His world was without light.

Many others could claim something similar about their own lives. After all, the life of a ninja often lent itself to an existence of darkness and solitude, of death and gloom. Though in Naruto's case, these words were far more literal.

The boy sat in a nameless featureless metal room somewhere within the bowls of the Amekage's tower. Rain rhythmically pelted down on the iron tower above, unceasing as always. Droning and repetitive, its sound was carried through the ribs of the great building down to his metal tomb where it echoed all around him. Even far below the ground he couldn't escape its murmur.

But that was fine with him. The rain was an extension of his master, and extension of the Rain God. It surrounded him always – just as it always had, just as it always would. The rain was a watchful tiger that cared for its young with nothing less than the utmost diligence. It was a part of him, just as it was a part of every citizen of Amegakure.

He'd known this sound since nearly the moment of his birth 5 years ago. He'd been baptized by its caress mere minutes after his life in Konoha had ended. And someday, hopefully far far from now, he too would take up the title of the rain god and watch over the village in his master's stead.

But that was just the start. He would watch over Konoha and Kumo, Iwa and Kiri, and all other lands that lay within his dominion. At long last there would be peace. The fighting would stop and the hatred would fade away like the dark clouds after a storm. He would unite them all – he would save them from themselves. And finally the cycle of pain would be over.

A piece of paper fluttered down onto his head and Naruto clenched his jaw in frustration.

That is, if he ever mastered this basic chakra control exercise.

"Your emotions are your enemy." A frosty voice told him from somewhere in the darkness. "Let your mind be free, but keep your feelings in check or they will certainly betray you."

The boy nodded, but the action was lost in the darkness. "Sorry Konan-chan. I was thinking about the future and I guess I got too excited."

A soft sound that could have been a laugh issued out from the darkness, but the boy discounted it as the rain playing tricks on him. Konan never laughed or even smiled unless she was playing a role whilst wearing a henge. "You're always excited Naruto-kun. You need to spend more time in the here and now instead of chasing far off fantasies. A shinobi that cannot control his emotions won't live long enough to see his dreams come true."

Those words had been taken directly from the Leader's mouth, but that didn't make Konan's argument ring any less true.

Naruto felt a somber something welling up in his chest at those scolding words, but he pushed them down just as he was taught to do. A shinobi must always be in control of himself – mind, body, and soul. Anything less was unacceptable.

"I won't let it happen again. I will do my best for Leader-sama."

He quickly got back to floating the piece of paper above his head.

It always surprised her when he spoke like this. His childish voice carried an unusual amount of resolve for one so young. She couldn't help but be reminded of certain friend who was exactly the same way when the three of them were younger.

He had also wanted to change the world and put a stop the endless fighting. His heart was so strong and pure, it seemed like nothing would ever dampen his spirits, not even the rain that pounded down on them. She loved him for that.

So the world took him from her.

The Salamander crushed her heart that day and drove Nagato to madness. In the end, it hadn't mattered that Yahiko was right or just or that he had wanted to save everyone – the Salamander cared little for such things. He was judged weak and so the Salamander felt nothing when his light was snuffed out.

A slight rustle of paper and a soft growl alerted her to the fact that Naruto had lost control again. The boy didn't yell or complain about the exercise being too hard like most children his age were prone to do when met with failure; instead he quietly picked up the sheet of paper and diligently went back to the exercise.

He was the same way with kunai and shuriken and ninjutsu. It never got him down when he missed a target or accidently injured himself with a rouge fireball. Naruto would just pick himself up and try again, knowing that he would be even better the second or third time around. Even when he spared with the Leader, he was never daunted by the crushing blows or the broken bones that he'd received – he would shake it off and fight until his master was pleased with his progress. No matter the odds, he would always stand up one more time.

To Konan, Naruto was a living breathing impossibility.

The small smile that tugged at the edge of Konan's lip went unseen by her pupil in the dark. Honestly, with the amount of chakra that the boy had, it was nothing short of a miracle that he could keep the paper aloft as long as he had.

For Naruto, floating a piece of paper was equivalent to trying to fill a thimble with a geyser. Even if every member of their organization pooled their chakra together, it wouldn't even amount to a quarter of what the boy held in reserve. As such, the Leader drilled chakra control exercises into the boy since he was old enough to talk for hours on end. After 2 years of refining his control, Naruto was ranked just above an average genin. Needless to say more training would be required. Only the best would be able to accomplish the Leader's goal.

It seemed like young blond was destined for greatness. Though considering who his father was, who was training him, and what was sealed inside him, it seemed impossible for Naruto to turn out any other way.

Already, the boy was well on his way to mastering the Dance of the Shikigami. He could pull off the wide area techniques like the Paper Storm and White Forest Emergence seemingly without effort, and the Paper Clone was nearly complete as well. In terms of hand to hand fighting, a chunin would be impressed with the boy's skills; maybe even a jonin would be surprised on a good day. It was a shame that it would most likely all go down the tubes as the boy grew older and his body got taller and stronger. But that didn't get him down, he just plowed on ahead saying that he was quick to adapt and that he'd figure something out on the way.

And all of this was at the age of 5; he hadn't even begun to unlock his true potential. The power of the jinchuuriki was nothing short of ridiculous.

But by the end of this day, the boy would be drastically more powerful. A slight frown found its way onto her face. Sometime soon, likely within the hour, the Leader would gift the boy with the same power that he commanded.

The Rinnegan, the eyes of the Rikudō Sennin.

It would've been a lie if Konan said that she was committed to this plan. She understood the need for Naruto to grow as quickly as possible, but she had seen what the power of the Rinnegan had done to her friend. Those eyes had changed Nagato somehow. She'd watched the pain on his face as he struck back at the Salamander and avenged the death of their friend. Since that day, his pain had never faded. It festered and grew like an untreated wound until Nagato lost himself to his hatred. Looking back on it, she wished that she had done something, anything, to help him let go. Instead she had stood by him stoic and silent as always – a paper angel in service to her god.

Now she would watch as another was forced to walk down that painful path. Konan wasn't an idealist in any sense of the word, she was too old and jaded to fall back into that old vice, but there was something buried beneath "Konan the kunoichi" that squirmed at the thought of doing this to someone so young.

He wasn't ready; neither mentally nor physically.

True, Naruto had been conditioned to be a perfect shinobi from the moment he was able to walk. He was frighteningly mature for his age, even if he did get a little over excited every once in a while. But that was only when he was with her. Whenever he was in front of the Leader he transformed himself into the stoic weapon of peace that he was expected to be. That childish side was beaten out of him long ago until only a soldier remained. Yes he had known pain; he'd been flogged and beaten on more than one occasion for acting insubordinate in the Leader's presence.

But the pain that he would experience today would go far beyond anything that he'd ever felt before.

Those bright soulful blue eyes would be replaced by the cold calculating lavender-steel of the Rinnegan and his body would find itself home to an array of hard ebon rods. And all of this would happen when he was awake. Pain was the key to unlocking the power of the Rinnegan.

He would feel every inch of the steel scalpel blade as his eyes were cut from his head and hear every snap as his bones gave way beneath the chakra transmitters.

When the Leader had told the boy of his plan, to perform the surgery with Naruto conscious, Konan had wanted to object, but the boy had answered to quickly. With a swift "Hai, Leader-sama" the boy had resigned himself to endure an agony that few could ever comprehend. He never faltered in his choice either, never regretted that he had chosen the more difficult path. "They're all counting on me." He'd replied when she'd asked him if he was sure. "Not just the villagers or the ninja, but everyone. Akatsuki, the Leader, and of course you too Konan-chan. I have to help everyone. To protect what is precious to me, I will suffer any amount of pain."

He said it so earnestly. For a few seconds, Konan felt that one human emotion that she thought had died with Yahiko. She'd schooled her features and turned from the boy – after that the pair went along with their business as usual. The subject was dropped. But even now, she felt so proud of him.

Konan idly wondered if this was how a parent felt.

She quashed the feeling and scolded herself for thinking such a thought. It was unbefitting for a kunoichi and unbefitting of a teacher. Naruto, a 5 year old boy, was going above and beyond the call of duty to service the Leader; there was no excuse for her to not do the same.

There was a loud bang and suddenly the room filled with light. The Leader stood with his hand on the heavy iron door flanked by his entourage of five figures. His face was calm and collected like always.

"It's time Naruto."

The boy barked out a quick "Hai, Leader-sama." and rose to his feet. Konan mimicked him and the group left the room.

Only the sound of footfalls on metal and the ever present drone of the rain were heard as the six Paths escorted the young jinchuuriki and his sensei through the winding halls of the tower to the operating room. Again the Leader opened the door and nodded for Naruto to cross the threshold.

He was greeted by the sight of a large stainless steel metal table covered with leather restraints. A large surgical lamp cast its glow downward on the table which caused it to appear to be the only thing in the room. Ominous and inescapable. Upon looking further Naruto was able to see the display of surgical equipment and medical supplies. He couldn't help but notice the large number of blood bags that were kept on hand for the occasion and he felt his courage begin to wilt. As if to drive these feelings home with a sledge hammer, the boy locked eyes with the Rinnegan eyes suspended in a jar of opaque yellow fluid. He hoped that the Leader wouldn't notice the shiver that ran down his spine.

Apparently he'd failed.

"There is no time for second thoughts now, Naruto. You chose this path, and now you must walk it. A true shinobi stands by his convictions."

"I know Leader-sama. I will always stand by what I say – that is my ninja way." His voice faltered just a bit. "B-but… I can't help but be afraid. Is it okay if Konan-san stays with me?"

The man turned his eyes toward the blue haired woman who stood quietly behind them. He then let them resettle on his apprentice. "The Akatsuki doesn't tolerate weakness from any of its members." Naruto's eyes fell before he quickly retrained his features. He didn't want to disappoint his master. That thought caused the Leader's mouth turned up in a barely perceptible smirk. "However, in light of the circumstances, I will allow an exception to this rule just this once. Konan, please enter."

"Hai, Leader-sama."

The door swung shut behind them.

The six Paths wasted no time in fanning out to their positions around the operating table. Naruto turned to give Konan a quick smile before dutifully stripping down out of his black ninja garb and lying down on the table. Leather straps closed down on his arms, wrists, legs, and neck, effectively pinning him to the cold metal surface. Three more straps were tightened around his torso and something that appeared to be little more than a vise was placed around his head to lock it in place.

Konan wished a lot of things at this point. She wished that Naruto had been strong enough to bare this burden without her presence; she didn't think that she would have the heart to hear the sounds of his screams. Her heart was hard, but this was different from interrogating an enemy. He was her student, it felt like she was betraying him if she let this happen. She wished that she could free him from his word or that she could convince the Leader to let the boy be unconscious for this.

But more than all of these things, she wished that she had returned the boy's smile.

Naruto let out a calming breath. "I'm ready."

The Asura Path stepped forward and tested a metal needle that quickly extended and retracted from his finger similar to a sewing machine.

"Remember to breathe."

He placed the device against Naruto's left ear and began to work. A sharp pain shot through the boy's ear as the Asura Path quickly and mechanically pierced it up and down in rapid succession. No sooner had he finished the left ear did he move on to the right, littering it with holes just as quickly. As if on command, two other Paths began to loop small black rings through the holes.

"Are you still okay?"

Tears began to prickle at Naruto's eyes at the throbbing sensation that now coursed through his ears but, other than that and a slight grimace he remained undaunted. In about 30 seconds Naruto had received no less than twelve piercings. Most grown men wouldn't be fine after something like that.

"I'm fine."

He then moved on to pierce the bridge of the boy's nose. This time the boy had a much more verbal reaction, especially after the last pricing in the series of three went through the thin bone that made up the bridge of his nose. Just as quickly as before, the other Paths moved to place the chakra receivers though the wounds.

"This was the least of it. Are you still okay?"

Naruto panted, gritting his teeth at the sensation of the foreign metal and chakra being placed within his body. Unlike the ears, the human nose is quite sensitive and quite vascular; at least it is when the piercing goes all the way through it. Blood was steadily trickling down the boy's face from the wounds, which prompted one of the Paths to insert an IV into his arm.

He wasn't okay. His face hurt badly and he felt sick as his master's chakra began to invade his body. But he couldn't give up. He'd had worse than this before; he just had to tough it out a bit longer.

"I-I'm fine."

The piercings on the underside of his lips came next. Those were substantially less painful then the three that came before it. But now here came the worst of it. It hadn't been a joke when the Asura Path had said that this was the easy part.

The Asura Path placed a thick coil of rope in the boy's mouth. "This will hurt. Bite down on the rope and focus on breathing. Just remember, it's not as bad as it appears. The Kyuubi will fix the damage to your body quickly."

Naruto knew what was coming and nodded as his jaw clamped down on the rope.

A bloodcurdling scream was ripped from the boy's throat as all six Paths drove the inch long chakra blades through his arms and shoulders. The blades were driven right to the bone and then through it, shattering the brittle structure. Naruto's eyes rolled back in his head as he continued to scream, thrashing uselessly side to side against the restraints. A slight reprieve from the screaming was found in the time that it took for Naruto to empty the bile from his stomach and for the Asura Path to suction the fluid away from the boy's airways.

He lay on that table with his eyes screwed shut, shuddering as the agonizing pain of six broken bones assaulted his senses. Blood was flowing freely from the wounds, and he could feel the familiar burn of the Kyuubi's chakra as they began to sew themselves shut. Finally he was able to open his eyes again – they were wild and bloodshot after the ordeal and tears were flowing from them freely now.

"Will you remain conscious?"

The question had changed because it was apparent to all who were present that the young jinchuuriki was most certainly not fine. Were he not in absolute torture, Naruto might have found the gesture almost thoughtful. As it was, all he could do was make a whimpering sound.

"Strength Naruto." The Leader spoke. "All paths to power require sacrifice. Are you going to give up?"

Naruto didn't need to open his eyes for his master to see his conviction within them; it was made plain by his words.

"No. I-I never give up."

The Leader nodded and placed a new length of rope in the boy's mouth.

The soft sound of footsteps on tile reached Naruto's throbbing ears and he felt an unearthly smooth, almost frictionless, hand close around his own. He opened his eyes to see Konan off to his side. Even after all that, he found the strength to smile up at her. This time she returned the smile, something Naruto hadn't ever seen before, headless of the Leader's disapproving gaze.

"It'll be okay Naruto-kun."

She was forced to move out of the way as the Paths shifted their focus to his legs. Six more blades came down, spearing their way through skin, flesh, nerve, and bone until they were all they way through. Naruto howled with renewed fervor and his grip crushed down around Konan's hand as if it was the only thing keeping him tied to this world. In reality, it may very well have been.

His stomach tried to empty itself again but nothing came. He lay on the table dry heaving and crying as the pain radiated through his entire being. God he wished that it could stop. He wished harder than anything that he could just pass out and wake up without this excruciating feeling that tore through his body.

He felt Konan rubbing her thumb across the back of his hand, but he couldn't find the strength to reciprocate the gesture. He just wanted the pain to end.

"Will you remain conscious?"

Naruto could only grunt in agreement, his shredded vocal cords protesting at the possibility of continued use.

"Stay strong Naruto-kun."

They were moving again, aligning the blades with his stomach and chest. This would be the worst of them all. The blades came down.

He was right.

The receivers bit deep into his body. He could feel them, cold and foreign, in his lungs and abdomen. Naruto would've screamed if he had the strength left to do so, but his energy was entirely spent. All he could do was focus on breathing. It wasn't nearly as easy as it used to be with the pair of rods now inhabiting his lungs. Every breath burned like nothing else and the merest movement of his body would send pain rocketing through his whole body.

"-ruto…" The voice sounded far off, like he was under water.

"Naruto-kun!" It was Konan. That's strange, Konan never raised her voice.

His eyes cracked open. Naruto could see the look in her eyes; she was worried about him. It was rare to see such a thing from God's Angel, but it made him feel warm and strong. Even though he didn't entirely understand why he felt this way, he was thankful that she was here to rekindle the flame of his courage. Her presence gave him focus and purpose. He had to remember he was doing this for her. And not just for her but for everyone in the entire world. This was his burden to bear and no one else's. Under the insurmountable weight of his destiny, all others would fail if they tried to take up its mantle. He, and he alone, was the only one strong enough to suffer for the world.

Pain. That was the price to pay for peace.

The sound of a jar being unscrewed reached his ears. Naruto let his tired gaze rest on Konan's face one last time, and with a sort of surreal realization he understood that this would be the last time that he ever looked upon her though his own eyes. He let his eyes slip closed as a new and different pain began to blossom within his chest. It was like his stomach was replaced with a cold heavy weight and try though he might, Naruto was unable to shake the feeling away.

One last time. He would allow himself to feel emotion one last time before he became the perfect weapon for his master. Then, he would do what he had to do and deaden his heart to the world. It was time start fulfilling his purpose in life

Naruto let the tears roll down his cheeks one last time as the Leader slowly lowered a scalpel to his eye.

What did you guys think? Was there anything that seemed strange or out of place to you? I'm especially worried about hammering out everyone's characterization (Konan in particular is hard for me to pin down) before I really start to get into the swing of writing something new. I'd really appreciate some feedback (good or bad) on my work because the only way that I'll improve as a writer is by finding what my weaknesses are.

One thing that I should clear up since I'm getting quite a few questions about it: Naruto isn't one of pein's paths, the chakra receivers are there to control him if he gets out of hand (I'm pretty sure it works on living people too since Nagato tried to use it on Naruto in the manga when they first met) and to help train him by making his chakra similar to pein's. The "spare" rinnegan comes from working with Tobito (who has been shown to be able to clone sharingan and rinnegan when he put them into his paths) and Orochimaru (who has been screwing around with kinjutsu since he was knee high to a grasshopper and also messes around with cloning).

Also, I'm undecided as to what the pairing of this story is going to be at this point. I'm leading towards Naru X Konan, but I'm always open for suggestions. Just no Yaoi please. I've got nothing against hot guy on guy action, but since I'm a man I'd rather not have to experience it myself if you know what I mean.