AN: Well as stated in my other works this is one of the new stories that I wrote during my unwarranted hiatus. There was a lot going on but this is one of the stories that I worked on a lot. There are a few chapters pre-written and I hope you all like a new twist to an otherwise cliché idea. I'm going to be doing things quite differently though. So anyways I hope you like it everyone.

Disclaimer – I do not own Naruto or any anime or manga reference. I own this plot and the idea.

Xxx

Chapter 1: Blood born

It is blood that runs through our veins. It is blood that keeps us alive. It is blood that signifies relationships. And it is blood that was leaking from the many wounds that Minato was suffering. The masked man that he was fighting had made sure Minato received no rest as the Kyuubi no Kitsune roared behind this masked assailant. Behind the Hokage was Kushina, his beautiful wife with her crimson hair wild and untamed.

His wife was holding a bundle close to her as she cried, the son she would never watch grow. Minato also shed tears. Tears that stung his face as they washed over the small cuts he had taken.

"You have taken control of the Bijuu from me," the man before Minato said accusingly. "I wish I could stay more but I'd rather the Kyuubi's ire be aimed at you instead of me. For now this is good bye." And with that said the man disappeared in a swirl of time and space. Minato bit back a curse as the Kyuubi trained its eyes on the young couple beneath it. With a mighty roar it stalked towards Minato with a vicious snarl.

"There is only one thing I can do Minato. I have to bring him back into the seal," Minato heard Kushina say as she held the baby out to her husband. The blonde man looked at his shaking wife and smiled sadly.

"I can't let you do that my love. You're at death's door. There is no way you'd be able to bring the beast back into your seal without you dying. And if you die with the Kyuubi still inside you then it will only reform again later. I can't bear the thought of losing you Kushina," Minato said somberly. Kushina faltered and thought for a moment. When Minato took their baby from her hands she slowly started to realize what her husband was doing.

"No. No, no, no Minato. You can't do this," the once feared and mighty Hot Blooded Habanero could do nothing, her chakra was almost depleted and her body was ragged. Minato wasn't faring any better but he still could do what he needed to do. Carefully scripting the basic seal onto his son he placed him softly on the ground while his wife watched in deep sadness.

"You can't do this. He needs you Minato."

"He needs his mother," Minato cut off as he flew through hand seals.

"B-but, he's 'our' son. He needs us both. If I do this there is chance I can survive. If you do what you are going to do there is a hundred percent chance you're going to die!" Kushina screamed out. Minato continued to smile sadly as he finished his sequence.

"There is nothing we can do I have to-," Minato was cut off as he heard a whistling sound. Turning around he was horrified to see a giant claw fly towards him. 'No I'm not done yet!'

Clang!

Schlick!

Kushina gasped as her chakra chains redirected Kyuubi's claw so instead of piercing through her and Minato's stomach it went through their shoulders. Minato bit back a gasp and continued his seals.

"We may die together after this my love," the Hokage whispered over his shoulder. Kushina replied with dry laugh.

"And leave my poor son alone? If I live through this I'm pulling your sorry ass from Shinigami's stomach." Minato chuckled wryly and placed his hands on his son's stomach. Instantly the infants eyes opened revealing sapphire eyes similar to his own. The boy started to cry loudly as a seal slowly started to appear on his navel.

"I won't leave you alone my son. And neither will your mom," Minato whispered as his technique started to take effect and the Shinigami appeared. "I'll put into you my last bit of chakra if you ever need it and your mom's too. We will never leave you," tears started to fall down the man's face. The tears dripped down his cheek mixing with the blood on his face. They fell slowly into the crying baby's mouth and oddly enough the child stopped crying as a copious amount of tears fell in him. Minato wiped his eyes and pushed his and Kushina's chakra into their son's seal.

The Kyuubi roared and its Yin chakra was forcefully ripped from its Yang chakra and eaten by the Shinigami. Its Yang chakra on the other hand was sealed into the baby and the giant fox demon disappeared. Kushina preceded to collapse and with the last of his strength, Minato pulled his family together in a final embrace.

"Will he be okay," Kushina whispered as darkness started to take her.

"Of course. He is our son after all," Minato replied before kissing his wife and then his son.

"We love you so much."

"Make us proud," the baby looked into the eyes of his parents and cooed while bringing his hands up.

"Naruto…"

Xxx

5 Years After

A scruffy looking Naruto dug through a dumpster. A pair of legs flapped back and forth over the side. A shout of glee echoed from the waste bin and the little boy plopped out with a half-eaten sandwich. Grinning to himself the blonde scarfed it up with gusto.

Naruto burped with satisfaction and walked back from the alley he had been scrounging in. He had no desire to go back to the Orphanage yet. It was boring and most of the caretakers would force him to be clean. The blonde would later learn as he grew that these were what were called mother hens and he should appreciate them. Deciding to go to the park Naruto scampered off with a smile.

The boy arrived at the park and grinned. There were a few kids today but it was mostly empty. Which means Naruto wouldn't have to suffer the scathing glares and shoos from many parents. The blonde was content to play on his own. As he played in the sand box Naruto saw something shiny. Curious, he reached out and yelped when he cut his finger. Gingerly he reached in with his other hand and pulled out a piece broken glass. Naruto frowned and walked to the trashcan before depositing it inside. Even he knew that broken glass wasn't meant in a children's playground. Looking at the small cut he watched as it healed over almost instantly. This wasn't an odd occurrence to the boy apparently. Nodding to himself he started to walk back to the sandbox.

As he walked Naruto noticed the world slowly start to dim. Colors lost their sheen and looked dull in comparison. The world around him stopped. There were no birds chirping, no sounds of the other kids talking, or the natural wind blowing through trees. It was silent. The boy did however notice a few red lines that extended from his body and ran from him farther than he could see. There weren't many lines, maybe ten or twelve but they ran in front and behind Naruto. After looking back and forth for a moment the red lines disappeared and the world started moving again. Naruto scratched his head before shrugging and heading back to the sandbox.

10 Years After

The Academy was where all young aspiring shinobi and kunoichi started their journey. It taught young ninja the basics and the history of what a ninja is. One would normally start at the age of seven then spend a required five years before taking a test to graduate to the rank of Genin. The Genin was the lowest rank of an official ninja and the highest on the totem pole. One needed to work down to reach the point of the base where the elites were. That was why they were the bottom of the totem pole, because they were strong enough to carry the weaker ones. At the very bottom, holding up everyone was the Kage of the village, the strongest in the village.

Naruto strived to be a ninja. Ever since the old Hokage had talked about how he protected the village from harm and how everyone looked up to him, the blonde boy knew that was what he wanted. Living a life of barely anyone caring about him had made him strive for attention. Once he reached seven he was given his own apartment and enrolled into the Academy. Even now the boy missed the women at the Orphanage. He wished he didn't take their nitpicking for granted.

After two years Naruto had decided to try and take the test to graduate believing he was ready. There wasn't a rule that you couldn't try early, it's just no one had really thought about trying early. Naruto had failed miserably. The Henge no jutsu was the test and he didn't understand chakra to the extent that the real graduates did at that time.

So here he was, ten years old and hoping to try again next year with the graduates of that grade. He had practiced the Henge as much as possible and even started learning the basics of the Kawarimi no jutsu. It was still out of his reach but he was getting there. At the moment he was lobbing shuriken and kunai at a target to practice his marksmanship. It wasn't going too well. He still didn't have the eye for throwing weapons, unlike a girl with buns who he had seen hit every bulls-eye.

The blonde was getting frustrated. He couldn't for the life of him get any closer. It was irking. Taking a deep breath Naruto hurled a trio of shuriken that were between his fingers. A low hum was heard as the four pointed stars curved and flew at the wooden board. With a loud 'thunk' each shuriken stuck into a different place. Naruto rushed to the target with an excited grin. He felt good with the throw.

When he got to the board he saw two of them were outside the target and one was barely in. Naruto sweat dropped.

"Dammit!" Growling in frustration the boy grabbed each weapon roughly. Shouting in pain, Naruto looked at the shuriken and the cut it gave him on his palm. He cursed and threw it at a tree a few yards away from him and it stuck there. Naruto was suddenly aware that the world around him had frozen. Colors lost their brightness and there wasn't a sound to be heard. He blinked in confusion and looked down as he saw red lines flowing away from him. It looked like whatever the red lines were, they were moving. The boy abruptly realized that this was the same scenario that had happened many years ago. And he also realized that there were almost twice as many lines as back then. He leaned down and took a good look at a line that led from him, to strangely enough, the shuriken stuck in the tree. It was the shortest line that Naruto could see being that the rest extended further than his vision allowed.

Extending a shaky hand to the line that led to the shuriken, Naruto became aware that what was extending from him looked extremely familiar. Before he could ponder more his finger touched the line. Suddenly, Naruto felt like the world had folded in on itself almost like it bent making his shuriken closer. While this happened he was simultaneously pulled down the line and felt like he was squished for a moment before he felt normal. And that's when the world started again. Color seemed to bleed back, sound slowly started again as if it was coming out of slow motion from a tape recorder that he remembered on the Holage's desk, and Naruto was jolted from the strange squished feeling.

The boy blinked once, then twice and turned his head. He could have sworn he was next to the target board. Now he was next to his shuriken, his hand actually on it. He grabbed the weapon and placed it in his training pouch. They were practice shuriken and kunai, sharp but not overly so, so they needed to be returned. Spinning around warily, Naruto tried to find the reason for his strange transportation. Finding no reason the boy shrugged and packed up. Maybe he was just dehydrated.

12 Years After

Naruto cried. Tears flowed down his face as he jumped from branch to branch. It all made sense now. Why everyone hated him. In all honesty he had thought it was because he could see blood flowing from his body. He thought people had thought that he was creepy and tried not to make it so that he would see those lines that flowed from him that he had classified as blood. It was hard though. The world would stop suddenly at times and the lines would flow from him. Sometimes the amount would lessen and sometimes there would be more. He never could understand why. All he knew was that he should never touch the lines or people would think he was even weirder.

But now Naruto knew it wasn't cause of those "blood lines". No now he knew it was because of the damn Kyuubi no Kitsune. The nine tailed fox demon that had practically destroyed Konoha twelve years ago was sealed inside him. And it was the reason most people ignored and practically tried their best to believe he didn't exist.

"I was supposed to be Hokage. I thought I could be somebody," Naruto cried as he stopped on a branch to rest. Behind him he heard the sound of rustling and he quickly hid. Turning slightly, the blonde watched as Iruka, his sensei in his Academy, appear in a puff of smoke from his transformation to look like Naruto. It seemed Mizuki had tried to trick the boy by transforming as Iruka but the scarred man was one step ahead. Naruto listened in shock as Iruka defended his wayward student. And he cried at Iruka's last statement.

"Naruto is nothing like the Kyuubi. He is more human than any of us," Iruka shouted. "Hell he is more human than you Mizuki-teme." Mizuki growled and pulled one of the large shuriken from his back.

"Big talk from a dead man. Looks like I'll be killing you first before I kill that demon," snarled Mizuki before grinning. "Any last words?" The large shuriken started to spin around the man's hand with a small application of chakra.

"Fuck you..." Iruka lifted his middle finger in the air as he held his sides. Naruto turned from his hiding spot and looked in horror. Iruka-sensei was too injured to move. He was too far from both of them to run and help. He needed to help his sensei. He needed to help one of the few people that thought of him as a person. Reaching into his thigh pouch Naruto cut his thumb and swiped his blood on a shuriken quickly before flinging it at Mizuki as the man started to move. Naruto had never consciously called upon the blood lines that stopped the world, but now was as good a time as any. Pulsing his chakra and focusing on the feeling of freezing the world around him Naruto was extremely relieved to see the familiar silent and dull overtone. Naruto quickly grabbed onto the line leading to the shuriken and waited.

"Famous last words Iruka! Now die you demon lov-!" Mizuki's scream was cut off as a lone shuriken flew towards him. Scoffing he was about knock it away when something extraordinary happened. Something that made all occupants that were watching, this including Iruka, Mizuki, and Sarutobi, shocked beyond belief. In a haze of red that disappeared in a second Naruto appeared and grabbed the shuriken before spinning and landing a back roundhouse kick to Mizuki's face.

"Touch my sensei again," Naruto started as he held his shuriken between his fingers, "and I'll kick your ass!" Mizuki stood up shocked beyond recognition. "Too stupid to speak up? Well let me pay you back for what you did to sensei a thousand food!" Naruto placed his hands in a seal that made a cross with his pointer and middle fingers before shouting. Mizuki nearly had a heart attack.

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"

"Shit..."

Xxx

Naruto sat before the Hokage and swung his legs back and forth. He was still a bit too small to reach the floor comfortably in the big, plushy chair which annoyed him greatly. Before him stood Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage. He was like a grandfather to the blonde and had taken great care of the boy as much as he could. He had made sure no physical harm had come to the boy from any of the...spirited villagers and their grudges. Sadly the only thing the Sandaime couldn't do was force everyone to acknowledge Naruto.

But at the moment Sarutobi had a more pressing matter to attend to. He had watched the proceedings that had taken place and had made sure that his Anbu were a good distance away. Luckily the Anbu hadn't seen what he saw due to him not giving them the signal to proceed, but he had seen and that's what mattered. "Well it seems like you had an eventful night Naruto-kun."

Naruto grinned and scratched his head.

"I will allow you to stay a Genin through field promotion," Sarutobi said making Naruto smile brightly. "And you are even allowed the use of the jutsus you were able to learn, seeing as how it would help your bunshin problem." Naruto whooped in joy and bounced off the chair and ran around to hug the old man.

"Thank you so much Ojii-san!" Sarutobi smiled warmly as he hugged the boy back. It was good to see him with a true smile. It was hard to tell when the boy donned the guarded smile and when it was real. Unfortunately there were things he and Naruto needed to discuss so with a heavy sigh Sarutobi pushed the small boy away and looked at him seriously.

"Now as you can probably tell, I was watching what happened between you and Mizuki."

"Oh with that weird crystal ball thing that you do. Huh I was wondering how you always knew where I was," Naruto thought aloud.

"Naruto I need ask you a very important question," the boy tilted his head. "What did you do to get close to Mizuki? What was that strange technique?" Naruto looked confused for a moment before his eyes widened in realization.

"Oh you mean that nifty little move here and there thing. Yeah um it's a bit weird actually," Naruto said as he walked back to the cushy seat.

"Well go on. We have all night my boy," and Naruto went from the beginning. From when he was five years old and he saw the lines of blood when he cut his hand on a piece of glass. From how he had moved from one point to another when he was ten, and after that moment how there would be times when it would happen randomly when he was working with his chakra. The story came to a close when Naruto told the Sandaime how he had needed to protect Iruka and had used it consciously. By the end the old Hokage sat with his fingers steepled and a contemplative look on his face.

"Jii-san..." Naruto started. "I'm not really the fox am I?" Sarutobi flinched visibly and frowned. Naruto was still a bit shaken up by everything so he needed to tread carefully with what he was about to do. Too many things needed to be said tonight.

"No Naruto-kun. You are in no way the Kyuubi. You are your own person. It is merely sealed in you. I know this because I've watched you grow from just a baby. You are without a doubt Uzumaki Naruto." Naruto smiled brightly and could feel tears prick his eyes before he wiped them away. He had cried too much already tonight. "But can you do me a favor?"

"Of course anything Jii-san!"

"Can you use that technique once more for me? Right now?" Naruto shrugged and reached into his thigh pouch before pulling out a shuriken and pricking his thumb. With a deft flick the boy sent the ninja star flying lazily forward so it hit behind the Hokage. Sarutobi lifted his eyebrow at Naruto's choice to where to throw the weapon before his eyebrows shot up as the boy disappeared in a haze of red. The old man instantly sensed the boy behind him not even a second later and turned to see Naruto pulling his shuriken out of the wall. That movement was instantaneous. Instantaneous and familiar. Too familiar.

"Naruto...you just teleported." Naruto blinked.

"Like how those ninjas do when they are gone in those puffs of smoke?"

"No my boy you teleported. And it was instant."

"Whoa! Serious?! So that's what those blood lines do? Huh I wonder what would happen if I grab onto another one?"

"Why don't you try it?"

"Huh?"

"Why don't you try it? And if you can, try and zero in on the shuriken that you used before to come back here." Naruto scratched his head before shrugging and placing the previously used ninja star on the Hokage's table. If Hiruzen was right then this boy had the ability to do something unheard of. Naruto closed his eyes for a moment and he was suddenly gone in the haze of red that was becoming customary. The Sandaime waited for a few seconds and was thinking something went wrong when he had counted to fifteen. Suddenly Naruto appeared in the room with his hand on the shuriken with a red mist dissipating behind him.

"Sorry bout the wait Jii-jii. It took a few jumps but I finally figured out which one was which. But I did find out that some of the places that the lines led to were a bunch of places that'd I been to!" Naruto placed a finger to his chin and squinted his eyes. "In fact those are places where I either fell or hurt myself. I didn't test them all so who knows."

"Did those injuries cause blood?"

"Mhmm."

Hiruzen sighed and stood up before walking to the wall where the pictures of all the Hokages were put up. He stopped in front of the Yondaime and stared at it.

"Naruto do you know about the Yondaime?"

"Oh yeah! Of course he was one of my favorite things to study in history because it wasn't so boring!" Naruto started. "He became Hokage at a really young age, he fought in the Third Great War. He was given the SS-Class rating for his hand in completely kicking ass in a battle," Hiruzen smiled at the childish way Naruto described that particular event. Kicking ass would be an appropriate way to put it. "And he defeated the Kyuubi!" Naruto's face dropped after that last statement and his mood instantly turned somber. "Or more like sealed it in me..."

"Naruto, before I continue I must ask do you know what the jutsu was that earned the Yondaime the title Kiroi Senkou?" Naruto thought for a second knowing he heard of it in class.

"The Haishin no jutsu or something?"

"Close. The Hiraishin no jutsu, and do you know what it did?"

"Yeah it teleported," Naruto answered. Sarutobi turned and gave Naruto a pointed look. The boy looked blankly at the old man before his face morphed into one of understanding. "He teleported...he..teleported. I teleported...I teleported! What the hell! I can do that Hiraishin thing!" Naruto screamed out.

Sarutobi chuckled softly and walked over to calm the boy down. "No my boy you didn't use the Hiraishin no jutsu. You did however use something like it. And that is where things get a bit, hmm, difficult to explain," the Sandaime said as he walked Naruto to the window. Naruto looked up at the man confused as he stood silently for a moment.

"Naruto, Minato, the Yondaime, sealed the Kyuubi into you because of the situation," Naruto opened his mouth to ask a question but Hiruzen set a gentle hand down to tell the boy to be patient. "Unfortunately I can't give you the full situation, but I can tell you this. He as a parent couldn't ask another to sacrifice their child. He was a father himself."

Naruto slowly let the Hokage's words sink in and looked up in astonishment. "You mean?"

"Yes, Naruto-kun. Namikaze Minato was your father. I don't understand the specifics but it seems you have gained the ability to use some sort of variation of his famous technique. Perhaps you have a kekkei genkai."

Naruto was shocked to the core. So many things were dropped onto his lap at once today. It was unnerving. On one hand he couldn't help but hate what the Yondaime, no his father, did to him. He understood that it was for the village but why him? It hurt to think of what could have been. On the other hand he had gained something of his father's. A technique that may only be his and his alone. And it seemed that it was immensely powerful. But it was a technique given to him by a man who had effectively cursed him. Grasping his head the boy leaned into the Hokage surprising the man.

"Ojii-san... I am thankful that I know my dad but I just don't know what to think. I am happy, so happy, that I know who he is and that he is so amazing but I can't help but to hate what he did. I know that you might want me to use this technique but I don't know if I can. It makes me feel connected to the guy that ruined my life and, and," as Naruto went on Sarutobi came to realize what was bothering the boy.

Naruto was still a boy. He didn't understand the inner working of the world and how things had turned out. Yes, the boy was happy to have such an amazing technique, but all it does is remind the boy of a father that was never there. Naruto was happy but felt abandoned at the same time. That was when the Sandaime came to a decision. Leading the boy to the chair, the Hokage took his own. Naruto just wanted to be told what to do at the moment and Sarutobi would try to find a compromise.

"Naruto I will make you a deal, sort of an order from the Hokage. I decree that you are to never use this move unless your life or your comrade's life is in danger. However, from this day on you are to meet with me every Sunday if possible and we will train and learn more about your supposed bloodline." Naruto looked relieved. He wanted to use this move but at the same time didn't. "This will be a decree between you and me and will hold for as long as I live, understand Naruto?" The Sandaime asked as he wrote down everything on a small scroll.

"Yeah I got it Jii-jii," Naruto smiled. A thoughtful look crossed his face. "Hey Jii-san," Sarutobi looked up. "What about...what about my mom?" Naruto asked hopefully. A look of sadness and guilt flashed through the old man's eyes before he covered it up and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Naruto I don't know. I can't tell you anything right now." Naruto merely sighed and shrugged. Well he couldn't get all the answers tonight. Unbeknownst to him Sarutobi had clenched his hands for a moment to stem off a great wave of guilt. Shaking it off, the Hokage grabbed another scroll and a thinner brush before looking up.

"Now we have some other business to discuss. What should we name your new found bloodline?"

"Hmm," Naruto thought and scrunched up his face making his eyes resemble a fox's. He wanted to name it something cool like 'Super Hyper Teleport' but that seemed silly now that he thought about it. After thinking of the qualities of his bloodline the blonde grinned. "Call it Blood-line."

The Hokage lifted an eyebrow. "You want to call your bloodline, bloodline?"

"Well it's Blood," Naruto made a line in the air to show a dash, "line." The Hokage shrugged and wrote it on the scroll.

"From this day forth you are the wielder of the bloodline, Blood-line."

Xxx

Naruto stood in front of two freshly made graves. One was for one of Kiri's legendary Seven Swordsman, Momoichi Zabuza. He had been one of the strongest people Naruto had ever met. When he had first shown up, Naruto had been scared beyond belief. But his sensei, the legendary Hatake Kakashi or better known as the Copy Ninja, had assured them that he would protect them. Looking back on that fight Naruto couldn't help but think about how he and his teammate, Uchiha Sasuke, had used an amazing show of teamwork to free their sensei from a jutsu that Zabuza had used.

After Zabuza was defeated by Kakashi they had finally brought Tazuna to Nami. That's when things got difficult. It was on the bridge that was to save the people of Nami that Naruto wished he did something different. Naruto looked to the other grave and touched the blank face mask that Haku had used. Haku, a person with such a pure heart, had died protecting a person. Naruto still didn't know if Haku was really a boy or a girl pretending to say they were a boy but dressed like a girl still.

But for Naruto it was during this fight that he had messed up. Haku had been such a pure soul. Naruto knew without a doubt if Haku and he had met in different circumstances they would have been amazing friends. If only things had gone different. If only he had tried his hardest. If only the Kyuubi's chakra hadn't sprung out and clouded his mind. Naruto clenched his fist.

'I should have used Blood-line...'

Xxx

Deep in the Forest of Death Naruto rampaged. A shroud of red chakra surrounded the boy like a fine mist. He smashed a giant snake in its snout and sent it careening back with a screech. As this went on a man with an extraordinarily pale face and shining yellow eyes watched with a smile.

Naruto kicked the snake while it was down eliciting another screech before the boy looked up. In a burst of speed he blurred forward and appeared on a branch in front of the man. Roaring, the boy tried to swipe at the man only for him to nimbly dodge.

"Really now Naruto-kun is this all you have?" The man goaded. Naruto growled lowly and used his elongated claws to try and impale the pale man. While Naruto and the man battled, below them Sasuke and Sakura watched in a mix of fear and awe. They had never seen Naruto this powerful...or angry! However, even with Naruto's new animalistic fighting style it was nothing compared to the man's. With strikes faster than the Genin could see, Naruto was sent careening into a tree.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed in worry. The boy let out a bark of pain that was immediately cut off with the sound of his choking. The man smirked around the elongated tongue that was wrapped around the blonde's neck and pulled Naruto closer.

"So you're the Kyuubi host I see?" The man said making the boy's eyes widen. "You have potential but you're still weak. You'll need much more to come at me."

"Who the fuck are you," Naruto growled as he started to think coherently.

"You may call me Orochimaru. But for now I need you out of the way," as Orochimaru said that he brought one hand up while the other lifted Naruto's shirt. Each finger tip glowed with a sick purple chakra and the man slammed it into Naruto's stomach.

The boy screamed as he felt white hot agony and felt consciousness leave him as the haze of Kyuubi's malevolent chakra left his mind. His one final and clear thought was, 'I should have used Blood-line...'

Xxx

Naruto stood on a branch huffing. In front of him stood one of the strongest opponents he had ever faced. What was once a short, red haired boy named Gaara now stood a monstrous looking tanuki-human hybrid. Gaara's upper body was covered with sand taking the form of demonic looking tanuki while only the lower portion of his legs were normal. A long tail made of sand swung back and forth as the deranged boy laughed crazily.

Beside Naruto was Sasuke whose body was covered in strange black marks. Naruto was slightly confused but had bigger issues. Sakura was being crushed by sand that was trapping her to a tree which infuriated the blonde boy. Naruto was tired and had already tried summoning. All he was able to get was Gamakichi who was hiding next to Kakashi's summon Pakkun higher up.

"Naruto," said boy looked to his teammate. Sasuke pushed himself up and held his shoulder. "I'm going to try to use Chidori again. Hopefully I will be able to hit him hard enough so he will let Sakura go. When that happens...when that happens take her and run." Naruto looked at the other boy in shock. Sasuke had always been a bit cold but as time went by it seemed like the boy had changed. Team seven had spent more time together and it looked like all that interaction had helped Sasuke.

"Come on now!" Gaara screamed out with a sharp laugh. "Is this all you have?!" Naruto growled and readied himself, but the red haired boy's next words shook him. Gaara pointed at Naruto, "what's wrong Uzumaki?! This isn't everything. Where is that power you used to defeat that Hyuuga?"

"Shut up!"

"Are you hiding it?! That's what you're doing huh! Hiding your power," Gaara started cackling. "Lying to yourself!"

Naruto closed his eyes tightly and grit his teeth. As much as he hated the other boy right now he was right. These past months Naruto had been hiding his power. In fact he had always been hiding his ability since the day it had first spawned. Ever since Naruto had learned of his father he couldn't help but hate the man a little. And his feelings had made him reluctant to use Blood-line. If he had used it in Wave, maybe things would be different. If he had used it in the Forest of Death, maybe things would be different.

'No more.' Naruto opened his eyes wide and they burned with a new resolve. He couldn't let his childish feelings cloud his mind. This was a life or death situation and the Sandaime said that in a life or death situation, then all bets were off.

There was a snapping sound behind the two boys and they turned to see Gaara's sister, Temari Naruto remembered, walk shakily towards them. Her eyes showed an enormous amount of fear as she said, "you guys can't beat him. It's impossible." The blonde girl pointed to Sakura as she was slowly being crushed. "I mean look! Your teammate is a goner!" Sasuke grunted and rolled his shoulders with a hiss of pain. This was his last shot.

"I'm not going to lose the people close to me ever again," Sasuke whispered. "Get ready dobe," Sasuke started to do handseals but Naruto stopped him.

"Temari right?" The girl nodded. "Is there any way to make it so I can break his concentration so I can free Sakura-chan?" Temari gave the boy an incredulous look.

"He can't be stopped. There is no way to defeat him. The only time I've seen it happen was when that Lee kid smashed Gaara into the ground. But look at him," Gaara's new look was definitely an upgrade, but from what Naruto saw he had given up all his defensive capabilities for power. The blonde could work with that.

"You're right Sasuke-teme," Naruto started making the Uchiha look at him. "I never want to lose anyone either. I've never lost like you, but after everything we've done, after all we have been through I don't ever want you guys to be gone." Naruto looked at Sasuke and grinned. "Team seven is my family and I'll protect you guys no matter what!" Naruto pulled out two shuriken and cut his finger on both before swiping some blood on them. He threw one by his foot and held the other up. "Besides, look at ya. You'd probably keel over if you tried doing anything ya bastard. Leave it to me!"

Sasuke gave the blonde a confused look, "what are you going to do?" Naruto took a deep breath and didn't answer for a moment.

"Don't blink teme." And with that said he launched that lone shuriken at the mini Shuukaku. Gaara blinked in surprise as the metal star flew at him. The shuriken sunk deeply into his chest but couldn't penetrate past the sand that covered him. Gaara was about to growl, thinking that the blonde was wimping out. But what happened next set everyone's jaw, even the small toad and the pug, to the floor. Naruto flickered in front of Gaara in a haze of red and smashed his fist into Gaara's face. The boy was sent flying back but before he could let out even a grunt of pain Naruto was behind him with another punch to the face.

Gaara flew forward actually having a chance to roar out and flew off the branch into the air. Naruto flickered once more and appeared below the other Jinchuriki. Placing his hands in a cross seal Naruto summoned five clones beside him with a yell, "Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Six blondes shot their feet up and sent Gaara flying.

"U-ZU-MA-KI!"

Sasuke looked in complete shock while Temari had dropped to her knees. "H-how is he doing that?"

"I don't know..." Sasuke whispered. Pakkun and Gamakichi dropped down beside Sasuke and looked at the boy.

"Oi Kakashi's brat," Sasuke looked down at Pakkun. "Do you know what the blonde brat is doing?" Sasuke shook his head numbly.

"I'll tell what he's doing! He's kicking ass!" Gamakichi answered while jumping high in excitement. "Go Naruto-nii!"

Naruto and his clones landed on a branch and he sent each one at the rising Gaara. Each one kicked him higher and higher before they dispelled. Using Blood-line once more Naruto flickered above the stunned red head. Gaara only had enough time to realize how high they truly were. They were past the tree tops. Raising his leg high Naruto smashed it upon Gaara in a crushing axe kick that sent him hurtling down.

"Naruto Rendan!" Naruto yelled as his foot connected. "I'm not done yet!" The blonde appeared in a red haze above Gaara as he fell and smashed an axe kick once more accelerating the boy's fall. He did this twice more making Gaara rocket down and finally Naruto flickered above the other boy and smashed both feet into the boy's head. Using chakra to stick to Gaara's face the two of them careened to the forest floor so fast that the wind screeched around them.

"Take this!" There was a tremor as the two boys hit the ground and Naruto crushed Gaara's head in a vicious double stomp. He flipped off Gaara and disappeared before reappearing on the branch next to Sasuke. Huffing, Naruto looked to see if Sakura was free. To his relief it looked like the beating he gave to the red head had caused him to lose his focus on the sand around the girl.

"D-dobe," Naruto turned to Sasuke panting. "What the hell was that?" Naruto shook his head and grabbed Sakura in a bridal carry before giving her to Sasuke.

"I'll explain later I promise, but right now I need to get you guys safe." And with that said Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke who held Sakura and they vanished leaving behind a red mist.

The trio appeared in Naruto's room and Sasuke looked around in surprise. Taking Sakura from Sasuke, Naruto set her on his bed before turning to a still shell shocked Uchiha.

"Look I know you have questions, and I promise I'll answer them but right now I have to go back," Naruto said quickly.

"Wait why am I here then?"

"Man, you are almost completely wiped out. I don't know what the hell those freaky tattoos do but you can barely stand up. Just watch Sakura-chan here and I promise I will explain." And before Sasuke could retort Naruto was gone.

He appeared once more in front of Temari who was still on her knees in shock. "I'm pretty sure your brother isn't dead," Naruto said. "That sand is hard as hell so he most likely-."

"UZUMAKIIIII!" An explosion was heard down below and a tower of sand rose high above the trees snapping and destroying many of them.

"Oh Kami...we are doomed. We're going to die," Temari practically sobbed. Naruto paled greatly as he took in the form of a full-fledged Bijuu. It was enormous. The Shuukaku, the Ichibi no Tanuki, had come.

And thus our story begins.

BLOOD-LINE