Hello one and all. Welcome to my first Naruto fanfiction. Despite how much I love this series, I do not own it. If I did, I would use the money to buy parts for my death ray and CONQUER THE WORLD! MWAHAHAHAHA!

..cough cough Moving on.

This here is definitely an AU fic, with pairings aimed at Naru/Hina, Neji/TenTen, Saku/Sasu/Ino, and other possible pairings, depending on recommendations from those who review. Due to blood and profanity, this will be rated PG-13, though it may go up depending on how nefarious I feel later. Constructive criticism is welcome, positive ones will be enjoyed, and flames will be ignored or laughed at, depending on my mood. Please enjoy.

"Blah" Normal Speak

"Blah" Thought Speak

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Preventer Squall presents:

Beauty of the Beasts

Prologue

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The Third Hokage swore under his breath as he bounded on the branches of the trees, his breathing labored as he carried the parcel under one of his hairy arms. He tried not to let himself bleed on it, even though he still had a kunai sticking out from his back. "It feels like it punctured my lung." he thought to himself, sure that such had been the reason why his limbs burned and his lungs ached. Such may have been one of the larger reasons, but the primary reasons for his failing body was probably the poisonous blade that had cut him along his abdomen, having missed the vital organs, but been fatal enough on its own.

He took a moment to glance down at the small creature that had huddled to his chest, shivering and trying very hard not to cry as he felt his protector dying, and all because of him. Sarutobi could hear the child's whimpering, how his heart beat like a wild rabbit. He would have attributed such a fact to his many years of ninja training, but there were other things now contributing to this fact, making itself known by how all of his senses were enhanced.

The colors of the trees were more vivid, making it easier for the elder ninja to avoid the various snares and traps that they had set to try and impede his escape. His ears would constantly twitch at the sounds of branches bending behind him, the lack of tact in the maneuverings telling him it could only be a single man. The corner of his lips tugged into a smirk as he heard the clash of kunai, silently glad that he had been given a change for escape. His nose could smell the well greased trap pulleys and the old blood that had to be from pre-planned capture jutsu, letting his feet grab hold of the branch and swing off of it, allowing him to sail over the hail of kunai and shiruken that came from his left.

Unfortunately, the single projectile that came from his right had found its mark, imbedding itself from his side and earning a pained grunt from its target.

The little parcel felt the tremor that passed through his savior and whimpered in unabashed terror, his tiny hands clenching the old ninja's suit as tightly as he could, as though that would somehow remedy the injuries that had been sustained because of him. All of this had been his fault, even though he hadn't meant any of it. The one that had brought him to that place told him he could make everything better, and now look where that had gotten them.

Everyone who had been there was now cursed, and it was because of him. This returning realization caused him to cry all the harder, burying his fuzzy head against the old Hokage's shirt in a vain attempt to stop the tears. The gnarled hand that rested itself on the back of his head made him sniffle in surprise, turning those pure blue eyes up at the smiling face, which promised to protect him for as long as his body would allow. But with the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, the child unconsciously knew that this would not be for much longer.

Forced to alter his trajectory because of the new projectile sticking out from his flank, the Third Hokage curled into a ball and spun several times at the same time as he sailed through the air, letting gravity drag him back to earth. Before collision, the cunning ninja was suddenly abound with movement, keeping the boy clutched to him with one arm while the other was extended outward, as were his legs, to be sure that he landed with minimal additional body stress. Staring down at the ground in his crouched position, he panted loudly, trying to clear the fog from his mind while he heard someone nimbly land several feet infront of him. The cloak that fluttered in the wind told him who it was, though he remained as he was in the hopes that the owner of that cloak was not who he was.

"I think you've done enough running for one day, sensei." the voice hissed, unknowingly having shattered the old man's hopes once again before taking several steps towards him. "While I notice that your skill has not wavered much in your years, I can also tell that you are no longer able to contend with us." he stated in an almost casual tone, though the venom in his undertones did little to conceal its foreboding malice.

Sarutobi forced himself to stand once again, glaring daggers at the former student as he approached. "Orochimaru…" he growled out, boring holes in those slit eyes with his own glare, trying not to look at the scratched headband that seemed there only to mock his personal failure.

"Do not look at me so reprehensibly, sensei. It was your own fault for harboring that monster, instead of giving him over to us like anyone with sense would have." the former leaf-nin couldn't help but smirk at his own words. "But for having killed two of my colleagues, I will begrudgingly applaud your ability, which could only come from the past and current Hokage." he was unable to stifle his chuckle as he thought about how the old monkey was reinstated after losing his predecessor. And to think, that could have been him. "If you hand over the little demon, I will end your life quickly, and we may still be able to reverse this curse that was brought upon us all."

The initial response he earned for the offer was a bloody spit smattering his cheek. "As if I would trust the word of a traitor." he snarled, unaware of how the small boy stared up at him, hoping that he wouldn't be turned over to the scary man that stood before them. "You see this child as a demon, but I know him to be a member of our village. And like anyone from my village, I would rather die then see them in the hands of the Akatsuki!" the Hokage drew a kunai as though to emphasize his declaration, thrusting it forward as Orochimaru ran his sword through the elder ninja's sternum, a wicked grin lighting the serpent ninja's face as he watched the old monkey's eyes start to glaze over.

Of course, he could feel the kunai dig itself into his stomach, slowly being pushed upward in an attempt to gut the traitor where he stood. Rather then let that happen, he leapt back, clutching his bleeding wound as he waited for his former teacher to die so he could relieve him of the little orange burden. He didn't even realize someone had gotten behind him until he felt an immense burst of chakra being hurled into his back, earning a pained scream as Orochimaru was suddenly hurled into the air, clutching a tree branch as he tried to remain conscious.

"Damn. He ain't dead." Jiraya grumbled to himself, snorting and looking exceptionally displeased that the Rasengan hadn't finished the bastard off. Wasn't rooted enough for the attack to kill him, but it was more then capable of putting him close to death for awhile. Before he could go and finish the snake off, watched as another cloaked individual landed on the tree, making the various hand signs for a teleportation jutsu. "Oh no you don't!" he howled before throwing several kunai and shiruken, only to hit nothing but air and tree as the two disappeared. Clenching his fists in anger, he thought about attempting to track them, only to have a choked voice call out to him. Before he even realized it, he was suddenly at Sarutobi's side, kneeling down and clutching the old man's furry hand with his slickened one.

He could feel his own heart starting to shatter as he looked down at his sensei, who managed enough focus to look up at his student. "Jiraya…I need you..to look after the boy." he said in a hoarse whisper, soon followed by a bout of blood smattered coughing. "They'll try again…and he needs to be ready."

"Of course, old man, of course." Jiraya quickly said, as though his pleading words would somehow bring his beloved teacher back from the brink of death. "I'll help all of the ones who got cursed, so don't you worry."

That brought a smile to the Third Hokage's face. "I know you will. And…I'm proud to call you my student." he could feel his own voice start to fade, though he refused to leave this world without telling Jiraya that. After all that had happened, it was the least his deserved. As that last word left his lips, a soft exhale of breath soon followed, the old man's eyes slipping shut as he fell into the embrace of death.

The silence that followed was marred by the sounds of two people crying. One voice belonged to the elite sannin ninja, who held his sensei in his arms and wept at the death of a great man. The second came from the boy wrapped in orange who cried as he clutched the shirt of the Third Hokage, saddened at how his protector had died because of his very existence.

All either of them could think was that this wasn't fair.

After what seemed like an eternity, Jiraya rubbed his eyes and moved up pick up his charge, smiling softly in an attempt to quell the cries. "C'mon, Naruto. It's time we went back." he said before he started the trek to the imposing tower in the distance, chuckling as he felt a furry tail tickle his nose.

Fixing this was going to be interesting, to say the least.

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There we have it, ladies and gents! My first installment is complete, and I would love to hear what you think about it. I promise it won't be this dreary through all of the fic, so don't think badly of it just yet. Please review, and I'll give you a cookie!