Chapter Two

Lightning ripped through the darkened sky overhead as the rain fell, a downpour that didn't look to let up anytime soon and blanketed the capital city of Japan; one of the most advanced technical cities that saw a plethora of life come and go from it. For many, the city was a utopia of many different forms of work, production, progression and success in varying and different quantities and qualities.

For many of the citizens who wandered through the streets, the giant skyscrapers that lined different roads were a sight to behold, neon lights above the entrance to define the services within ranging from a workplace to a hotel. Along the same roads as the titanic buildings stood rows of varying shops and businesses, selling their wares and offering whatever they could to make it to tomorrow, a sad cycle that rarely changed.

A crack of thunder briefly illuminated the sky above, and if anyone was standing on the skyscrapers their attention would've been drawn to the clashing of scarlet and silver, two blades illuminated through the darkness and danced around each other with a finesse and skill almost unparalleled in this day and age. At the hilt of each coloured weapon was a hand gripping it tightly, two shadowy figures dancing amongst each other in the rain and almost invisible to the human eye with the speeds they moved at.

The rumble of thunder silenced their footsteps, quick and nimble to dodge and evade each other's attempts to stab, slash or strike before their blades clashed again, scarlet pressing firmly against silver. With lightning reflexes the silver sword pushed the scarlet one away and went for a fast retaliation, only to be quickly blocked in a way that sent the wielder back several feet.

Another flash of lightning illuminated their faces, two similar pale faces differentiated by their hair and eye colour, one having pale blond and blue and the other black and red. A sharp look from both saw them move with superhuman speeds, their weapons colliding with enough momentum that saw the raised platform they stood on to shake some.

"Your skill has grown," the black-haired man spoke, his expression of indifference evident. "But you have a long way to go still."

The other male did not respond, his hands firmly holding the handle of the scarlet-coloured katana that almost thrummed with power. The firmness and focus in his eyes told the black-haired male that this was no longer a spar, but a test to see if his words were true or hollow.

Finally, he spoke. "We shall see." With his words confirming the black-haired man's thoughts their blades slipped away and launched at each other, a sideways slash of silver blocked with ease by scarlet. A flicker of their eyes and they moved, their blades clashing yet again as a flash of lightning lit up the rooftop, the small amount of sweat and exhaustion on the younger man's face being evident.

"There is no denying that you have come far," the older man said to the younger. "And I will not deny how impressed I am at how skilled you have gotten." His words made the younger man relax slightly, the rain continuing to beat down upon his hair and black clothes he wore. "However, I have very little else to teach you now, for I believe you are ready."

"I am?" the younger spoke for a second time, his voice sounding younger but just as mature, like a child who was forced to grow up faster than he'd have liked. "You believe I am ready to combat the dark forces that threaten not just the world, but my own?"

"Indeed," The man's tone had changed, taking on a voice of firm authority. "Though I took you from your world, there is no doubt that sooner or later you will have to return there to prevent the destruction of both worlds. There is only so much that can be done."

With a spin of their blades the weapons were returned to the sheaths, signalling the end of the fairly intensive spar. "What would you have me do Genya?" the question didn't receive a response immediately as the one now identified as Genya looked away, his eyes scanning the sky. "Am I to return to my homeland?"

"I believe, that you should take a few days off while I decide what should be done," the older man's words took the younger briefly by surprise. "For you have been working exceptionally hard this past month, and you should be spending time enjoying what you have."

"I turn Twelve in a month's time, and you want me to have something of a childhood when you've prepared me for a war against unfathomable dark creatures your father once commanded," the disappointment echoed in both his tone and eyes, and the older man couldn't help but crack a slight smile. "Make up your mind."

"I have Naruto," Genya told the newly christened Naruto. "And I believe that you having a childhood, or at least learn to have a break now and then, would do well for your health." The small smile on the older man's face edged into amusement, just enough for Naruto to lightly scowl.

"Then I will do so," he finally agreed. "But, only when it's needed."

"Only when it's needed," Genya repeated as his eyes drifted to the door leading to the stairs. "I believe you have dinner to attend to?" Naruto calmly followed his gaze, his scowl disappearing. "Then I will be with you soon."

The pair of violet eyes that had watched the entire clash promptly snapped open in a darkened room, the woman who the eyes belonged to recalling the vision-slash-memory with perfect recall. "He called him Naruto..." she whispered as her eyes lightly filled with tears before a burning determination erupted in them. "I know where you are... and I'm coming, my baby."

Elsewhere

The warmth of the bedroom and cleanliness of the space was nothing new to Naruto Uzumaki as he entered his personal quarters, a simply defined room brought to life by his bed, wardrobe, bed stand, chest of drawers and a desk arranged neatly with enough space in the centre. A smile came over his face as his eyes locked onto a small book sitting on his desk, a title upon it that dealt with the land he was from, and he closed the distance to pick it up.

"Master!" an excited cry came as a girl, no taller than two feet tall, flew from his wardrobe and collided with his chest. "I'm so happy to see you're back!"

"Hello Pixie." The pale blond said warmly, taking a seat on his bed and kicking back. "Has everything been quiet in the time I've been gone?"

"Yep!" she replied while snuggling onto his chest, her pink, luminescent fairy wings disappearing from view. "Miss Westenra came in a little while ago and left that book you are reading. She said you'd know what it was about?"

"I do, and I shall thank her when we next cross paths." His words said; the pale blond got back to reading the book which was about his homeland, holding it in one hand as his other hand gently rested upon the girl's hair. "It would appear as though the villages are quite... behind."

"Behind?" the fairy spoke, raising her head to look at the male she called her Master.

"Indeed. Their technology levels are no later than almost fifty years ago." His words made her pull a face that was a clear mixture between disgust and disappointment. "At least you will not have the hustle and bustle of vehicles when we do return."

"That's true." She said before pausing. "So, they have no television or anything?"

"They do. However, only the leaders of the villages are allowed to use them. It is quite rare for the Daimyo to have them however." Here Naruto paused, briefly wondering how easy it would be to get used to a lack of technology. "How easy would it be for me to adapt I wonder..."

"Really easy." said a new voice from the doorway, the pale blond glancing over to see his mentor's colleague standing there. "I've done my research and paperwork about the nations, including the wars and such. Your father was the fourth leader of the village hidden in the leaves, and he was so feared by the earth and lightning nations he was given a flee-on-sight order should anyone come across him in battle."

"Impressive." Naruto admitted after getting over his initial shock. "I suppose I wouldn't be welcomed if I went to those nations would I?" the flat look he received from the woman answered his question.

"Anyway." she continued. "Alucard has agreed to let you head off after tomorrow. He wants you to enjoy a good birthday party before you go out into the outside world." Naruto's expression changed to one expecting such a thing, and he nodded in response. "I'll be there as well, as Alucard requested me to be."

"Yay!" the pixie cheered as Naruto continued to stroke her hair, her attention given to the older woman. "But, will you have enough dust?"

The woman merely smiled. "I'll be able to make do, don't worry. It'll be easily a year before I even begin running out." Seeing the smaller female's confused look she elaborated. "I'll be fine, don't worry. And I can always visit you to pick some more up."

"I highly doubt anything could stop you unless there was a powerful protective barrier around the place I live in over there." His words make the woman smirk in amusement, Naruto knowing exactly why she was smirking. "Is that everything Lucy?"

"Mostly." entering the bedroom fully and closing over the door, she gave him a nod. "The Grimoire came to life a few days ago." Naruto immediately snapped the book he had in his hand shut, turning his attention to the woman before him. "It showed me your battle atop the tower a few weeks ago, but there was someone else watching it."

Seeing him motion to continue Lucy did. "It was a redheaded woman with violet eyes. I couldn't see anything else."

Naruto's gaze softened lightly, knowing full well who that was. "That was... my mother." Whatever answer Lucy had been expecting, that wasn't it, and her eyes widened in brief surprise. "I have had dreams of the same woman crying out to me, calling me her child."

"I... see. That's both troubling and a bit worrying." Lucy said, her eyes lightly filling with worry. "Should I be on the lookout for anything?"

"I dreamed my mother was also speaking to a spiky, white-haired man with Kabuki paint on his face and a scroll on his back. He called me his 'godson' and said he was using every possible resource to find me." Lucy's single nod told the pale-blond she'd commit that to memory. "Other than that... I'm not sure."

"Let me know if there's anything else. The more I know the better." Again, Naruto nodded before Lucy took her leave of his bedroom, leaving the young male to his thoughts.

"Master?" the girl on his chest said, getting his attention.

"I am not worried about my mother finding me. What I am worried about however is me using the chakra within me and Dracula's power twisting and warping me into someone I'm not." Raising his hand that was on her hair the pale-blond's gaze hardened, knowing full well that using the fox's chakra that resided within him could lead to problems and dangers he didn't want to bring with him. "If my mother understands why I have this power and learns what is going on, then I will return with her to the village. Otherwise I will be staying here, away from those who would seek to use it against me or those I build bonds with."

The pixie on his chest took his hand in hers and returned it to her hair, a pastime of his that was relaxing for both of them and quite soothing. "It'll be okay Master." She assured him as his hand resumed stroking through it.

The pixie was Naruto's only familiar and had become one of his friends a few years ago, when she'd willingly bonded to him to survive. During an outing to the Hakuba shrine which was nearly an hour's drive away Naruto had found her cold and alone in the basement of the shrine house, where she'd initially tried to hurt him by defending herself. With a bit of coaxing and some fruit and sweets, the scared and confused Pixie had come with Naruto back to his current penthouse suite, slowly but surely beginning to open up to him and trust the pale-blond.

When she'd revealed what she was to both Naruto and his mentor, Alucard had asked her about a few sensitive subjects that'd made her very uneasy of him. Within less than six months of her having a roof over her head she'd revealed to Naruto and Alucard why she was on the street, and with very little magic to sustain on she was effectively dying. Naruto had immediately sought to rectify that and accepted her as a familiar, which had restored her magical abilities and supercharged them, giving her a new brand of strength, speed, durability and endurance she never thought possible.

Although she was a bit of a prankster, Alucard had expressed that she try to keep her pranks to a minimum and only do so now and then, as the location they lived at was not really suitable for the magical abilities and prankster nature she possessed. Thankfully Naruto had managed a workaround and every so often they'd return to the Hakuba shrine, where she could set up a couple of pranks and jokes for people to enjoy, such as temporary colour changes to a person's hair or clothes and in turn train and harness her magical talent.

The visiting adults and children that had it happen to them were told it was a spell cast upon the gates that led in and out, and was set-up as a prank by a member of the caretaker's family to bring a little laughter and humour into people's lives. Surprisingly it worked, and whenever a service happened at the shrine many adults and children would be caught unaware by the Pixie's magic, making the parents and children laugh and smile at the sudden change in colours.

"So Pixie." said Naruto as he slowly sat up, sliding her gently onto his lap. "Is there anything that I can get you?"

"Are you getting some fruit?" she asked, seeing him smile gently. "I'll come with you. I fancy a strawberry."

The penthouse was empty as they entered into the main room, the kitchen over to the left with a glass door that led onto the balcony, giving them a breathtaking view of the many streets and buildings that made up the residential side of Tokyo. Sitting in the middle of the room was a big enough sofa-bed that could easily sit eight people, and act as a bed for anyone staying over that day that faced an impressively sized television. Two routes past the wall either side led to the toilets on the left, and a spare room on the right, which Lucy had 'borrowed' and turned into her own personal living quarters and laboratory. Finally, Naruto's room was the closest to the main door while Alucard's was right next to it, the older man's door sitting next to the kitchen in case he fancied a snack at any given point.

Entering the kitchen, Pixie flew up onto the table and took a seat next to the fruit bowl, nabbing a strawberry that'd been sitting amongst the assortment of fruits and eating it happily. "Delicious." She beamed at the pale-blond who had grabbed an apple, quickly washing it and taking a bite.

Nodding in agreement to her words he took his leave of the kitchen and headed back to his room, Pixie flying behind him with a content and happy smile on her face. "I will be practicing my chakra tonight." Naruto told the girl as he sat on his bed, lying down on it and letting her return to her favourite spot. "If I am to leave the day after tomorrow to return home, I would like to be prepared."

"Okay Master." She purred as his hand slid into her hair again, his gentle touch and movements making her feel wanted and happy. "Do you know what time you will be done?"

"I do not." To the two of them, that would mean Naruto would be practicing with his chakra until his reserves were somewhat depleted. "I will be working on my control, which has been my biggest challenge so far."

Naruto's lack of control wasn't because of his chakra reserves, it was because they were so potent with the three different energies he had running through him. The first and foremost was his own chakra reserves, which were potent enough in their own right, and granted him abilities far beyond anything most normal people would ever expect. The second one was the fox's chakra, which while potent was an energy source his body was not used to, causing him an incredible amount of strain if he used it for too long.

The third and final one was the energy of pure darkness, which had been within him since birth and was the remnants of his mentor's father's power. Initially it had terrified him that a power far greater than the fox was within him, he'd slowly recuperated from it and slowly began to understand it, though he was still very hesitant to use it due to the fears he had. Within the last year he'd slowly begun to use it in small hits, getting used to the feeling it gave him when he was cloaking himself in it, and the feeling of untouchable power it gave he knew more than anyone would become extremely addictive if he wasn't careful.

His mentor was right to instil that lesson into his head.

"So... the villages are somewhat distrustful of each other." Naruto read aloud a good few minutes later, having gone past the second ninja war and reading a summarised version of the history of the elemental nations as a whole. "In addition, there have been many skirmishes between ninja of the great five and lesser villages for control of land or allegiances." Here, Naruto paused and looked down at Pixie, who looked up at him.

"So, they fight to prove which village is the best? That's silly." Pixie responded with a pout. "Can't they all just sit down and have dinners between each other?" her words made Naruto smile in mild amusement as he resumed reading, the silence of the room keeping the two of them company.

Elsewhere

The Iron Rose slowly did up its sails as it approached the port of Tokyo, one of the many tourist ships that had made its way into the large country many times before. Upon the deck stood many men and women, their excitement beginning to rise as the large ship began to pull into the dock to let off the many people upon it and restock for a return journey.

Amongst the large crowd stood two adults that were inconspicuous to the general public, but to those who really looked or knew what to search for would find them easily. A redheaded woman with violet eyes was scanning the docks the boat was approaching, a small emotionless frown on her face that was beset by a blazing fire of determination in her eyes.

Standing next to her was a white-haired adult male who had a mild smile on his face, his arms folded over his chest while in his hands were the two passports the two of them had managed to procure. "Getting into Tokyo was the hardest bit." The man admitted, looking down to his companion.

"I know." She spoke with a tone of calm, her emotions within her raging at the fact they were no more than a few hours away from finding her missing son. "This is where he was taken, right?"

"Seems like it." The man's gaze left his companion to glance at the buildings in the far distance, his expression morphing into a small frown. "You dreamed the building had a raised platform on it right?" the woman simply nodded once. "Then finding him will be a challenge if there is more than one, or they were sparring on top of another."

"I don't care how long it takes." Kushina snapped, before sighing lightly. "I'm sorry Jiraiya."

Jiraiya simply shook his head. "There's a lot we have to realise, especially what Naruto said in that dream. Dark creatures could mean anything." The redhead beside him didn't react directly but the hardening of her gaze told Jiraiya all he needed to know. "We'll get answers once we find him."

"We will." agreed Kushina as her eyes drifted over the tall buildings in the distance. "And find out the reasons as to why he was kidnapped."

Back with Naruto

The pale-blond shifted up some as he heard the front door open, his mentor's voice slightly creeping through the door. "Alucard's back!" Pixie said as she got to her feet, her wings sprouting from her back before flying to the door.

In response Naruto put down his book and got up, exiting the room to see his mentor talking on the phone with someone. "So you have confirmed sightings of her and a white-haired man matching what Naruto described?" he questioned the person on the other side, catching Naruto off-guard at the alertness in his mentor's tone. "I see. Then they will most likely be here within an hour."

Naruto said nothing as Pixie landed, looking between the two with a confused expression. "Is something the matter?" her question went unanswered as Alucard continued to talk on the phone, paying no mind to either of them.

"I see, thank you." With that, Alucard closed the phone down and gave his attention to Naruto, who stood there waiting for an explanation. "It would seem as though your mother and godfather are approaching Tokyo by boat, and will be looking for you."

"Something troubles you." Naruto admitted, seeing it in his mentor's eyes.

"Graham Jones and his group made an attack today." At the mention of the man's name, Naruto's eyes hardened. "No-one was injured or harmed, but the chaos he caused made the headlines." Grabbing the remote from the side of the sofa Alucard turned on the giant television, flicking it over to a news station that showed the events happening earlier.

"Bastard." swore Naruto with no small amount of disgust in his tone. Graham Jones was the leader of a religious cult that worshipped Dracula, simply because he was born on the same day as Dracula's death back in nineteen ninety-nine. In response the man had amassed a cult following by claiming he was the reincarnation of the once-beloved Vampire Lord, and to Naruto who knew the truth he was far beyond disgusted with the man.

Reading the headline and shaking his head in obvious disappointment Naruto turned to his mentor. "You do not need to worry. My team is already working to ensure he does not make any more moves for the time being." The pale-blond lightly nodded to Alucard's words, feeling a little relieved. "However, we still have a more pressing issue to discuss."

Naruto nodded, feeling a mixture of conflicted emotions. On one hand, he was happy that his mother was alive and well, and he was eager to look forward and see her for the first time, but a few questions remained in his mind that he could not help but voice. "Will you talk with her to explain the situation?" seeing his mentor pause Naruto knew he'd not expected a question like this. "I do not want her to... kidnap me without knowing the details of my upbringing."

"I will do so." Alucard agreed after a moment of silence, walking over to the back door and unlocking it. "However, you should begin preparing your clothing and gear."

Naruto nodded in response and made for his bedroom, entering the room and immediately opening his wardrobe doors to remove what clothes he'd be bringing with him back home. His first choice was to take home his suits that he'd become so accustomed to wearing, but changed his mind to add in some casual clothes like a few pairs of trousers, some white t-shirts and a few vests.

Grabbing his travel case that was at the bottom he hauled it out and placed it on his bed, opening it to make sure it was empty before beginning to fill it with his varied choices of attire. "My suits would be an obvious choice, but some casual clothes would fit me well." He mused, deciding to go for plain coloured clothes rather than anything fancy.

It didn't take the pale-blond long to finish assembling his clothes, which consisted of three suits that matched his mentor's near-perfect, sans for the tie colour and a plethora of ninja assorted clothing that was light and fairly easy to move in. Grabbing hold of his weapons he spun his custom flintlock around and slotted it back onto his belt and strapped his katana to his other side, locking them firmly in place and preventing them from falling out or being grabbed off of him.

Nodding once to himself, Naruto took his suitcase by the handle and walked out into the empty living room, seeing Pixie sitting on the table with a backpack big enough for a child at her side. "All ready?" she asked, fluttering off the table.

"I am." He responded, walking to the sofa to sit. "Now we wait."

With Kushina and Jiraiya

"This is one of them." Admitted the white-haired ninja as the two stood on top of a skyscraper, the lack of a helipad telling them that this was not the building. "Not the one we're looking for though."

"Which one is it?" Kushina questioned, looking between the other ones that stood not too far away. "Can you see from here?"

"No." admitted the toad sage, his expression turning into a small frown. "I was going to suggest we split up, but we might run into trouble with the law enforcement here. They take security extremely seriously."

Kushina nodded once, trying to decide on the tower they'd climb next. "How easy would it be to jump across to the building?" she asked Jiraiya, missing the brief look of disbelief before the man followed her view.

"From a viewpoint here, they don't seem very far apart. We could probably make it in one bound." The hesitation in Jiraiya's tone made Kushina turn to face him. "Theoretically... and I'm not going to summon any toads. We don't need any attention being drawn to ourselves."

"Halt!" a voice came that neither adult was expecting, turning to see a man in a black suit standing by the door that led to the stairs. He looked like he'd just run up them by his hard breaths.

"Um, we can explain." Jiraiya began, suddenly holding up his hands as the man pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. "Hold on, we're not here to cause trouble."

"Explain yourselves! No being can run up the side of buildings except for the boss and his pupil." His words caught the attention of Kushina, who looked at him with interest.

"Your boss wouldn't happen to have black or blond hair would he?" a feeling jumped into her chest that she took a breath to keep under control.

"I, uh..." the suited man began but hesitated, unsure how to proceed.

"We're looking for someone." Jiraiya supplied, catching the hint. "A boy about twelve years old and a young man several years older than him." he explained.

"Put the gun away kid." A new voice said as another suited man walked into view, his hair slicked back with a pair of shades. "They aren't in league with Graham."

"They're not?" with the confirmation from the second man, the first relaxed and put away his gun. "So, who are they?"

"I believe you are Kushina Uzumaki and Jiraiya?" at the mention of their names both shared a glance and a nod. "The kid you're looking for is on the tower there. He's in his penthouse suite with his team, and they want to talk with you."

"My son is over there?" following the man's finger Kushina saw the right-most building was lit up, a helicopter circling overhead.

"He is. You have clearance to go through the front door. Ask the receptionist, that's the woman at the front if you didn't know, to confirm who you are. She's been informed beforehand."

"I see."Jiraiya acknowledged as Kushina looked ready to jump. "Thanks."

"Don't thank me; you can thank Genya when you see him." With a single nod the two jumped off, running down the side of the building. "You did good kid."

"I did?" asked the bewildered newbie, who gave his boss a very surprised glance. "All I did was kept them here though."

"You diffused the situation without it turning violent or shooting at them, and gave me enough time to arrive and talk to the two." The light smile he gave his younger charge took him by surprise. "Come on, let's head down and report this encounter."

"Yes sir!"

Back with Naruto

The buzzer that went off in the penthouse caught the pale-blond's attention as he immediately stood up, walking over to the front door to answer. "Hello?"

"You have a Kushina Uzumaki and Jiraiya to see you." The very bored receptionist said through the speaker.

"Let them up." He responded, pressing the button to give the all-clear. Hearing the line deaden he smiled lightly and turned to face Genya, who was standing by his door with one hand in his pocket. "They're here."

With Genya nodding Naruto turned and waited patiently by the door, taking a deep breath as the moment of reunion hit him properly, briefly making him a little nervous. A good fifteen seconds ticked by before there was a gentle knocking on the door, his hand reaching for the handle to open the door.

Opening the door Naruto's breath briefly hitched in his throat as he recognised the two from his dreams, the redhead who called him her son and his godfather. "Mum." He greeted, the redhead's eyes widening and slightly beginning to moisten. "Godfather." he added with a gentle smile. "Please come in."

Jiraiya nodded as he entered after Kushina, taking in the sights of the penthouse with a soft whistle. "My son..." Kushina broke the silence as she turned to face him, tears appearing in her eyes. "You're really..."

Anything either of them were about to say died in their throats as they embraced tightly, the nervousness Naruto felt fading to be replaced with a familial warmth that he had not fully felt before while the silent tears in Kushina's eyes began to lightly fall. Emotions poured out of them as the hug the two were in continued, neither felt like letting go after being reunited, and the onlookers of the room had gentle but warm smiles on their faces.

Except for Genya; he rarely smiled, if ever.

Jiraiya was the one to break the moment as he whistled, his eyes darting around the large penthouse living room he'd entered. "This is a really impressive place." He said to no-one in particular. "Is this where you've been living?"

"I have." replied Naruto as he separated from his mum. "There is a story that I would ask the two of you to listen and hear, before you make any decisions." Sending a nod to Jiraiya, Kushina walked over to the sofa with the white-haired male and took a seat, looking quite surprised at how comfortable it was.

"This is really comfortable." He admitted as Genya cleared his throat. "Right, I suppose introductions are in order." Standing up, Jiraiya promptly threw a pose, grinning as he did so. "I am the gallant toad sage Jiraiya! Wooer of women, author of many books, godfather to the kid right there and-"

"You look about as intimidating as a mime on a push bike." interrupted Lucy as she stepped out of her bedroom, carrying her Grimoire under one arm and immediately killing the hype Jiraiya had been trying to awaken.

"Lady." said Jiraiya as he recovered. "I am a very skilled ninja, one of the most respected and feared." Although there was no heat to his words, there was an air of challenge to them.

"Huh. I never would've guessed." replied Lucy dismissively, though she had a very slight amused smirk. "So, you want to know my name. It's Lucy Westenra, studious prodigy of most things magical and a fervent bookworm. Currently the resident alchemist, researcher of potions and their ingredients, and second-in-command of Genya's division in the police force."

"That's quite a feat." Jiraiya admitted, sounding a little impressed.

"Someone's got to keep the trainees in line when Genya's on a mission." Her shrug told them she didn't mind it. "Anyway, who's next?"

"I'll introduce myself." Kushina began, taking a deep breath. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki, mother of Naruto, and one of the leaf's top ninjas."

"You were also married to the fourth hokage weren't you?" at Lucy's words both Jiraiya and Kushina looked at her with a steely gaze, though she didn't flinch. "Yes I'm fully aware of the Earth and Lightning countries hating the man's guts for his actions during the last war and his relation to the kid."

"I am aware of my heritage." Naruto supplied, getting both adults attention. "And I know how much danger I would be in should that information be known to those on unfriendly terms with the village."

"That's an honest relief to know." Jiraiya admitted while exhaling a breath he didn't know he had. "The past twelve years has been tough with keeping the information from getting out, let alone finding you."

"My name is Genya Arikado." Genya told the two adults, preferring to keep on track. "The one in command of the division of Japan's police force, dedicated to finding and fighting the darkness that still plagues the world." giving them a few seconds to process that he continued. "I do not deny that I am the one who took your son from you."

That was as far as he got as Kushina was on her feet instantly, an almost berserk level of rage burning into her eyes as her red hair spiked wildly. Her hands clenched into fists that promised an unholy level of pain, though Genya did not seem bothered by it one bit.

"And if you would let me explain myself." Genya continued, completely unaffected by Kushina's outburst. "I will tell you the full story as to why."

At that, Kushina hesitated. Her training as a ninja had given her a strong sense of reason, having learned that everything that happened had one. "Okay." She spoke after a moment while calming down, her hair slowly settling. "I want answers as to why you took my son from me."

Waiting for her to take a seat Genya began his story. "Before I explain my reason, I have a question. Does the name of Dracula ring any bells to you both?" he asked, seeing both of them shake their heads. "I figured. Dracula is the name of an immortal vampire that terrorised the world some five hundred years ago. He would be stopped by those of the Belmont clan, a powerful family that fought against the dark forces wherever they happened."

"Are you saying my son is related to him somehow?" Kushina questioned, rationally questioning the man.

"Yes and no, and I will explain. Dracula arose many times over the past five hundred years, and it was only recently that he arose for the last and final time. In nineteen ninety-nine, Dracula awoke at his most powerful so far, and amassed an army that it took myself, Julius Belmont and his sister Kokoro, and the previous team of Jonathan and Charlotte Morris to stop."

"Five of you against an army?" summarised Jiraiya, sounding a little disbelieving.

"We did not fight alone. There were many other members of other clans and powerful families willing to lend their aid. With their help, we were able to defeat Dracula for the last time and seal his castle within a solar eclipse, permanently cutting off its flow of power and severing the reincarnation cycle Dracula was forever in."

"You mentioned previous team." pointed out Jiraiya. "Yet called them Morris and not Belmont. Were they related?"

"Yes. The Morris family is distantly related to the Belmont clan, and as such have heritage that permits them to wield the Vampire Killer, the signature weapon of the Belmont of each age." Nodding once Genya continued. "Jonathan and Charlotte were the previous two to fight and defeat Dracula, and the tips and advice they gave to Julius and Kokoro gave them the edge to countering many of Dracula's forces."

"The Vampire Killer..." Jiraiya repeated, sounding thoughtful. "I've heard of it but only in passing. Apparently it's powerful and very effective against anything of dark alignment." He raised a hand to his chin, trying to remember what he knew. "Rumour goes around that unless you're of full heritage, or have the second name; the weapon will not accept you."

"You would be correct." agreed Genya, getting the man's attention. "The previous wielder of the weapon, Jonathan's father passed away from overusing the weapon, as it drained him of his life force as payment for him to use it." At that, Jiraiya looked marginally worried while Kushina, who'd simply been listening, looked shocked for the first time.

"Where does this tie-in with my son?" the redhead questioned, looking towards Naruto who was now discussing something silently with Lucy.

"My apologies, we got distracted." said Genya, giving Kushina a grateful nod. "I am speculating from this point, so these are my observations." Both adults gave him a nod, understanding this was his understanding of the events. "The day of Dracula's defeat, much of his dark power was scattered to a number of individuals that have grown up with it, and in turn they have begun to call themselves his most devout followers or something similar along those lines."

"So Naruto got infected with it as well?" Jiraiya copped on seconds before Kushina did, her gasp of horror making the man nod. "Damn it..."

"To say that Naruto was infected by it is... not what I would say. Dracula had two unique powers, the power of dominance and the power of darkness. The former comes from his soul while the latter came from the vessel he lived in, his castle." Despite the explanation being simple, Jiraiya still felt a lot of questions run through his mind. "Both shared a core, meaning the one true original power would eventually go to someone."

"Naruto has... the second core?" summed up Kushina, looking towards her son as Genya confirmed her words.

"I do." The pale-blond answered as he walked forwards, standing by his teacher. "The fox within me was who received it first, and as its chakra seeped into my own the power of darkness settled within me and did the same."

"It adds up." confirmed Jiraiya after a moment of silence. "Minato used to tell me he'd feel uneasy at times for reasons he could not explain." He turned to Kushina. "And he'd only have them if you weren't having a good day for any reason." He turned to Naruto. "So... what does it mean? You can't use the fox's chakra without risking becoming the next Dracula?"

"We are not entirely sure." Genya admitted. "Naruto has been using it in small bursts to get used to the feeling, but does not feel comfortable using it for long periods of time." Naruto gave a nod to Genya's words in response.

"So, to summarise why you took the kid, is because he was developing a power that you believed we wouldn't be able to handle." The silence he received made Jiraiya groan, his hand sliding onto his head. "Now I feel like my sensei; the amount of headaches he gets."

"What happens now?" Kushina asked, glancing between Lucy and Genya for an answer.

"The plan was for me to have my birthday here, and then return to the elemental nations and return home." explained Naruto, seeing hope jump into his mother's eyes. "As you have arrived a day early..."

"You'd be better off going home with your mum and godfather." supplemented Lucy. "We've only got one issue that's a problem, and that's Graham Jones and his followers." Naruto's posture seized up slightly at that, something Jiraiya noticed. "He's one of the ones we mentioned earlier, has a fragment of Dracula's power and thinks he's a reincarnation."

Relaxing again Naruto gave Lucy a nod of agreement. "Then I will." Looking towards both Kushina and Jiraiya he gave them a nod. "I am coming home a day early it seems." In an instant Kushina shot out of her seat and hugged her son tight, the earlier worry she'd felt fading away as Jiraiya rose, smiling. Naruto gently hugged his mum back, a soft smile on his face as well. "I do have a suitcase to bring with me, of clothes and my gear."

"That won't be a problem to bring back." admitted Jiraiya. "We plan on returning by reverse-summoning anyway, so we'll get back quickly."

"Don't forget about me!" Pixie spoke up for the first time, spreading her wings and flying up to sit on Naruto's shoulders. "I'm coming with you."

"You're not being left behind." Naruto assured the young girl, who beamed in response before glancing at his mother. "This is Pixie, my familiar. We bonded shortly after my eighth birthday."

"Can't say I've heard of familiars bonding to people so young." added Jiraiya, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "But then again, I wasn't much older when I started training under the toads." Glancing at Pixie he asked. "Do you have any skills?"

"Pixie enjoys pulling pranks." Naruto explained, said Pixie now playing with his hair. "Her natural skills are, by the leaf's ranks, around that of a seasoned genin, if not borderline chūnin rank." Jiraiya nodded in response, filing away that information for later.

"And yourself?" questioned Kushina, curious to know her son's skills.

"Naruto has been put through physical, mental and chakra-orientated training extensively." Genya spoke up for Naruto, who nodded silently. "All-around, he is a chūnin in terms of base skill, but lacks the experience for the harder missions."

"I'll have to report that to sensei when we get back." Looking to Kushina he gave her a nod. "Well, this could've gone worse."

Kushina nodded back, though her eyes settled on Genya with a light glare. "And when can we leave? The sooner we get home, the better I'll feel." The small scowl on her face that formed as she spoke Genya noticed, but didn't react to.

"We can leave now if need be." Naruto's words got him a relieved and happy look from his mother as Jiraiya nodded in agreement. "You said we will be leaving by reverse-summoning?"

"Yeah." answered the toad sage. "We'll head up to a nice open area, and I'll summon Ma and Pa. Then we'll reverse summon back through Mount Myōboku to Konoha."

"I will take you to the rooftop." Genya supplied.

On the rooftop

"So this is your godson!" exclaimed a small, green skinned toad as he sat on Jiraiya's shoulder, having been summoned as he studied Naruto. "I was expecting him to be much younger."

"It's been twelve years Pa." Jiraiya reminded him. "We only found him a short while ago."

"And where are we?" the female toad sitting on Jiraiya's other shoulder questioned, glancing around at the dark sky. "We seem very high up and very far away from home."

"You are outside of the Elemental nations, in a place called Japan." Genya addressed the two, who took his words with a fair amount of surprise. "I have been Naruto's caretaker since he was a baby."

"There's a story that I'll explain when we return to Konoha." Jiraiya assured the two toads on his shoulders. "We're all ready to go."

"Ah, reverse-summoning." The yellow-skinned toad said, understanding why Jiraiya had summoned them both. "Of course, let's begin."

"Take care, Naruto." Genya said with a hint of emotion in his tone, Kushina giving him a firm glance. "If you need me for anything, Naruto has a phone. Call and I will do my best to help."

Kushina hesitated a little, but nodded in silent thanks before joining Jiraiya, her son and his familiar as the two toads finished the reverse-summoning circle, charging up their chakra before the small group were engulfed in a large puff of smoke. As it cleared, Genya was met with an empty rooftop that only the wind greeted.

"I'll see you soon." The half-vampire finished, before leaving to return to his duties.