"Every man has his secret sorrows which the world knows not; and often times we call a man cold when he is only sad."

Hello, I do not own Naruto, but this fanfic is mine.

Chapter 1.

A small figure shifted silently, curling in on an old, raggedy, doll. Her bright blue eyes stayed shifted towards the dirt road, and her small, bare feet shuffled along. Although the dirt road was crowded, and bustling, no-one looked at her, nor spared her a glance. As the red-headed girl passed them, they turned rigid, like steel, and continued on their paths like mechanized toys. The girl could feel it. She could intuit that she was the cause. With a shuddered breath, the girl continued her walk to the largest tower in Konoha.

"The mental ramifications of her isolation are beginning to show, Hiruzen. With every year she grows more, and more withdrawn. It is not safe for the Jinchuuriki, nor the village, for her to develop psychiatric issues…." Danzo stated blandly. Seated around him was the rest of the Hokage's council. Koharu nodded in agreement to Danzo's statement, her weary face resting in a mask of concern.

"I understand that, and I understand now, in retrospect, that it was a bad idea to put her in the orphanage, but what do you suggest me to do? The orphanage is out of the question at this point…." the third Hokage sighed, a hand reaching up and pinching is brow.

"I suggest that we give the girl a sanctioned apartment, and provide a stipend. She has shown since the incident that she can take care of herself." Homura suggested, eyeing Danzo.

"What about security, Konoha's greatest threat and advantage coming and going. She needs to learn how to protect herself, Hiruzen-"the Hokage lifted a hand up to silence him, a slight twitch in his temple.

"She is not going to be trained by you! She is just a child, she is not ready to be trained by anyone!" his voice slowly grew louder with each word. Koharu simply raised an eyebrow. Danzo stood up, slamming a hand on the table.

"Fine, I will not even ask to train her, but she still needs to be taught how to defend herself! It has been six months since the Hyuuga debacle…We do not need to have attempts made on our Jinchuuriki as well!" Danzo huffed out, beginning to turn slightly red, before plopping back down in his seat.

"I agree with Danzo, she does need to learn self-defense, she will need to know how to protect herself. She also needs to interact with others. I suggest the academy, that way we only have to have the ANBU rotations watching her at night, which frees up more members. We do have a shortage of Shinobi, Sarutobi." The old kunoichi's steel grey eyes bored into her teammates.

"Hokage-sama, it is almost June anyway, the new school year will be starting…." Homura said gently, leaning forward.

"She's only three and a half, she deserved a childhood!" however, Hiruzen's eyes softened, and his posture deflated knowing he lost the argument.

Danzo eyed the Hokage, before looking out into sky. A sense of nostalgia passed across his features.

"She lost her childhood the minute she became the Kyuubi's container. All we can give her now is safety." The old, bandaged man turned back towards his teammates, rubbing his eyebrows.

A small, mousy haired Chuunin appeared at the doorway, ushering in the small, red-headed girl. At the sight of her, Hiruzen's heart broke. She was impossibly small, even for a three year old. Her yellow dress was stained, and she was clutching a filthy doll like a lifeline. Her azure eyes watered, and as soon as she made eye contact, her eyes shot back to the floor, a nervous hand stroked the three whisker shaped birthmarks on each cheek.

"Hello, Naruto-chan, I'm the Hokage…"the Sandaime offered a gentle smile, dismissing the Chuunin with a wave of his hand, and crouching down to the girl's level. She looked at him in small, repetitive glances, slowly flinching back at his proximity.

"Would you please tell me what happened?" He asked softly, although he already knew.

"I lost myself…and I never came back, why would I? Everything is so—so empty…" Naruto spoke so softly, in almost a whisper, her voice was husky, but had an almost musical quality to it. While she spoke cryptically of her experience, the almost four year olds long red curls had fallen in front of her face, and her arms hugged herself, trying to supply some form of comfort. She peered up at him, through her hair, circles of blue, overtop crescents of blue and black, evidence of her sleep deprivation.

The orphanage had been taking care of her after Jiraiya and Tsunade left when she turned one. Tsunade had left after she guaranteed her physical well-being, and buried more of her colleagues, when the girl was about six months old. Jiraiya had tried to stay, tried to perform his duties as a godfather, but his network needed him, and the elemental nations was no place for an infant.

The orphanage had done an okay job, or so it seemed. Naruto suffered no injuries, and didn't get ill; she wasn't malnourished, or beaten. However, the Hokage later found out about the emotional abuse. The way the girl was ignored. By everyone. She had been isolated. One day, the girl had wandered out of the orphanage, and somehow got lost. It was a week before anyone reported her missing. It was three before they found her. Now it was referred to as the "incident".

Naruto was quiet, barely spoke, and after mental analysis, was shown to be socially and emotionally underdeveloped. She didn't show normal expression of emotions and behaviors consistent with a three and a half year old. Her attitudes were more on par with a socially inept, anxiety ridden war vet. The child avoided, and shied away from human contact. Hiruzen was furious.

The old Hokage slowly leaned in, giving the girl time to analyze his actions. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled the small child into a hug. She was tense and stiff. The Hokage's council had slipped out of the room several minutes ago.

"I am so sorry for your trials, Naruto-chan. Everything is okay now." He leaned down, and kissed the top of her crimson curls. He tried to radiate a calming vibe, something to ease her tension. After several minutes she relaxed into his hug, tiny hands bunching the thick Hokage's robe, tears began to fall from her eyes, and she sobbed into exhaustion, slipping into the sleep that had eluded her for the three days since she had been found, it was strange behavior for the girl, she was shown to be rather clinical about emotions.

Hiruzen looked at his predecessors on the wall, weary faces in a weary, weathered room.

"How we have failed her. How we have failed her parents….Very well. She may join the academy; god knows she needs human contact". He whispered as he cradled the child in his arms, who would no longer be a child. 'Will you forgive me one day, Naruto-chan?'

When she opened her eyes, blurry and unfocused, Naruto noticed the room around her. It was no longer the bland, white hospital walls, with their cracks, and smudges, nor was it the slightly worn stone and brick walls of the Hokage's tower. Glowing a soft green, the walls seemed freshly painted. The girls shot straight up. It was unfamiliar, this place. She slipped out of under the covers 'white, new, cotton….expensive', her mind supplied. The red-head hesitantly pushed one foot into the plush carpet, then the other. She stood up so quickly, blood rushed to her head, and she wobbled.

"Kotone-hime!" She whipped her head around looking for the ragged doll, and there she sat, on the table, next the the bed. She quickly picked it up, hugging the filthy thing close to her chest, trembling slightly.

'Where am I…?' She thought. The room was nice, everything seemed relatively new. It was a small studio apartment. A bed, with a built in dresser beneath it lay under a window with a ledge in one corner, and small kitchenette across on the other wall, which had a small mini fridge. A small, round wooden table acted as a bedside table, and she assumed, also a dining table. A plain wooden chair was tucked next to it. There was a small bookshelf next to white door, which logically contained a bathroom. There was not much else. Though comfy looking, it was rather spartan.

Naruto walked into the bathroom, which was covered in pale, beige tile. It had toilet, a small shower, complete with shampoo and conditioner, and a sink, with a mirror and medicine cabinet above it. She examined herself in the mirror. Her hair was in knots. The crimson tresses had once reached slightly above her thighs, someone had cut it while she had been recovering at the hospital. It now ended just above her shoulders. Her face was pale, with purple smudges under her thickly lashed eyes. Opening the medicine cabinet, she located a brush, along with a toothbrush, mouthwash, and soap. She roughly pulled the brush through her thick, messy hair, until it was soft and silky.

Leaving the bathroom, she went back into the main room, stripping out of the small white nightgown that reached her knees. She crouched under the bed, and opened the dresser drawer. Pulling out a pair of long, khaki, cargo pants, and a long sleeve, dark green shirt. She quickly got dressed. Once done, Naruto headed to the door, bare feet swift and quiet, pulling along Kotone-hime.

She had been wandering around the apartment complex for about an hour, and discovered many things. A gym, a washroom, and the plumbing and electrical rooms. She also discovered that primarily Shinobi lived in the building, meaning it was often empty. Naruto had just left the dark, dank basement, full of either abandoned belongings, or those that had been left behind when one of the residents died, when she bumped into a cloaked ANBU.

"Naruto-san, where have you been? The Hokage requested you an hour ago?" The masked Shinobi spoke in small, clipped tones, and the way he towered over her, frightened the young child. She pulled back, eyes to the floor, the air of exploration, gone.

"I'm sorry….I was wandering around the building…." Her voice was so hushed, it was almost silent. The masked man nodded, before motioning her to follow him. She did.

As they walked into the Hokage's office, Naruto's small hands gripped the doll so tightly they turned white. She trembled, shaking like a leaf. Her bare feet gently padding across the hardwood floor.

"She had not left the apartment complex, Sir. She was 'exploring'". The ANBU said, eyes flicking to the girl. The Hokage simply smiled a pipe in his mouth.

"Thank you, Raccoon-san. You may leave". The ANBU flickered away. The Hokage slowly rose from his desk, lumbering over to the couch in his office, that had two, small plush maroon chairs across from it.

"Please sit, Naruto-chan." He said, addressing the small, shaking girl. She silently walked over to the chair, sitting in it, head facing the floor. The Hokage began to pack his pipe, a few slivers of tobacco sprinkling onto his lap. He looked up at her, eyes crinkled.

"Relax, girl. Do you know why I called you here?" He asked kindly. Naruto shook her head, pulling her feet unto the chair, up to her chest, arms encircling them, one hand tightly holding the doll.

"I called you here because I have some things to discuss with you. Firstly, I assume you noticed the apartment?" She nodded her head, shyly looking at him, atop her knees.

"That is now yours. You are no longer going to be staying at the orphanage. You will receive money every week for food, and other such things, the ANBU, Raccoon, will help you buy them. Can you handle this, Naruto-chan. It is hard work living alone…I could assign you a caretaker." The old man inquired, a gentle eye and a raised eyebrow in the red-heads direction.

"I can take care of myself, Hokage-sama…". Naruto replied, in her soft, husky voice. Her eyes looking straight into his with a rare display of attitude, despite how quiet her voice was. He smiled slightly.

"Very well. This also means that you will begin to attend the academy. If you do not intend to become a Shinobi after the three years of primary education, tell me now, and you will receive an apprenticeship. However, if you choose this option, you will not be allowed outside the village." He let out a deep breath when he finished, looking solemn. Hiruzen had decided to be frank, open, and relatively honest with her. He figured she would appreciate that.

"I won't lie Naruto-chan, you are valuable to the village in ways you do not understand, and I am not at liberty to explain yet. Please choose carefully". The words were chosen to herd her to one particular decision, and Hiruzen did feel slightly guilty, but he had duties to the village, and if he had to manipulate the small child to choose the most favorable option, so be it.

The Sandaime looked at her, the way her small nails digged into her thighs, and the dolls arm. The way her shoulders hunched, the way her hair fell slightly in front of her face. Her trembling limbs. The marked cheeks, showing her hidden shame, her curse. Her dead, empty eyes. He felt the sense of failure pervade him, not for the last time. Hiruzen's eyes filled with pity and slight detachment, he looked at her like a puzzle, and that seemed to set her off.

She looked at him; head cocked to the side, threw her legs to the floor, and straightened her back, brushing the hair from her face. She hated that expression, both the detachment, and the cold contempt she saw in so many others. Her eyes took on a cold, mechanical gleam. Her small pink lips, tightening into a grim, determined expression. It looked wrong on a child. Hiruzen felt a chill.

"I will be a Shinobi, Hokage-sama. I will be able to leave the village. I will prove my exsistance, and my worth. People don't ignore the strong. I will be strong." Her voice wavered and broke on the last word. She had dropped the doll on the chair; her fists clenched so tightly, a small line of blood dripped from one palm. Then the air seemed to leave her, and she fell back in the chair, tenderly picking up the doll. 'She is unstable, in both mood and behavior...the psych ward was right, and so it seems was Danzo...the child can't continue in this trend'.

"Okay, Naruto-chan. This can't be taken back. You will be crafted into a Shinobi, a tool for the village. You will attend the Academy, after this meeting, you will meet your peers and comrades, and you will make friends. This is what you will do. The Hokage looked at the girl, and she stared back.

"Your existence will sustain and protect Konoha, is this the prerogative for which you strive?" He looked at her, dead serious, sitting in a way that he hoped would convey the gravity and meaning of this moment. Naruto nodded a gleam in her dead eyes, a fire that wasn't there before. The Sandaime smiled, before motioning to the corner of the room with a flick of his fingers.

"Raccoon-san, get her some shoes and bring her to the Academy for a tour, once she has her supplies…Goodbye, Naruto-chan. I will see you again soon…" And with that he gently walked back to his desk, and Naruto was escorted by Raccoon-san out of the room and towards the Academy, stopping on the way to get some sandals.

The Academy was a largish brown building, two stories, and rather worn. Generation of Shinobi had roamed these halls, and so would many generations to come. The Academy was born out of necessity, in year 5 ENE (Elemental Nations Era), which is 1005 PENE (Pre-Elemental Nations Era), by the Nidaime Hokage, Tobirama Senju, to regulate and teach the basics of Shinobi curriculum to students. These were the sort of things that Naruto would be learning her first day at the Academy. History: Pre-Elemental Nations, History: The Making and Founding of Konoha, Level One: Arithmetic, Level One: Language, Shinobi laws and Conduct, and Clans of Konoha and Hi No Kuni.

At the thought of so much learning, after crying in the Hokage's arms, after the incident, Naruto's mood, and heart began to thaw. She had been so numb for so long, to protect herself. Why feel pain, when you could feel nothing at all, and by extension say nothing? She had gone periods of up to three months and seven days without saying a word or being acknowledged by anyone. However, these new opportunities, this whole new world of chance began to inspire emotion. It was confusing.

"Raccoon-san…what does hope feel like?", the red-head asked in a bout of introspection, squashing the anxiety that cropped up inside her when she spoke, unaware of how the words she had spoken would haunt the ANBU. Raccoon's footsteps stalled for a moment, before resuming their smooth stroll. The ANBU was silent for a few minutes, and Naruto thought that perhaps she would get no answer, that she would be ignored.

"I suppose it feels like there is a future, that there is a possibility of a light at the end of the tunnel, that there is something worth sacrificing for. It is warm, and it curls up behind your throat and eyes, and makes you see a world where something could be good…." Naruto jumped at the sudden reply, and then there was a slight twitch in her lips, not quite long enough to be considered a smile, but it was a start.

"I think I might be….hopeful.", She said softly.

That night, after receiving her supplies, and leafing through a cookbook and prepping the simplest meal, Naruto laid out her clothes for the start of the Academy in two days. She looked at Kotone-hime, her doll, and placed it in the dresser beneath her bed, tucking it in the funeral clothes that were included in her new wardrobe.

"Babies have dolls, and starting the day after tomorrow I will be no longer a child, Kotone-hime. You will stay at home…". Her blue eyes had a spark, and she stretched, spreading out on the carpet on the floor of her apartment, red hair fanning out, looking like a halo of blood. She laid there for hours, a thoughtful expression gracing her face.

Surprisingly, Naruto had a very good memory, and thus was very good at the Academy; all the early years were theory, that's in part why they were so popular with the civilian children's parents. She absorbed knowledge like a sponge, however she was cripplingly quiet. She kept her head down, and to the desk. The teacher ignored her; however, upon her entrance many of the students were shocked at her age. Naruto was not good with people, and they were all far to curious.

She avoided recess, and lunch, despite Raccoon-san, the ANBU, giving her a pre-packed lunch ("One time only" said the ANBU). She attracted too much attention. People stared here too, though it wasn't as bad. At least the stares weren't full of contempt. She walked into her next class, and tried to disappear into her seat, to be unnoticed. However, the gods did not smile on her desire.

During the last class of the day, the one on clans, a girl with long brown hair and red triangles on her cheeks, 'One of the Inuzuka clan…', had been staring at Naruto quite intently, her five year old face all scrunched up, brown-gold eyes curious. Naruto prayed she wouldn't talk to her.

"How come you're so young. My baby brother is your age? Are ya some kinda genius or somethin'? The name's Hana!" She was loud and boisterous. Naruto flinched, sinking into her too-big seat, red hair falling in front of her face, her large blue eyes wide and unblinking.

"Weelllllll~ Tell me ya name? Why do ya have whiskers? Or are ya deaf?!" Hana went closer to the tiny girl, right up near her face. The rest of the class was watching intently now. Waiting to see how the younger girl would react. Naruto went stock still, hands gripping her pencil, shaking ever so slightly, holding her breath.

"Phfffffffff! Whateva. Be like that. You're stupid I guess. All small and quiet. Like your dead, or some kinda doll…." And the words were said.

Naruto's face paled, and her breath once again got caught in her chest. Her heart stuttered. Anxiety was not fun. The rest of the class began to laugh, chanting Doll-san, over and over. The teacher eventually put an end to it, but the damage was done. Naruto was now Doll-san, and it wasn't meant as a compliment.

The bell rang, and it was officially the end of her first day. She quickly gathered her things. She did not want to be here. The new arrivals started the same day the graduation was for outgoing, graduated Genin, Genin with loud families, all congratulating each other.

She tried to go out the back, so she wouldn't be noticed. It was a stressful day. The students had already labeled her Still-Doll, because she was small and silent. She was surprised at the spark of anger she felt at that, the way it restlessly roamed about her chest. Eyes to the ground she bumped into a figure wearing black, unknowingly she had walked into the fresh Genin.

"Are you okay?", a stern, but gentle voice asked Naruto. She brushed her red hair out of her face, and looked up at the voice addressing her. He was pale, and had long black hair, pulled into a low hanging pony-tail. He wore a long-sleeved black shirt, and tan pants, with a red fan emblem on them. 'Uchiha-clan, young, probably a prodigy... .'. Her face flushed red at being clumsy. Ignoring the hand offered by the Uchiha, she stood up.

"I am sorry…." Naruto's voice was tiny, just like herself, and trembled. She bent down, and began to pick up her books. Uchiha-san, picked up her spilled pencils, and handed them to her, there was a gentle grace about him. He felt safe, but she figured he was anything but.

"My name is Itachi, what is yours?". The boy inquired softly. Naruto curled in on herself, hands gripping her upper arms.

"My name is…Naruto." Her voice trembled, and it came out as a small whisper. Itachi smiled warmly, sticking out a hand,

"Nice to meet you, Naruto-san…". Naruto looked at the hand, and felt the urge to run away, but he seemed nice enough. She hesitantly reached out, and quickly shook it.

"Itachi-san..." She said with a nod, and shouldered her bag, and left. Itachi smiled before turning back to his celebrating family. Sasuke ran up and jumped unto his back, all smiles and brotherly affection. He quirked one of his small black eyebrows, and turned toward Itachi with a quizzical face.

"Who was that 'Tachi-Nii? She looked my age!" Itachi looked at his little brother, ruffling his short, spikey hair, heaving him up on his shoulders.

"She said her name is Naruto. perhaps you should look around for her sometime!" Sasuke nodded enthusiastically at the suggestion, before flipping off of his brothers back to go beg their mother for food. Mikoto gave an exasperated eyeroll before handing her youngest son a piece of mochi.

Naruto walked back to her apartment. She had begun to feel safe there. It had begun to feel like a haven, someplace safe. She walked silently up the stairs, and opened her door with the key Raccoon-san gave her that had a little pug hanging off of it. She placed her school bag on her table. She fingered her bag, hands brushing over the new books, and folder that contained her homework assignments. She pulled out the folder.

Sitting down she went about her homework, methodically filling in every bubble, and answering every question, it was almost easy. Once she was done with that, she ate rice and veggies. Simple and easy to make. Then decided to take a shower.

Hours passed. It was almost 8:00 at night, but a strange energy was coursing through her, she felt…complacent. 'I know what I want to do…'.

She bent under the bed and found a dark grey jacket, with fur lining. Slipping it on, she locked her doors, put on her sandals, and left the house. Raccoon watched her with vague amusement, 'I wonder where she is going…'.

Naruto took many side paths and ended up in front of Konoha library. She looked like she had walked this path a million times before. She went in, like a ghost, and no one noticed her. She began to skillfully scan the shelves, eyes pouring over volume and volume, across the spines, searching. Raccoon observed with an unseen raised eyebrow and a huff.

It seemed the red-head could not find what she was searching for, she slumped against one shelf, a slight frown on her features. The small girls began to pull strands out of the carpet, abandoning her search. Raccoon took pity, knowing the young child would never ask for help. 'Damn me…this could jeopardize my career...', He transformed himself into an average looking Chuunin, and approached her.

"What are you looking for?". The man asked in a soft voice, with little inflection. Naruto jumped at the voice, and whipped her head towards the plain looking Shinobi in front of her. She bit her cheek, and then quietly replied, eyes to the ground. It took her three minutes to answer the question. Three minutes he pretended to be interested in the books on yoga, and juice fasting behind him.

"A book on Shinobi basic exercises…I am in the Academy, I see no reason why I can't begin to build my strength." She glanced at him through the curtain of hair, nervously. The sentence was uttered barely as a whisper. One hand resting on her cheek, one rubbing the back of her head. She seemed like she may be ready to bolt at any minute.

"I may be able find something...", Raccoon quickly ran into the Genin section, closed to Academy students and civvies, a flash of his hitai-ate, and retrieved a book titled, "Basic Skills and Exercises for The Beginning Shinobi". He figured that although it was above her level, the exercises were harmless, so what the hell. 'Here you go, just don't mention it to anyone…It's from the Genin section….", He whispered with an air of conspiracy. 'A week into my first assignment as an ANBU, and I'm already breaching my involvement.'

Naruto felt another mouth twitch, and a warm fuzzy feeling in her stomach. The red-haired girl looked at him in surprise when he handed it to her. She looked at the book, the well-worn cover, and the dark green font color. This was exactly what she wanted.

She was going to ask his name and thank him, but when she looked up, he was gone. 'Oh well….' She brushed her hair out of her face again, and began to walk home, filled with a strange sort of with possibility.

As she curled in bed, and read the book, it was unsurprisingly quite drab; she began to drift off, into a sleep. She was warm. She felt comfortable. The sheets didn't smell…People had talked to her today. For once since she could remember, Naruto felt a semblance of emotion. She felt the beginning of the tingles that she identified as contentment.

Shaking off her fatigue, like a shedding a skin, the buzzing, the energy started again. She stood up on her bed, small as she was, and pulled herself up on her window ledge, swinging her feet out of the fourth story window.

Looking north, she stared at the Hokage Mountain, and the legends faces immortalized in it. She looked across the buzzing village, and it's twinkling lights, and burning torches. Naruto looked at the throngs of people milling about below, enjoying the night. She listened to the frogs, and grasshoppers, and watched as fireflies drifted in the lazy late summer breeze. Her blue eyes glanced up at the starry night skies, observing the constellations, and the full, orange moon. Her red hair floated around her, like a halo, dancing in the breeze. Her skin was porcelain in the moonlight, and a gust blew her white nightgown up.

Naruto smiled for the first time since she could remember. A small gentle smile, barely there, but it was something. She felt something hot inside her when she looked at the village, something like home. She may not be on board with the citizens yet, but she felt the village. The way it pulsed with life. With a sigh on her soft pink lips, the almost-but-not-quite-four year old fell backward off the ledge, back unto her bed.

Naruto tucked her short legs under the soft, clean, sheets. She nuzzled her face into the fragrant pillow, smelling the off-brand detergent deeply in her nose.

A tiny hand, gripped the pillow, and she was overwhelmed. The emotions frightened her, she was not used to feeling. The tiny girl began to cry. Sobs wracked her petite frame. Tears wet the pillow, and snot seeped from her nose. She cried until she had a headache, until her face felt stuffed, she cried until there were no more tears, when the large, red sun broke the horizon and signaled the morning. She wasn't empty. Naruto wasn't dead. Although she was still the ice girl, made of parts, and numb to the world, a small part, deep inside had begun to melt, to let it's guard down . However small, she felt something, something within herself. It was a relief. It was a revelation.

She pressed a hand to her heart, nails digging into the silky fabric of the nightgown, and she mumbled into her pillow to no-one in particular.

"It hurts…right here. It hurts, but I also feel. I swear on what's left of myself that I will be the best. I will prove myself. I will be untouchable". And with her swear, her promise to the gods, the tiny child slipped into a sleep, dreamless, and peaceful, just as the sun broke the horizon, and began to rise up into the sky, the dragon of morning. Raccoon-san stood over silently, diligently, watching over his sleeping charge.

The Hokage and his council sat in the meeting room, reading through Naruto's Academy reports from her first day. They included the report from the Psych department, the child's aptitude tests. As Danzo picked up the results, his uncovered eye widened, almost comically. The child was a very intelligent. He coughed, alerting Koharu, Homura, and Hiruzen.

"The child's test scores are fantastic...her intelligence, general knowledge, and reasoning are on par with Itachi when he was at her age. This is incredible." His eyes were filled with a gleam that after many years Hiruzen had learned to distrust. He could feel Danzo scheming from here.

"Apparently, she sought refuge in the library during her time at the orphanage. She is quite exceptional". The Hokage looked out the window, staring over the village he had sworn to protect.

"Did you see the psych tests though?" Koharu glanced at Danzo. He picked up the report from the Academy. His previous gleam was brighter, but he kept his face neutral, this was politics after all.

"She seems to be suppressing her emotions...either due to trauma from the 'incident', the emotional abuse, or a combination of both. We will have to ensure her full loyalty sometime, Hiruzen...". The Sandaime grimaced, thinking back to his student, and the deception.

"We have time...but yes, for the village her loyalties must be secured...May the gods treat her kindly, for our world will not…".

Endnote:

....And Thank you! My name is FoggyDreams, and this is not my first fanfiction, but it is the first serious one I have posted. I am in college, so updates might be rather erratic. If you have any questions regarding clarification of the story please P.M. me. Criticism and blatantly glowing reviews are welcome. I have big plans for this story!

Anywho...Thank you for reading, please review, and I hope you come back for the next update, ciao!

~FUNFACT: I named this fic after a song called 'Further' by Lifeforce. Listen to it, it's great~