Chapter three

names

He didn't have a name.

He was a number, nothing but a tool designed to be used in helping further the ambitions of his village and the man who protects it from its darkest shadows.

He was a machine, unfeeling, unthinking, emotionless in the face of anything life had to throw at him, ready and unhesitant to do whatever it takes to insure the successes of his master. He was a soldier, a grunt, trained since day one from the ground up.

His upbringing was rough and cruel. An inhumane montage of physical, mental and spiritual abuse designed to forge the perfect human weapon. He'd seen it all...been through it all and he would be proud of the fact that he is the man he is today, if he could be.

But no one is infallible. There is no such thing as true emotionlessness. Every living person on the planet is capable of feeling. Some may be harder to break than others. Some may even be impossible to break using the means of mere humans...but there is always something out there for everyone that is able to slip through the barriers surrounding their hearts and tear them asunder.

He had no name. He didn't need one. He was an emotionless killing machine used only as a tool to further the ambitions of his master. He was infallible.

Or so he thought,

"Ugh!" He grunted in supreme effort, his weapon, a large paint brush held in front of his face, holding back the glowing orange/yellow fist trying to plow into his nose. His eyes were narrowed in concentration and effort. His teeth were clenched and sweat tricked down his forehead. And as he fought back against this...Kyuubi child, a foreign feeling began to stir within his heart. His obsidian eyes stared into the glowing demonic eyes of his sudden advisory, who was grinning like a mad man at him, relishing in an obvious euphoria of being able to cut loose for the first time ever, and he felt the stirring of a strange feeling that made his own face want to mirror that look. He didn't know what it was. It threw him off. But at the same time, it made adrenalin surge through his body. Everything was suddenly ten times clearer than it had been his entire life and he...relished the feeling.

It also enabled him to raise his foot and slam it into the boy's chest, sending him skidding backwards.

He crouched and prepared to launch himself at his foe, but was interrupted as Lord Danzo seemingly melted out of the shadows behind the demon and attempted to skewer him with a tanto. The boy seemed to sense him coming and launched himself to the left, tackling another ROOT who'd been preparing to launch a Jutsu before bounding about the cavern like a hyped up jumping spider. "Hah! C'mon old man! Keep up!"

He watched as this demon boy clashed with ROOT, bouncing all around and off of them like a thing possessed, evading weapons and jutsu alike and adding to eth chaos the missed attacks wrought. He watched as Lord Danzo and his comrades tried and tried again to subdue or kill the boy. It should have been impossible for one child to be able to make such a mockery of Danzo's personal army of soldiers. It was completely illogical that someone like this...was doing so much damage.

But then again, he had mused in his mind. This was a demon after all. One apparently spawned by the Kyuubi itself. It didn't matter how utterly untrained this boy so obviously was. He had the power and the resilience and the sheer recklessness of a berserker to back up his big talk.

"GAH!"

Danzo grunted as the boy landed a lucky shot to his ribs, sending him slamming into the wall, showing everyone there just what kind of strength he was capable of. The Root commander coughed up a gob of blood and glared hatefully. "I will not let the village fall to a monster like you! I've come too far to be killed here by a mere whelp of a demon!"

Wind exploded out in all directions, suddenly and relentlessly. He almost calmly took cover behind a corpse as the wind sharpened into blades and tore into everything in the room. Several ROOT soldiers lost their lives, unable to react quick enough. Danzo's mastery of the wind would have been legendary if he was known in the world. The very molecules itself it seemed, seemed to bend to his will. Even those in Suna paled in comparison to him.

He was getting desperate it seems.

"That all you got!? HAH!" The demon child's chakra shroud expanded from the boy's body in a sphere, surrounding him and took the full brunt of the attack with only a ripple. His orange eyes flashed with excited and malicious glee as the sphere faded.

He struck.

The demon grunted in surprise and pain as a kunai rent open a bloody gash on his cheek. He spun, twisting out of the way of the root Ninja's surprise attack and leapt back a few more feet to avoid another. He went to say something, a mix between a bloody grin and a displeased sneer upon his lips when he was blasted by a hurricane of wind and sent slamming through one of the training facilities.

Lord Danzo glared, utter malice shining in his visible eye and his body sagging in slowing growing exhaustion. His age was catching up to him. The nameless boy observed, with fascination, the emotions playing across his master's face. What were those? How was it that his master, the leader of all the Ninja responsible for the protection of the village from the shadows, and the person who endlessly preached the necessity of cast away emotions, was able to express all of these feelings such as rage, unease… frustration? His mind went into overdrive at seeing his supposedly infallible master so shaken.

Was Lord Danzo a Hypocrite?

And for the first time in his entire existence, the nameless boy felt a seed of doubt.

He didn't have a name…

But as he watched this Kyuubi child battle with an increasingly emotional Lord Danzo, he couldn't help but think, as he cracked a small, excited grin and rejoined the fray.

…That perhaps he ought to get one.

(xxxxxx)

Her name is Hanabi Hyuga.

And very little did she know of the world. She barely even knew much outside of her clan walls, having only been allowed outside of them when she was enrolled into the academy. She was young, the heiress to the clan as a whole, destined to lead it to glory and more prosperity or so she'd been told since the very first day she activated her Byakugan.

She was hailed as a prodigy, acknowledged for her talent and told she'd do the clan proud. They filled her head with delusions of grandeur, slowly beginning to mold her into an arrogant spoilt girl believing she could take on the world and her growing skill only strengthened that belief. Her only rivals had been her cousin Neji, her father and another rather unremarkable seeming young man named Ko. What she failed to realize was that while she was talented and held absurd potential, she wasn't there yet at all. The only people that didn't hold back against her were Neji and her father. Everyone else, Ko included, hadn't dared to do more than slightly hurt the heiress lest they risk punishment via caged bird seal. She'd failed to realize this and therefore rode a high on her own hubris for most of her life until the chunin exam finals.

She'd never experienced real combat before. Not like this.

"Kaiten!"

"Argh!"

"More are coming over the south wall!"

"Shit, where are the elders!?"

"Kaito-Kun! No!"

Her hubris was washed away, ruthlessly stripped from her in a hailstorm of merciless combat and the desperate fight to survive. There had been no time to secure the civilians or the main branch of the clan. The elders, the children and the weak…the whole clan was caught up in the invasion. Enemy ninja swarmed the village and the clan, targeting…everyone.

Hanabi's eyes widened in terror as her body moved on reflex alone, barely saving her a kunai to the throat. Her palm lashed out, catching the still extended arm as she tried not to scream. Her ears thrummed with the sound of her own blood gushing through her body at the behest of her adrenalin charged heart.

"Argh! Cheeky brat!"

She was terrified. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she dodged another attack. What was happening!? Why!? She wanted to call for her father, for Neji, for anyone!

Help…

Help!

HELP!

The chaos consumed the clan, threatened to bathe her in blood and darkness. She felt her vision beginning to blur.

And then the chakra came. A wave of malevolence so potent and terrifying froze her and every single combatant. It was unlike anything she'd ever felt before. It seized her very soul in a grip of the hottest iron, stealing her breath and snuffing out her adrenalin in an instant. Her eyes could only stare up blankly as she subconsciously tried to find the source of such malignant power. But it was as if it was everywhere, spreading through the village in all directions. What…what was-

Something dropped from above with a soft thump.

Everyone focused instantly on it as a new wave of that…chakra assaulted their senses.

It took them all a second to register what they were seeing.

"…Hello," began the soft almost melodious voice as the figure rose from its crouch to reveal a teenage girl with long blue/black hair. "I'm looking for someone. Can you help me find him?" she muttered. Hanabi could only stare as the girl straightened out, revealing her naked form. She was taller than her, a few years older too. Her eyes were closed as she seemed to bask in the open air. Her face was chubby but attractive, with whisker looking marks on her cheeks and pointed ears. Her teeth too were savage looking with elongated canines poking out from beneath her upper lip.

Hanabi couldn't take her eyes off of her. There was something about this girl. It roared at her on a primal level, freezing her in place.

No one said anything. They just continued to gape at the girl as she took her time to breathe in the air, a serene smile on her lips.

It wasn't until she lowered her head and opened her eyes that everyone visibly reacted.

"W-what the hell?"

Glowing crimson pupil-less eyes radiating with that menacing chakra blazed with a fierce determination. She was beautiful and terrifying all in one. Hanabi lost her ability to breathe.

"I-it's…" Hanabi turned to regard an older clansman. He gaped at the girl in terror, his whole body trembling at the sight of those eyes. "K-Kyuubi."

The girl's eyes snapped to the man in an instant, her head tilted to the side in a far too innocent a manner as she spoke. "Kyuubi? I'm not the Kyu-"

And a kunai almost ripped out her jugular. It was reflex alone that saved her such a fate. "It doesn't matter what you are," growled a Suna jounin as the girl stared with startled eyes. "You look like a Hyuga." He brandished his weapon, a smirk upon his lips. "You die with the rest of them."

The girl's eyes widened.

Hanabi struck then. Her tiny form, unnoticed as the attention focused on the red-eyed girl flew through the air as she jumped at the Suna nin's back, her chakra covered palm slamming into the middle of his spine, dropping him like a puppet with cut strings.

"Argh!"

And her pale lavender eyes locked with crimson.

"Hyuuga?" The red-eyed girl's question came out as a whisper, as if astonished at the word. Hanabi couldn't help the nervous nod.

"I see…"

The girl's whole demeanor shifted.

"Hanabi-Sama move away from her!"

Hanabi would forever remember what came next.

Xxxx

His name is Gaara

He grew up a curse to his village, a demon of sand who killed anyone who provoked him in anyway without fail. Unloved, unappreciated, neglected and abused, told to be nothing more than a mindless weapon for a village who wanted nothing more than to end his existence.

He loved only himself, looked out for only himself and shut himself off behind a wall of bloodlust and hatred to hide the broken soul beneath.

He moved through the village at an almost leisurely pace, killing any that happened to stray into his path. His sand was a seething river of death snagging and crushing all who were caught. Allies? What was that? Civilians? Pathetic wretches who didn't deserve to live. Enemy shinobi? They would validate his existence. He could hear the pleased mutters of the Ichibi in the back of his mind, and the soothing encouragements of his mother.

One would think they were one in the same but he could tell the difference. Mother had always been there. Mother had been the only one to show him any sort of care, encouraged him when no one else would. He appreciated mother and would do all he could to please her.

Shukaku had come later, warping the both of them with his malice filled essence, twisting his emotions as he suffered the betrayal by his uncle and twisting mother into a hateful blood thirsty spirit of sand that no longer softly encouraged him to defend himself, but instead actively encouraged ruthless aggression towards anyone who even looked at him funny. And they didn't resist the change at all. Why would they? When all he'd experienced was hatred, distain and fear? Even his own siblings feared him. And his father was best not even mentioning. No one cared for him, so why would he care for them. The only positive feeling he got were from the battles he'd get into. The killing of strong foes gave him proof that he existed, that he was alive…

That he was human, that he existed.

"Not another ste-AAARGH!"

His sand ensnared and crushed the Konoha ninja before the fool could even finish his threat and tossed the broken body aside. He couldn't help the crazed grin on his face as he moved. He didn't care for the invasion. All he wanted was to fight, to kill, to validate his existence.

He would have continued wandering almost aimlessly too if something hadn't peaked his interest.

There was a surge of power towards the back of the village, a chakra familiar to him but oh so different. He heard Shukaku breath in deeply as if in shock, before he started growling about "That asshole Kurama!"

His whole body quivered in anticipation. He had to test himself against it!

He ignored both Shukaku's ranting and Mother's worried mutters as he rounded a corner and was met with a blonde girl in a fight to the death with a group of Oto ninjas.

"I said get away from me!" she exclaimed, her body levitating a dozen feet in the air as the wind whipped around her. Kunai and shuriken flew at her and were deflected by some invisible force. She was scowling. But Gaara could see the concern in her eyes. She was worried about something but it wasn't the fools attacking her.

He watched as she lifted her arm towards one of the ninja and widened his eyes when her opponent, twitched, gasped and suddenly attacked his own comrade. "Demonic witch!" screamed a woman as she launched a wind jutsu at her. The girl snarled and Gaara's entire mind and body was affected by her retaliation. Uncontrolled demonic charka…and something else, slammed into him and into everything else around her and sent them all flying. He heard sever people cry out in agony but he tuned them out. He himself landed unscathed but his intrigue went way up.

Who was this girl? Was she this Kurama Shukaku spoke of?

If he were more expressive he would have shrugged before jumping up onto the roof to face her.

The girl didn't seem to notice as his sand shot out like a wave of golden brown death and swept up the Oto ninja before they could recover and snuffed out their lives like weakened candle flames, more concerned she was with regaining her breath.

Gaara waited patiently until she finally noticed him. "Who are you?" she asked. Her body was tense. Gaara faintly noticed that the girl was damn near naked but payed it no heed. Though mother seemed more upset about it. He took a second to answer.

"I am Gaara of the Sand," he began. "And you will validate my existence…" he paused as Shukaku damn near shouted something in his mind in a state of absolute shock. His smile was almost warm as amusement tickled the briefest part of his psyche for just a moment. "Spawn of Kurama."

His sand was upon her a second later.

Xxxx

His name is Jiraiya.

He's lived a life of hardship and struggle, born during a time of great conflict and raised on the battlefield. He is one of the strongest ninjas of the current age, able to go toe to toe with any of the five Kage. He is second to none but the Hokage in Konoha, having mastered hundreds of techniques and gained the title of Sage and some of the powers that come with it. He is a shining example of what one would strive to become, famous worldwide for his abilities and his books. He is a spymaster, a seal master and the trainer of the fourth Hokage himself.

Very little can startle him.

So when he was called to Konoha by his sensei who felt something big was coming and that something big would involve Orochimaru, he came, ready for anything.

He wasn't surprised when Oto and Suna launched their attack on the Leaf Village. He wasn't concerned when the snake summons began to attack the walls. Hell he wasn't even startled when it became news that Suna had sent their Jinchuuriki to Konoha.

But that surge of the Kyuubi's chakra…

That startled him.

It startled him a lot more than he'd care to admit because he didn't like the implications of such a surge of chakra.

He didn't get much time to contemplate it though, as he was still locked in a battle with three giant snakes. It was a shit show everywhere. Clashes of Konoha, Oto and Suna ninjas played out all around him as he fought the snakes. He could hear the death cries of enemy and friend alike but he forced himself to tune it out.

Even as the hanyous began to encounter residents of the village, he couldn't do much before taking out the threats before him.

"God dammit just die already!" he snarled he launched a massive fireball into the face of the middle summon, while his own summon attempted to slice one in half. The snakes proved way too agile though, making the battle take even longer.

He was just beginning to reach the breaking point of his patience and saying "screw it," and dropping a food car destroyer on the lot of them, heedless of the people below when something very different landed amongst the battling ninjas and summon animals.

Jiraiya paused, summons paused and the people paused.

"What the hell?"

He didn't hear much of the following conversation that occurred between the new arrival and the people below, but he sure as hell saw what happened next.

There was an explosion of purple light and a surge of demonic chakra that slammed into his senses. He saw several people turn tail and run but the rest rushed at the boy, and there was no mistaking the figure as a raven haired boy with a glowing aura of purple outlining his body.

Jiraiya doesn't know what happened next. One second he was just standing there atop his summon, observing the sudden fight below with surprised eyes, and the next the snakes and his toad fell victim to…something. The boy had only looked at them and the animals fell under his sway almost instantly. They collapsed as if dead only to rise a few seconds later, the unmistakable pattern of the Sharingan reflecting in their eyes.

He doubted the boy even knew what he was doing. This was his bloodline, enhanced by the kyuubi and used subconsciously.

He was forced to abandon his toad as it and the snakes began to attack everything in sight, scattering people in all directions.

As he fled, a message came from the Hokage to meet him at the kage booth by the stadium was issued by a passing ANBU agent.

It made sense.

As the demonic chakra continued to spread through the village, he realized that this was bigger than a simple invasion.

Because he was one of the very few people on the planet who knew exactly what the Hanyou children truly wanted.

And it was far deeper than simply getting some issues off of their chests.

So he headed to his sensei, ready to work alongside a traitor and his enemies if it meant keeping the village out of the hands of the Kyuubi.

Xxxx

His name is Hiruzen Sautobi

And as he felt the first flare up near the base of the Hokage monument, a mote of kyuubi chakra exploding out wards at it began to clash with numerous individuals around that area he couldn't help but let out a weary sigh.

He could feel the very distinctly powerful chakra of Danzou Shimura and the increasing amounts of power the old man was starting to put out and wondered just how he was being pushed so hard.

He felt a second flare around the Hyuga clan grounds as it began to clash with both the invaders and the clan itself. This wasn't good at all.

Hiruzen stared anxiously out into the village as he waited. Orochimaru, his sound for and several ANBU stood around him, observing as well. The snake Sannin looked terribly amused, if his grin was any indication. The story he'd just been told had been something he would have never thought his old sensei would ever even be involved in. It seemed to tickle him in a way he hadn't been tickled in a long, long time. But there was also a look in his eyes, anger at having his prize seemingly taken away from him. He'd already issued an order for a halt any combat against the Konoha defenders and had them already beginning to focus on the Kyuubi Hanyous. It was only a matter of time before the fighting shifted.

Hiruzen's senses were assaulted by yet another flare up of chakra, this one from something that was distinctly NOT the kyuubi. He heard Orochimaru chuckle.

"Suna's Jinchurriki seems to have found something of interest eh sensei?"

And to prove his wayward student's words, a pillar of sand exploded upwards then outwards in all directions as if something blew it apart from the inside.

He and everyone else around him tensed up when the wave of chakra hit them. He faintly heard one of Orochimaru's bodygurds, the redhead Uzumaki looking girl curse under her breath, a nervous aggression tainting her words. "What the fuck is going on out there?"

Another mote of Demonic chakra flared up, this one out towards the village entrance near the massive snake summons. Orochimaru himself watched at his summons paused, then seemed to drop lifeless to the ground. The same could be said for the giant toad that was combating them.

"Shit," muttered an ANBU.

What the hell was that!? It didn't make sense! Those kids had spent then entire lives locked away in darkness, deprived of their chakra and their powers. How were they causing so much damage? How were they this strong!?

A few minutes later Jiraiya landed before him, a distraught, angry look on his face as he awaited orders.

Hiruzen's eyes hardened as he tensed up. He didn't even have to look at his subordinates and sudden allies to know they were waiting for his words. "We have to establish some kind of order," he commanded with a harsh whisper. He turned to Orochimaru. "We cannot subdue the hanyous if we are still fighting each other. We have to put aside our differences if we are to succeed in this."

Another blast of malevolent chakra hit them all.

Orochimaru nodded then turned to his body gourds, issuing the orders for them to move out and get their troops under control. They nodded and headed off in four different directions.

"Jiraiya find the jounin sensei who brought their Jinchuuriki. Help him rally the Suna ninjas and get them to cooperate by any means necessary."

Jiraiya nodded, looking grim.

"I myself am heading towards the monument. Danzou is in trouble. The rest of you go and calm the fighting, inform every one of the true situation. I'm sure they are already feeling the chakra blasts. Convincing them shouldn't be too hard."

Orchimaru couldn't help the sadistically amused laugh that left his lips as he leapt into the village, And as he himself leapt towards the clash between Danzo and one of the Hanyou children there, the air itself seemed to shift in demeanor as the might of three hidden villages began to turn their attention upon the Nine spawn of the Kyuubi.

AN: OH MAN! This took forever to write! I couldn't get the last coupla pages hashed out. Well that and a severe loss in writing mojo really killed my drive but I'm back. Motivated as shit! Lol. My updates are gonna be random as I have mostly completed chapters to several different stories than after that I may focus on one or two for a bit before moving on. The plan is to always be updating something within a week or two. So here's hoping it goes that way. Anyway here's this chap! Tell me what ya thought!