweat-dropped since this girl was a bit strange.

"You're not making any sense. Show me the ropes to what?" he asked while crossing his arms, a sour look on his face as he gave a light glare. Naruko smirk as she appeared next to him and grabbed his arm where the brand appeared which gave him a sharp tingling sensation. Her facial features morphed slightly into a darker and more twisted version as her canines lengthened and her hair began to move about on its own.

"Okay. Lemme put this in a way you can understand. This brand on your arm? It is called the Mark of the First. Long ago, during a time when humans and demons existed together on this Earth. Naturally, we demons were the dominant species, but then a great Holy War broke out, and most if not all of demonkind were banished to Hell. However, some traces can still be found. This mark, is actually a Sigil of the first of all demonkind, who wished revenge on their younger and more arrogant kin by starting the Holy war, to level the scales they granted humankind an edge.

When placed upon a human, it transforms their bodies into that of a demon. Greatly enhancing their powers beyond reckoning. The mark can of course, be transferred from person to person to create more demon born from humans. Quite ironic that a 'holy war' was waged using the powers of demons. As for me, I suppose I am an 'echo' of the demons of old; something they left behind so that those who bear the mark can know all they need to... but naturally I need to absorb just a little bit my host's essence in order to exist. That's about the long and short of it. Got it?" she explained before releasing him with a dark chuckle.

"Not all of it... but then that means... that Kushina woman was... actually a demon?" He muttered as he put the pieces together earning a few slow claps from his new 'guide'

"Mmm. I know nothing about this Kushina woman except what is in your memories, but if she had the mark and passed it onto you, then yes. By the way... I am not sure if you noticed this... but why is there a puddle here by the side of the road on a clear and sunny day?" she asked while pointing at the puddle that was next to his seat making him quirk up an eyebrow since he hadn't thought about it until she mentioned it.

"This is... a lot to take in you know. You're saying I'm gonna be a demon." He spoke angrily while clenching his fists as he glared heatedly at his 'guide' and he was also fuming at how that Kushina woman suddenly slapped this on him without telling him the consequences.

"Hey. It won't be all bad. Trust me. Becoming a demon will be the best thing that will ever happen to you! You'll evolve into something better and more badass than any human! In time... you'll see why humans are so utterly inferior." She muttered the last part in a bit of disgust.

"The hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto asked with a glare, feeling like she owed him some kind of explanation for that particular viewpoint. Instead of answering him, she smirked and snapped her fingers allowing time to resume like normal.

"You'll see. I'm sure you'll make a good partner." She replied bluntly as she vanished out of his sight. In that moment, a pair of figures leapt out from the 'puddle' making the blonde realize it was some type of Genjutsu Camouflage. Behind him, Kakashi rushed forward since he'd been keeping an eye on the puddle but couldn't warn Naruto for fear of alerting whoever was hiding.

The blonde saw the two attackers had some type of clawed gauntlets, and a chain connecting them together that was designed to ensnare and shred their victims. Naruto assumed a defensive stance as he felt a rush of power flowing through him he reached out and snatched the chain before it had the chance to wrap around him.

"Wrong move kid." Spoke one of the attackers as they expected a spray of blood from his hand as the changed course to dash past him and target the Jonin... only to be stopped in their tracks as they felt something yank back, interrupting their momentum and causing their legs to fly out from beneath them as they landed on their backs. Looking back they saw the blond boy still gripping the chain, a furious look on his face.

"I am not in the mood for this shit. Get... fucking... LOST!" Naruto roared angrily as he pulled sharply on the chain with enough force to cause the stunned duo to fly towards the blonde. Trying to use this new momentum they readied their claws to strike, but one was swiftly kicked in the face causing his mask to shatter on impact. The other one smiled beneath his mask as his claws shredded the blonde's shirt, but when they reached his skin, the sounds of steel scratching against steel was heard as the tips of his claws snapped off.

"Wha? What the hell are you?" asked the one attacker who was still conscious, his eyes wide in disbelief. It was then he saw it... the visage of a ferocious demon staring down at him, like he was a roach meant to be crushed.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, bitch." The blonde replied as he sent an axe kick down on the back of the remaining Shinobi's head sending him to the ground creating a small crater from the impact. The whiskered teen scoffed as he dropped the chain to the ground and rubbed his neck slightly. For some reason... he felt... powerful. Those guys seemed to have moved so slow from his perspective that he could have run laps around them, hence how he caught the chain so easily.

He looked towards the faces of his team and client, their eyes all wide from the display. "What?" Was the only intelligent thing that came to mind which made them all snap out of their stupors. Kakashi eye smiled slightly as he proceeded to tie up their attackers which he identified to be the demon brothers Meizu and Gozu... now the question remains... why did they attack? Especially with someone like himself who was a Upper A-rank Shinobi?

From out of the corner of his eye, Naruto spotted his black haired guide again, he was about to speak to her but she beat him to the punch by saying "Careful now. You have freaked them out enough. You wouldn't want them to think you're talking to yourself right? I'll teach you how to speak to me mentally later on."

He looked over his shoulder and saw that the others were busy watching the Jonin tie up the missing Nin, so he dropped his voice to a whisper and spoke harshly "I'm still pissed that this happened to me... but I may as well make the most of it since I clobbered those guys. You had better be good on your word though."

"Easy now, I'm part of you remember? I am now your bestest friend ever. Cross my heart." She spoke while raising one hand in mock surrender and using the other to cross her heart. The blonde sighed as he glanced down at his branded arm, then slowly... a small smile formed. Sure he was still mad about becoming a demon... but then, if he was still himself then what did it matter anyway? He looked out on the open road towards Konoha's general direction... and silently wondered if he would meet Kushina again.

End chapter one.

Omake: Kushina is a troll.

"Sooooooooo, Sensei mentioned that you're going to be cooperative now. Maybe you'll cooperate with me and let me help keep you warm at night?" asked one Jiraiya as he leered at the redhead, openly ogling the silhouette of her figure as she showers behind a curtain which is the only thing keeping her from direct view.

"Save me your obvious attempts at overcompensation for your underdeveloped penis." She quipped while scrubbing some shampoo in her hair. The Sannin blanched at that briefly before regaining his composure.

He coughed into his hand and replied "I don't know what you mean. I haven't heard any complaints from the ladies." he smirked and shrugged, a perverted grin crossing his face as he saw the crimson hair woman scrub her chest area with soap.

"Uh-huh. By ladies you mean hookers. The kind of women that see plenty of John's and Smith's with tiny dicks." She answered back while bending over to scrub at her legs, even from behind the shower curtain she could sense the Sannin's discomfort from her insults and prodding. Chuckling to herself she decided to screw with his head "Tell me, what was it that Tsunade said to you when you fumbled your way into her pants and she saw exactly how little you had to offer? What was it she started calling you as she laughed her ass off? Short stack? No-penis-Jiraiya?"

"Shut up already! I can't see why Minato ever loved a bitch like you." Jiraiya yelled angrily, the insults having gotten to him at last... which didn't take much if you kept joking about his masculinity.

"Why do you think? I could please him in a way no regular woman could." Spoke Kushina as her head popped out from behind the slightly parted curtain, she thrust her hips out slightly exposing her crotch area which made the Sannin reach for his notebook... only to jaw-drop when he saw that the Uzumaki was sporting a very large cock with a pair of testicles hanging between her legs.

"Who do you think wore the pants dumbass?" She asked with a fiendish smile as Jiraiya couldn't believe that one of the women he desired the most... was a Futanari! His brain shut down as he collapsed on the floor prompting several Anbu to appear. After taking note that Kushina was in the shower and the Sannin was lying unconscious on the floor, they concluded that his own perverseness lead to this and so they dragged him off.

Behind the shower curtain Kushina sighed as she released the Genjutsu on her crotch area showing off nothing but smooth skin above her special place. "Finally! I have been waiting to pull that trick for years. Heheh. Dumbass pervert."

End Omake.

A/N: Another chapter and post done! I hope you enjoy this one. If I feel up to it and get enough reviews I might feel encouraged to update this one again with a second chapter. Stay tuned my loving readers!