Note: Edited version.

Chapter 1

Bijuu otherwise known as tailed beasts: they are nine titanic beasts given consciousness. They have so much chakra that we simply call them Chakura no Bakemono; Chakra Monsters. These huge beasts possess red coloured chakra; not to mention the ability to scare the shit out anyone with their killer intent (KI). With all these qualities it has made humans fear them for their strength, hate them for their appearance and seek after them because of their chakra; and the bragging rights of beating a bijuu.

But what happens when a beast with a conscious mind and a nasty bite is threatened and backed against a wall? They attack viciously that's what; the problem with this response is that mankind is notorious for his stupidity; especially when it comes to understanding that he can't get away with oppression. As such the stories of the demons from hell began. All because they stood up for themselves they were treated like outcasts; senseless demons that needed to be controlled and ruled by man. The bijuus naturally started to hate man.

However, the Kyuubi was the last to wish for man's demise; he really did not care for mankind in any way. He just enjoyed being left alone and of course watching them try to capture or beat him was amusing: all he had to do was growl and shoot them a dose of his KI and they immediately left him alone. The best part was that some of them run away screaming like a little girl that was always funny.

Well that was until Madara showed up and used him as weapon; and the first Hokage shared him and his brothers and sisters like inanimate objects. And the straw that broke the camel's back was, being sealed in a human and treated as a mass weapon of destruction by not one but two people. And after being used again by Madara, whom he did not even know was still alive; to fight a battle he didn't start nor care about. He was sealed again; the legendary beast had decided that aside from his father, mankind will never win his trust ever again.

Well that was until…

(Konoha) Five years after the Kyuubi's attack

It was dark, that's the first thing Naruto noticed when he opened his eyes. 'Where am I?' thought the young blond, who was trying to remember how he got here. 'Huh my head' Noticing the surroundings around him there was a pool of water at his feet and the place was badly lit not to mention the pipes in the ceiling. It definitely looked similar, 'how did I end up in a sewer. Oh'

Flashback

It was a chilly October afternoon and the whole village was in a festive mood because today was the day that they remembered all the brave people that had fought to defend them five years ago. It was a bittersweet celebration for those who had lost loved ones on this day because while it gave them a chance to honour their lost ones it was also a strong reminder of the fact that they were dead and they were never coming back: and the reason for this was walking around the village.

Naruto hated October 10 with a passion. He did not know when he started to realize how the villagers treated him maybe he always knew but as far back as he could remember the people always treated him like he was some kind of disease that they could not get rid of; and boy have they tried to get rid of him.

He noticed it in the orphanage first: the caregivers were always stricter with him than the other kids. The first indication that led to that realization was that while he did all the chores in the orphanage for some reason he was served last: throw in the fact that his plate was far smaller than the other kids and even a dummy would know something is up. Being naïve he bought their explanation: the village is under repairs and the orphanage did not have enough food to go around, but that all changed the day he sneaked into the storeroom and saw just how much food they had in store.

It was still manageable at least he was fed and he got to play with his toys and stuff. Also the head caregiver liked him and used to read him bedtime stories; she was also the one who taught him how to read and write even though he was a slow learner she was patient with him. The kids in the orphanage didn't all like him but still he did have some friends so despite the fact that he was not being fed properly he still liked it there.

Well that was until he turned four and the head caregiver left to go to the Capital to attend to some business on the Council's authority. In that same year his friends got adopted by families and left as well but it was okay too because that was also the year that he met the Sandaime Hokage who took him to Ichirakus for his first ramen; that was a glorious day for the young blonde.

Naruto ate so much ramen that day that he thought his stomach would explode but another reason why he really liked the place was because of Teuchi and Ayame they were so nice to him; they reminded him of his caregiver who read him bedtime stories, and so despite the fact that his life in the orphanage was slowly taking a turn for the worst he had his Jiji and Ichirakus to look forward to, not to mention the ramen so life was good.

It took a bad turn earlier this year when he came back from spending a day at Ichirakus; Jiji had told Teuchi to allow him to eat as much as he wants and send the bill to him. So after spending some time in his favourite food spot and making the Sandaime question if he was an Akimichi he came to the orphanage only to see his stuff outside: confused he picked them up and entered the orphanage to ask what was going on, only to have them kick him out literally telling him that he was no longer welcome there.

A week later Jiji got him his apartment and he was once again happy I mean how many four year olds had an apartment all to themselves he had not met any but the happiness was short-lived because the place quickly became too lonely for him. That was when he fully understood that the villagers hated him they told their kids to never play with him and rewarded them for picking on him.

Ichirakus became his permanent spot this time it was not just for the food but also because of the company. He also had his Jiji with him so despite the fact that he was miserable and hurt that nobody liked him; he knew that there were three people that he could always count on no matter what. Then there is the issue of October 10: even when he was in the orphanage October 10 was not a good day for him. He used to think that it was because it was his birthday but over time he learned that they did not want him to be happy at all on that day.

Thankfully so far he had not been touched, the villagers had always ignored him completely like he did not matter so that was not new but as he was walking to Ichirakus for lunch; he felt like a rabbit passing through lion territory. He could practically feel them killing him slowly with their eyes as he walked so he jogged and almost ran to Ichirakus and the entire time that he was there with his surrogate family he could feel their KI at the back of his mind and he was honestly very scared.

When he left around 9pm in the night he noticed that everyone was busy so he decided to think and try to imagine why he was treated the way that he was; because nobody in the whole village as far he knew was treated like this. That thought brought to something that he thought of all the time who his parents are, if they loved him, did they hate him just like the villagers did, or did they do something before they died that was so terrible that he was suffering for now? Jiji had told him the day before that his parents died in the Kyuubi's attack five years ago, but aside from that he didn't tell him anything else.

That was also partially why he came to the festivals as much as he could, to learn more about the Kyuubi attack, otherwise he would have rather just stayed at home but he wanted to see if Teuchi knew anything about his parents unfortunately he did not. His train of thought on this was simple since he was recognized so easily then maybe his parents were popular too. As he was deep in thought he did not notice where he was going and ended up knocking a cart over pissing the owner off

"You damn brat killing us was not enough huh?!"

The shouting attracted a crowd; a very drunk and vengeful crowd but that would have been okay if they just settled on glaring at him while he escaped but somehow his movement angered them and one of them lunged at him as if to grab him, but he slipped under his arm and going in between his legs he ran away before they attacked him; he did not like the looks on their faces and boy was he right because the second he took off they chased after him screaming demon the whole way through; a name that he had been called a lot of times. That of course was when fate decided to be extra bitchy and allowed them to corner him in an alley; despite his pleading they pounced on him.

Flashback end

"So they threw me into a sewer huh" the five year old had not really let his terrible life affect his mood because he didn't still believe that this was happening to him, he had always thought it would end soon, like a nightmare he would soon wake up from, probably when he found his parents, but it hasn't. So all the bottled up emotions inside of him busted forth when he realized that it wasn't a dream but his real life, and the little boy broke down and wept. It was in the middle of his breakdown that he heard something

'Naruto'

"Who is that?"

After hearing his name again he decided to venture into the sewer to find who was calling his name, so wiping his eyes he started to follow the sound of the voice calling his name 'that sounds so creepy ttebayo'

Meanwhile…

The Uchiha clan is one of the four noble clans in Konohagakure no Sato and is reputed to be the most powerful clan in the village, producing Shinobi that are exceptionally talented and battle-oriented, especially those in possession of the Sharingan: the famed bloodline limit that allows it's user to read lips, predict the movement of their opponents, copy jutsu, and enhance genjutsu techniques. With all these strengths plus a drive to succeed no matter what, the Uchiha clan is rivalled by almost no-one in respect and honour except the Senju clan.

Well that was until the Kyuubi struck and the villagers remembered that Uchiha Madara had at one time controlled the beast and used him for his on gain, the clan wasn't exactly loved by society, because even before the Kyuubi struck the clan wasn't exactly people-oriented.

The clan can be described as a clan of dicks, jerks and assholes. In fact the only clan that is worse than them emotionally is the Hyuuga clan who are just total pricks, although there is a debate as to whether they are closet perverts or not. But back to the Uchiha clan, since their ejection from society the clan has seen it fit to take every opportunity to prove that they are the best in the village.

And there was one person who felt just what the clan will do to prove their superiority; Uchiha Itachi the ten-year old prodigy with a mind that can rival most Jounin knew that the clan was so focused on proving that they are the best that they forget that they are part of the village. They can't just expect everyone one to bow to their every whim. And as far as he was concerned if he was the best the clan has to offer just because he believes in hard work and the Will of Fire, then what does that say about them?

Itachi sighed as he made his way to a part of the Naraka River where he trains in seclusion. Nobody in his clan knows where it is so it is always empty.

'So who is crying then?'

The first shocker was nobody in his clan believed in showing emotions; considering them to be a sign of weakness so there was no way it was a member of his clan, so the question is who is it? The answer was a girl Itachi's age with purple hair tied in a pineapple style.

Sensing someone behind her Anko turned around to yell at the stupid villager who was probably here to give her crap just because she was Orochimaru's apprentice.

"What do you want?!"

But it wasn't a villager; it was that prodigy everyone was talking about Itari or something.

She didn't like the way he was looking at her, like she was beneath him or something.

'So what do you say to a girl whose being crying?'

"What are staring at uh, you think just because you're a prodigy you're better than me? Huh? Is that it? Huh?"

'Uh what, I thought she was crying so why is she angry all of a sudden?'

"It's not my fault I had an asshole for a sensei! It's not my fault!"

That's where things got really confusing for Itachi. Why you ask? Simple, Anko started attacking him with everything she could reach; kunai, shuriken, senbon needle, fist, leg, stone, and hair pin? And that wasn't even the weirdest part, the weirdest was that she still had tears running down her face while looking like she wanted to rip him to shreds and he hadn't said two words to her, literally.

Two hours later…

Itachi had successfully dodged and evaded everything Anko had thrown, and he definitely didn't need to train again because if not for his Sharingan and very quick reflexes he would probably be in the ICU by now because damn that girl has got wicked aim.

Anko however couldn't believe it, nothing she threw worked, nothing! Was that why Orochimaru discarded her, because she was so worthless she couldn't even beat a boy her own age.

"Huh" Looking up Anko noticed the utterly confused expression on Itachi's face, and dare she say it, it was hilarious. I mean how many times do you see an Uchiha confused and so perplexed he can't even get the patented Uchiha cold gaze.

Itachi was officially wigged out. 'First she's crying then she gets angry and wants to kill me and when she couldn't she goes back to crying and now she's laughing? I wonder if this is why most books describe women as incredibly confusing people'

"You're not very socially experienced, are you?"

"No?"

Both the answer and the face he was making was seriously funny 'like a confused weasel, hmm it seems I've found a new play toy' "I'm Anko"

"Itachi"

"Well I'll see you around Itachi"

With that she got up, winked at him and left. Five minutes later Itachi was still asking himself 'what the hell just happened'

Meanwhile…

In Naruto's mindscape, our young blond was going into shock. He had followed the voice until he got to what looked like a bright ball of bluish energy which knocked him out when he touched it I mean wouldn't you have touched it. When he woke up he found two people next to him; Uzumaki Kushina, an ANBU captain and Minato Namikaze the Yondaime Hokage. But the real shocker was what they told him.

"You're my what?"

"Sochi, we're your parents"

Flashback

'Ugh why did I touch that ball?' thought Naruto whose eyes were still adjusting.

When they came into focus however, he was shocked to see two people standing in front of him. The first one was so cool looking too: blond hair, sharp blue eyes and an awesome coat over a ninja uniform: Naruto suddenly wished he looked so cool. The second one was so pretty and badass: wavy red hair dressed in an ANBU uniform. He knew about the ANBU since they followed the old man everywhere. That was also when he noticed that they were all in a white-ish environment.

"So am I dead?" asked Naruto

"Of course not, ttebane"

Naruto was surprised. Someone else had his verbal tic; the kids at the orphanage always teased him for it.

"Hey I say that ttebayo" said Naruto "So who are you people?"

"Well Naru-chan you see my name is Uzumaki Kushina and that is Namikaze Minato" said Kushina

Naruto gaped "Hey that's my last name and wait a minute…Namikaze Minato is the Yondaime's name. Jiji told me that ttebayo so how are you him?"

"Well that is a long story Naruto"

Naruto finally remembered one more detail about the Yondaime Hokage: he is dead. This of course could only mean one thing;

"GHOST!" screamed Naruto

Minato deadpanned. Watching your son run in fear from you because he believed you to be a ghost was certainly…something. Kushina however was having a good time laughing at Minato. But they needed to calm him down so that they could talk.

"Naruto could you come here please?" asked Minato

"No way and you can't make me ttebayo" said Naruto who was still trying to find somewhere to hide.

Minato's eye twitched once until an Oni mask grew behind him "get over here now"

'And they say I'm scary' thought Kushina 'Minato-kun may not get mad often but heaven help the poor guy who makes him angry'

Naruto sat down fast after seeing that. He was still scared but something told him that this was the same place to be; sides' ghosts are supposed to be ugly and they weren't so maybe they were good ghosts. But he was still scared though.

Now he was seated Minato and Kushina had to find a way to tell Naruto the truth about them. Kushina of course believed that the direct approach was the best way: just rip the bandage off and take it from there. While Minato would have wanted to be gentler his wife had a point. So here goes nothing:

"Naruto we are your parents"

Cricket chirps. Cricket chirps.

Naruto first thought that they were joking but when the punch line did not follow his brain rebooted. Then began the incredible love story that would have registered a lot better if it was not coming out of the mouths of his dead parents: one of whom was the Yondaime.

Flashback end

"So I'm not dead?"

"You haven't been listening to anything we've been saying have you?" asked Kushina.

Minato just smirked "Remind you of anyone?"

Kushina smiled sweetly to her husband "Would you mind repeating that, dear?"

Minato shook his head fearfully, "I thought so"

Naruto's head was still spinning, even when his mum, his mum, explained what really happened during the Kyuubi's attack. 'I mean zombie Uchihas, Jinchurikis, Death gods, a giant nine tailed beast in my gut, my parents being a dead ANBU captain and the Yondaime, toad seal keys?'

Naturally, Naruto responded to all this information in a typical Naruto fashion, "oh yeah! I'm awesome baby!"

'Yep just like his mother' thought Minato.

Kushina decided to calm her hyperactive son down so that they could spend some time together before chakra runs out. And that wasn't easy but she did, with the promise of hearing some awesome stories.

(3 hours later)

Naruto was having so much fun with his family. 'Family' now that wasn't a word he thought he would ever use in a positive light. In a span of a few hours his birthday had gone from one of the worst days of his life to one of the most unbelievable.

First he got chased and beat up by villagers on his birthday then he somehow woke up in a sewer, which was creepy by the way, next he got knocked out by a bright ball of energy which as he heard from his parents was his central chakra core. This brings him to the real kicker of the day, his parents. For someone that has been despised for so long by people whom he had known all his life finding out that his parents loved him and cared about him was the second best part of today. The first was finding out that he is the son of the Yondaime Hokage and an ANBU captain, how badass is that? Although he was a little downcast about them being dead but I guess he couldn't have everything.

But all good things come at a price, because aside from his parents being dead he also has a bijuu stuck in his gut which puts him at the bottom of Konoha's social list, far below the dirt they walk on. Because unlike his mother and Mito-sama, the villagers are acutely aware of just what kind of damage the Kyuubi can inflict. This is especially after the citizens of the village witnessed the greatest death toll in history. But if there was one thing he had learnt, it was to never give up, no matter what. And now he had two goals to achieve: become Hokage, and destroy his mum's prank record 'oh yeah that's going be so much fun'. The citizens of Konoha all shivered in their sleep.

However there was something he wanted to find out, 'but how do I convince them to let me do it.'

"You are not paying attention to us at all, are you Sochi?"

"Uh yeah Dad of course"

"Really, so what was the warning I gave to you just now"

'Uh-oh'

Minato just smiled 'he has the same attention span as his mother'

Knowing what her husband was thinking, Kushina giggled remembering a time when she was just as bad when it came to paying attention to anything Kami she drove her Sensei up the wall with that attitude but it was fun though

"Your father was saying that you shouldn't tell anyone who your parents are yet, at least until you can protect yourself. Your father and I made a lot of enemies and if they find out that we had a defenceless son together they wouldn't hesitate to kill you or use you for their own gain"

"I hear you mum, but can I ask for something please" still not fully paying attention they decided to leave it for now

"Sure, go ahead Naru-chan"

"Can I see the Kyuubi?"

Now that wasn't what Minato was expecting at all "Sochi I don't think that's such a good…"

"Yes you can"

"What?" asked a very surprised Minato "you want to take our five year old son to talk to the Kyuubi" 'Seriously I know she can be impulsive at times but what kind of reason would she have for doing that?'

"Yes Minato, our chakra is fading and sooner or later he's going to see him at least this way we can be there for their first meeting"

"Please Tou-chan I just need to confirm something"

"Fine" Minato sighed 'Like I have a choice, I'm so going to regret this'

"Alright Naru-chan let's go" And the next thing he knew he was back in the sewer and his mum was leading them deeper into it.

Drip

Drip

Drip

The Kyuubi no Yoko was slowly going insane, why you ask? Simple he had been hearing that same annoying dripping sound over and over again and for someone with his hearing ability; it was the worst kind of torture. Evidence of this fact was that the giant menacing fox was currently banging his head against the bars of his cage, to either get out of this seal to destroy that damn leaking pipe or knock himself out, whichever came first.

'Kami-sama I preferred it in Kushina's cage, hell I'd take being controlled by Madara to this, at least then I can destroy something' By now the bijuu had stopped banging his head against the cage and just sat on the floor with his eye twitching madly.

This was the scene that Naruto and his parents found the great beast in. "Um Kaa-chan is that normal?"

Kushina was just as confused as her son "No Sochi, at least as far as I know"

"Do you think we should maybe leave him alone and come back later maybe in a few years?" asked Minato, hoping that they could leave cause the Kyuubi seemed especially pissed today.

Unfortunately, the Kyuubi noticed he had visitors, 'finally' "You jailor"

"Yes Kyuubi –san"

"Fix that damn leaking pipe now before I go crazy and decide to use you as an ear bud"

"Kaa-chan you said that this place is my mindscape right? Does that mean I can change it if I want?"

"Well I don't know Sochi"

"Listen ningen I don't care what the place looks like, just fix the twice damned pipe!"

Knowing that his tenant was getting agitated Naruto decided to change the mindscape, 'who knows he might become less hostile if he has a better living condition. So what kind of landscape should it be?' After thinking about it he decided to use the field he used to hide in when the caregivers got too strict or harsh, and threw in some great features too. So focusing really hard on what he wanted Naruto started to slowly changing the mindscape.

The first thing that went was the water, then the pipes-'Thank Kami-sama'-and then the roof. And slowly grass started to grow, followed by trees, mountains in the distance, a large ocean and a faint blue sky. And to top it all up the cage holding the Kyuubi exploded instead the seal was now on a bracelet on the bijuu's right hand.

"Whoa Sochi, this is amazing"

"Yeah I love it but why did you replace the cage with a bracelet, it was there for a reason you know?"

"I know Dad but the Kyuubi is already stuck and he can't harm me thanks to the seal so I didn't see any point keeping him in a cage"

Naruto then turned to the Kyuubi, "So what do you think Kyuubi-san, did I do good?"

"That depends on why you did all this ningen, and know that if you lie I'll know"

"Oh that's easy, I figured since we are stuck together we might as well get along, it'll make this whole situation easier to deal with"

"Hmm you're not lying, very well then kit I accept now leave I need to sleep"

"You got it Kyuubi-san" Turning to his parents he said "See that wasn't so bad"

Minato shook his head and smiled "only you Sochi, only you"

Kushina simply laughed at least until her body started fading, "Sochi our chakra is almost up"

"What?"

"Your mother's right Naruto we have to go now"

"But…"

Kushina simply knelt down and hugged her son crying with him "No matter what happens know that your father and I love you and no matter how tough life gets never give up okay?"

"Listen to your mum son, no matter how the villagers treat you, you're a hero and our son and we're very proud of you"

Wiping the tears from his eyes Naruto said goodbye to his parents "I promise Tou-chan Kaa-chan I'll get them to see the real me and I promise I'll be Hokage someday just like you Tou-chan"

Kushina however being Kushina decided to give some last minute advice to a son "Make sure you find a nice girl with a lot of backbone Naru-chan I want grandkids"

"Mum!"

His parents laughter was the last thing he heard 'Jeez why would she say that I'm five for heaven's sake, now how do I get out of here. Maybe if I concentrate hard enough' and it worked.

After he left the Kyuubi who didn't fall asleep replayed everything that happened his only comment was "Weird".

Konoha's hospital

In the history of Konohagakure no Sato one person was recognized for his outstanding mental prowess and his strength of character and will. He is the student, predecessor and sensei of six S-rank ninjas, known and feared in the Elemental nations. He is known worldwide as the Professor, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He is loved for his grandfatherly nature, respected for his wisdom and intelligence and feared for his resilience and jutsu prowess.

But at the moment, staring at the sleeping form of his surrogate grandson after he had been found in an alley earlier this morning, beaten and bloodied on what should be the happiest day of his young life. The legendary kage felt useless, drained and very, very old. 'Minato I wonder what you think of the village you gave your life for, would you still love it? Would you still treat me with the same respect you always did when you find out that I couldn't take care of your son'.

People look at the position of Hokage and see a knight in shining armour alongside the humour of watching him struggle with the headache of paperwork. But that was simply a front. The life of a kage was filled with underground plots, black plots, assassinations, lies, deceit, cover-ups, and the worst thing about it was the need to keep all that and more from the public eye while promoting and maintaining the humane image of Konoha. Secrets, so many secrets, it truly was lonely at the top, and after everything he had been through, two wars; he was ready to give in and retire.

But after Minato died, he had to take over the position of Hokage again. And there couldn't have been a worse time for that to happen. He had to take care of the whole aftershock of the Kyuubi's attack; bury the bodies, including his wife, boost the villager's morale to rebuild their village, reorganize the Shinobi into workable units to prevent other villages, especially Iwa, from finding any reason to attack them, and finally making sure that certain people didn't take advantage of the emptiness in the chain of command in any sector of the village. And after five years of sleepless nights the village was still far from fixed, if anything it was simply bandaged badly, just waiting for the right moment to burst wide open.

'I'm way too old for this shit, the problem is who in the world is going to take over, Kakashi is not interested, Tsunade hates the village, Jiraya is too valuable outside the village and Orochimaru is a missing nin. If only there was someone like Minato I could simply hand…it…over…to…them, if I play this right it'll be like killing two birds with one stones; save Konoha and keep my promise to Minato'

While the old Hokage was plotting, Naruto was coming to.

'Where am I?' Opening his eyes, Naruto saw white. But when his eyes became focused he noticed the white walls, and environment it became obvious that he was in a hospital. He also noticed that all his wounds were healed 'whoa', sensing there was someone with him he turned to see his Jiji with him. "Hey Jiji, what's up"

Pulled out from his thoughts the Sandaime noticed that the young boy was awake and he also noticed something else 'his eyes look different, far more at peace with himself and determined. It seems I've missed a lot but if my plans work out I won't miss out on much of his life anymore'

"Are you okay Jiji, you seem a little quiet"

"I'm okay Naruto, so how are you feeling now?"

"I feel okay Jiji, I have something to tell you though" After getting an affirmative answer, Naruto then proceeded to tell the Hokage everything that happened in his mindscape, knowing full well that he could trust his Jiji not to tell anyone.

"That was quite the tale Naruto" 'Quite the tale indeed' "Hmm well since you're feeling better I'll leave you alone there are some things that I need to do 'like find someone who could raise and prepare you for your very hard future as the Kyuubi jinchuriki and Minato's son' I'll be right back" 'I have a feeling this is going to be a long conversation'. Naruto felt that that was a weird conversation 'Maybe all old people are like that.'

Hokage Office

"You sent for me Sandaime-sama?" Looking up from his mountain of paperwork, Hiruzen noticed his young ANBU captain Hatake Kakashi. Now this conversation would've been something the old Hokage was looking forward to, if not for how Kakashi took the death of his Sensei and his team altogether.

This was about finding a suitable caretaker for Naruto, someone who could feed, protect, advice, and train the young Namikaze. However like all plans, this one has a massive flaw; Kakashi blames Naruto for every bad thing that has ever happened to him and hates that the bane of his existence resembles his Sensei and carries his surrogate mother's last name.

He doesn't know that Naruto is Minato and Kushina's son and the last known living legacy of both their clans, seeing as the Hokage didn't deem Kakashi mentally or emotionally fit to know that particular piece of information. That was the main reason he allowed him to join the ANBU in the first place, not because he was a prodigy but because the Sandaime hoped that a few years in the black ops would help him come out of his funk.

But while he is one the most promising Shinobi in the system, the young Hatake had become far more cold-hearted and logical than before Obito and Rin joined him and Minato on team seven.

The only good thing about the new Kakashi was that on all the missions he had been on, no matter how hard, he never left a man behind and at the same time completed the mission successfully. This was a problem in and of itself, because one of these days he will fail to either bring his whole team alive or complete the mission successfully and he may never recover from the emotional breakdown he will have.

'I just wish this arrangement works out for Naruto and dear Kami I wish this will also do good to Kakashi especially if Naruto inherited his father's heart. Well there's no sense in waiting anymore and if he refuses I could always order him to do it'

"Have a seat Kakashi, there's something I wish to talk to you about" Kakashi's mind was racing, trying to figure out what the Sandaime wanted to discuss and how he should respond to it. He after all didn't expect to be summoned to the Sandaime's office a day after the Kyuubi's festival. He always spent the week of the Kyuubi's attack doing two things; talking to his loved ones at the memorial stone and training to make sure he didn't lose anyone else.

'I hope this isn't about my 'mental state' cause I'm not going for any stupid therapy and I sure as hell don't have any time to waste talking to anybody who doesn't know anything about what I'm going through' The Sandaime sensed where Kakashi's mind was going to, after all while he allowed him to join the black ops group he had had a lot of talks with him about seeing a therapist or at least talk to his friends, he couldn't count the number of times he had to tell Gai that Kakashi was busy on missions when the eccentric Jounin came looking for his rival.

"Relax Kakashi this has nothing to do with that"

"Then what is this about Hokage-sama" Taking a deep breath Sarutobi got ready to upset the young ANBU captain and if his information is correct a whole lot more people.

"Kakashi right now you are one the most suited for a particular long term S-rank mission that I need taken care of, it involves a high level of secrecy and caution. There is a very important asset that I need protected."

"May I ask of the details of this mission, Hokage-sama? And please tell me I won't have to be in physical contact with this child?"

'And here comes the hard part'

"Actually Kakashi you and your team will have to be within physical contact of, and yes you assumed correctly, the child."

"Hokage-sama…"

"While it sounds like a request it isn't Kakashi, this child must be taken care of, loved, protected, basically Kakashi I want you and your team to adopt him and treat him as your own"

Now Kakashi didn't like this whole arrangement one little bit, first of all he joined the ANBU to get away from attachments and second of all he didn't have a childhood, being the son of the White Fang and in war, so now he's being told that he had to take care of some important child. "Hokage-sama I don't think I'm the best man for the job, what am I supposed to do with a child?"

His argument pleased the old Hokage a lot 'you're already changing him and you're not even here yet, I've haven't seen Kakashi argue anything so emotionally in a long time usually he simply accepts it with a blank look. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad thing after all.' "Well I do believe that everybody asks that very same question when faced with predicaments like this, and I know from experience that the best way to raise a child is always learnt while trying to do just that"

"That's not logical at all, Hokage-sama"

"That's the beauty of taking care of a child Kakashi, there's nothing logical about it. It all balances on something that until just recently I had thought you lost; heart."

'Great more talk about my emotions and mental state, this is getting ridiculous' "Fine so would I still be given other missions?" 'Kami knows if all I have to do from now is guard a child I'll either go mad or leave the village'

"Of course I can't have my best ANBU squad getting soft, now can I?"

The Sandaime knew that this was only the tip of the iceberg, when Kakashi finds out exactly who he is going to be protecting all hell will break loose. Finding out that the person he despises the most is going to be his responsibility will not sit well at all with young man. But if there's one thing he had learnt from life, it was that things must first get worse before they can get better.

Uzumaki Mito once told him: "Everything you go through in life has a reason behind it, a lesson to learn, an experience to pass on, something to add to wisdom, a test. But even though you feel like you haven't learnt anything, learn this, in all things be patient" this was what she told him when he was saddled with the responsibility of being Hokage right after his Sensei gave his life for him. And he had a feeling that after the hard times are past, Naruto will be the best thing for Kakashi and vice-versa.

"So when do I get to meet this mystery kid?"

"Soon I just need you to sign his adoption paper 'which will keep him from shrinking his duties' then I'll inform the council about the development and then when it is all settled I'll take you to him"

"He must be pretty important for you to inform the council about him"

"Yes he is, and Kakashi there is a reason this is such a high profile mission, once you sign the adoption paper you'll have 50% authority over the child while I'll retain the other 50%, but there are some people on the council who would do anything to ensure that they have complete control over him. You must protect him at all costs, thankfully most of the damage from the Kyuubi's attack has been taken care of, and therefore I will have time to protect you from anyone who tries to harm you in any way."

"I understand Hokage-sama"

"Good here sign these"

When the documents were signed, the Sandaime instructed Kakashi to go and inform his team of the new mission and resume to his office first thing in the morning to find out exactly who they will be guarding, while he waited for the council to assemble 'Dear Kami-sama, grant me the strength not to kill all of them' Looking out of his window to the First Hokage's head, he thought 'Of all the ideas and decisions you made forming a village council was your worst one, Kami if Kushina was made Hokage instead of the calm, understanding Minato, she would've eliminated the entire village council her first month in office' The thought of how that meeting would have gone amused Sarutobi to no end.

"Hokage-sama the council decided to convene tomorrow"

"I see very well then thank you"

The next day

(Konoha Hospital)

"You have a broken rib, dislocated wrist and a mild concussion" said the doctor with a very cold of voice almost as if wishing the list was longer.

"Could you show just a tiny bit of concern for my friend who got attacked?"

"Your friend is fine and quite frankly she should leave she's taking up bed space for other more important cases"

"Like whom you stupid son of…"

"Let it go Nai-chan, thanks doc"

"Whatever just hurry up and leave before I call security Mitirashi" said the doctor with disdain before leaving.

Kurenai wasn't pleased one little bit; her friend had been attacked by a Chunin who was trying to avenge his sibling who had died as a result of the curse seal of heaven, thinking that Anko was somehow responsible for it. Thankfully she got there before any serious damage was inflicted on her.

"You should have let me show that asshole exactly who he's messing with"

"To what end? He'd simply inform his friends that the snake whore has corrupted one of the citizens of the village into being her loyal subject"

"Anko …"

"The best thing to do is just ignore them, sides with everything that has gone wrong in my life maybe I deserve it" That comment earned her a slap from a furious Kurenai.

"How dare you, the mark on your neck alone proves just how strong you are, out of ten people you survived, and not only that you train, eat and operate like a normal person despite having an unstable chakra pocket in your neck. How many people can do that, huh? I will not let you give up on yourself just because of the opinion of people who can't handle you."

Anko was pretty much in shock, she had never seen her friend like this. But come to think of it what the hell is wrong with her anyway, since when did she start allowing the opinion of anyone define who she is. I mean yeah the person she loved and looked up to the most wounded her, erased her memory, reduced her age to that of a ten year old and abandoned her but she could sit here and feel sorry for herself or she could show the bastard exactly what happens when you mess with fire.

"Thanks Nai-chan, I needed that"

"No problem, what are friends for? Now would you tell me about what happened the other day or do I have to force it out of you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about Nai-chan." Said Anko innocently

"Oh don't play dumb with me Ko-chan; you know exactly what I'm talking but if you need me to refresh your memory fine. Yesterday you were distraught because of the way the villagers had treated you, I remember you running off into the woods sad and depressed then the next time I saw you, not only were you not sad anymore you were smiling, quite happily in fact and anytime I ask what happened you get the knowing smirk on your face, like right now for instance"

And wasn't that the truth, cause Anko was indeed smirking as she remembered her personal play toy.

"You met someone, didn't you?"

"Maybe" Anko sang with a fox-like grin on her face.

"Well spit it out you little witch the suspense is killing me, who did you meet?"

"Trust me Nai-chan if I tell who I met and what happened suspense won't be the thing killing you it'll be laughter"

"Tell me" And with a wide grin Anko told her best-friend everything that happened that day.

Kurenai couldn't breathe, after hearing all her bff had to say she remained silent for about two seconds before she fell on the ground laughing her ass off. "I-can't-can't believe this, hahahahahahahaha dear Kami my ribs"

Anko also joined her friend but she could only giggle cracked rib and all. "Man I can't imagine the look on those stuck-up fools if they ever hear about this"

Anko then started imagining a red-faced Uchiha clan elder trying to explain in the trademark Uchiha tone of superiority why their most promising clan member, their heir couldn't handle a ten-year old girl. It was hilarious.

After a few minutes had passed Kurenai managed to compose herself and ask something that she sensed during the conversion "You like him, don't you?"

"Say what?!Hell no way!"

"Oh so you wouldn't mind sharing your play toy then?"

"Well no"

"Oh and why is that?"

"Cause he's my play toy and I want to have the pleasure of driving him crazy"

"You say that with such a gleeful look on your face that I don't know whether to pity him or grab a popcorn every time you're with your toy" Anko simply smiles sweetly while elsewhere Itachi feels a shiver run down his spine.

"As a matter of fact the moment I feel better I'm going to track him down I have a feeling that my aim will become a lot better by attempting to cut him into a million tiny pieces" said Anko with a sadistic grin on her face.

Kurenai simply prayed that the kid is as tough as people say he is, because while Anko is not Orochimaru she was his favourite student and Kami help the poor soul that catches her interest.

'Wait for me my precious toy I'm coming for you soon'

'I guess it true then, you can't live with the devil willingly without becoming a demon yourself' thought Kurenai hoping and praying that Anko doesn't take this too far, cause while it's okay to be obsessed over a thing every now and then, possessive actually, it shouldn't go over the bar, because then it can become dangerous.

Meanwhile

(Konoha's council room)

'Whoever said that counting to ten helps calm the temper must have either been drunk or stupid, cause it definitely isn't working for me?' thought the Sandaime, this was the flow of things since he said that Naruto was going to be adopted by Hatake Kakashi.

"This is an outrage, why would you give our most powerful asset to that child"

"With all due respect Hokage-sama I wanted to adopt the child and now you hand him to an unstable ANBU"

"Hokage-sama how dare you hand that demon to an ANBU captain, what if it gets stronger and kills us all"

"Hokage-sama I Fugaku Uchiha insist that the thing be returned to its rightful place; on the street"

"Hokage-sama if I may be so bold as to ask if you're going senile, the weapon belongs with me, for the benefit of Konoha that weapon must be used properly you old fool" Three guesses who.

It was driving the old Hokage crazy, right now he was already coming up with a cover story to explain the death of the whole council 'Hmmm if I call Emma, nah too obvious some of them might escape, and using weapons won't be effective enough. I could probably use a Katon jutsu, yes if I make a big enough one then quickly use my speed and kunai I'm sure I can kill all of them, then I'll just blame it on a seal tag that was placed here by an unknown assailant no one would question it since Fuinjutsu is largely unknown'

He was half-way through the hand signs when he noticed the whole room was not only quiet but everyone was staring at him like he had grown a second head. It appears that while he was deep in thought he was leaking KI and it was freaking everybody out. Also apparently his hand seal movements coupled with a murderous look on his face was scaring the shit out everyone but weirdly it was pleasing Danzo?

'I better get this whole situation under control before they regain their mind and start blabbing again; it's a shame though all my problems would have been over by now oh well'

"I'm only going to say this once so listen clearly. This council was created to advise the Hokage so it is my choice to take your advice or to reject it and right now I'm rejecting it. Naruto is under my protection and I choose Kakashi to watch over the boy because I felt he is the best person for the job maybe if you grow some sense I might tell you why. Danzo that boy is not a weapon and he is officially and unofficially under my protection touch one hair on his head and you'll answer to me. As for you Fugaku keep your hands off the child. Everyone understands me?" considering he spoke with a murderous look on his face no-one could object not out loud anyway.

"Good, meeting dismissed"

Later that day

'How did this happen?' Kakashi was stuck between screaming in indignation, asking someone pinch him or just go back to sleep and hope this nightmare is just a figment of his imagination. The ANBU Captain for all his intellect could not fathom how the hell he got himself into this mess.

The day had started off normally; he woke up at 5am from yet another nightmare, he went to the bathroom brushed his teeth took his bath and got dressed, and then he put his team together like the Hokage requested and informed them of the way things are going to be run from now on. Then of course it was off to the Hokage's office to find out the name of the kid that they will be in-charge of.

In his mind Kakashi was picturing a clan heir of one the numerous clans in the Elemental Countries had been found and was now being raised by Konoha, 'he'll probably have his plate full with teachers, meetings, and so on' if this is the case then all the team will have to do is rotate guard posts around the boys' house, giving those not on duty time to themselves. He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Good morning Hokage-sama"

"Ah good morning team, I trust you're all prepared for your assignment?"

"Hai"

"Very well then, yesterday I gave Kakashi a brief run-down of the mission details but today I feel it's best to tell you exactly what this mission will entail so that nobody will have any wrong assumptions about what's in stock here" the Sandaime asked them to sit since this might take awhile

"As I was saying the child you'll be taking care of like I'm sure you already know is a very important asset to the village but not a particularly liked one, as a matter of fact most of your duties will involve protecting him from the villagers themselves. He'll be moved into a house later today where you all will be staying with him, now aside from being completely responsible for his day-to-day living and training as he doesn't have anyone else you'll also deal with him at ease meaning no ANBU masks, no codenames nothing, and I'll be checking in occasionally to make sure you're leaving up to the expectations placed on you"

'And as if taking care of a kid possibly 24/7 and being judged and punished if you do it wrong wasn't bad enough'

"The name of the child you'll be taking care of is Uzumaki Naruto"

'This day couldn't possibly get any worse'

Unfortunately life loves Murphy's law, "oh and if 'something' happens to the boy-staring at Kakashi-it's coming out of all your pays and you will be demoted depending on what that thing is"

'Fuck me, there is no way I'm taking care of the beast that took everything from me, I may not be able to touch him but I can sure as hell ignore his existence and I know a clan that'll be willing to punish him. Yes Hokage-sama you may have me blocked but I will have my revenge, I swear.'

Meanwhile

"Kami-sama how does this monkey get himself into messes like this"thought the Kyuubi

This particular mess started ironically like all mess starts with choosing to do something that should be relatively simple.

"I'm hungry" that was the statement made by Naruto after being stuck in a hospital for two days and eating what he suspected to be poison seeing as it always gave him a tummy ache, he decided to go out and eat after all his Jiji still hasn't returned and besides what's the worst that can happen? Famous last words yeah.

Flashback

'Okay all I have to do is get out of here then go to Ichirakus' for some hot steaming ramen, ttebayo' Practically drooling he made his way to the door when a stray breeze reminded him of the fact that he only had the gown the hospital put him in as a covering for his birthday suit. 'Oh man there's no way I'm going out like this. There has got to be a shirt or something in here' unfortunately for the hungry blond there wasn't a clothing in site not even underwear.

'Great now what do I do? Unless…' Naruto then remembered that all the people and staff in the hospital seemed to have the same clothing which also implies that they must come from somewhere, and that was probably also the place where they kept their patient's clothes before dressing them in these robes. So all he had to do was find that place and pick something his size, now while he couldn't go outside the hospital dressed like this it won't make any difference in here, sides how hard can that be?

Very, very hard, Naruto was hopelessly lost. While he had been in the hospital a couple of times before he always left with his Jiji and unfortunately for him he never really paid attention to the different halls and stairs in the hospital. As a matter of fact he used to think that they all looked alike so there was no point paying attention to 'some boring white walls' big mistake.

'Now what, how am I supposed to find that clothing area in here? It's not like I can just ask around with the way people treat me they'd probably think I want to infect their clothes or something. I have to find that place on my own.' Due to the state of Naruto's mind he wasn't paying attention to where he was going and so bumped into someone he really shouldn't have; the doctor in-charge of taking care of him.

"What are you doing out you little demon, trying to attack the poor babies in the infirmary?" Did I forget to mention that he also hated Naruto, well he does.

"Uh sorry gotta run"

"Hey get back here, stop that demon he plans on killing the babies!"

'Oh man' Naruto noticed a small opening inside one of the walls, not entirely sure what it was he reasoned that it would be a safe place to hide from the growing mob coming for him 'I thought hospitals were supposed to make you feel better and not inflict pain or stress on their patients' quickly he jumped into the shaft-like door and immediately noticed that it had some sort of slide that went far down.

"Where did he go?"

"Check the laundry chute!"

'What's a laundry chute?' Fortunately Naruto heard the footsteps approaching his hiding spot and decided that whatever's down there can't be worse than what's up here and so he jumped down the chute.

"There's nobody there, spread out and find him before he carries out whatever demonic plans he has"

"Whhhoooooaaaaaa man that was fun, thank God there was a pile of clothes here to break my fall, wait clothes? Yes! I found the clothing area. Knew I could do it now I just need to find something my size that shouldn't be too hard"

A few minutes later

"I hate this" Naruto had searched the entire room and the only thing he could find that wasn't a hospital gown, bed sheets, curtains, dirty clothes or oversized wears was a girls dress; a pink top and a white skirt.

"This day can't get any worse" on a normal day Naruto wouldn't wear this but he was starving and there was no way he could find his way back to his room and expect to be fed, not after being accused of trying to kill babies, and so the young jinchuriki put on the clothes 'Well at least the worst is over now, Ichiraku here I come. But first I need to get out here.'

And boy that was easier said than done. Firstly he had to find a pair of shoes cause there is no way he was going out barefooted, when that was done he found a door and decided to get this embarrassment over with. Unluckily for Naruto fate wasn't quite done being a bitch to him yet, because once he got topside the mob was standing right in front of him.

'Oh man' he thought he could pass by them after all the last time they had seen him he was in a hospital gown not in female clothes.

"Where did that little demon go?"

"Just a few feet more then I'm free, please, please let me be free'

"Hey that girl her hair, it looks weird. Sweetie, hold up why is your hair like that?"

In panic Naruto turned around causing the female nurse to gasp at the obvious whisker-like marks on his cheeks.

"It's the demon"

"Of course acting like the fox you are well you won't get away this time demon, get him"

'Today was supposed to be simple!' Naruto took off using his size to get him through the obstacles the adults would have to slow down to avoid until he caught a lucky break 'Thank Kami-sama the exit' he ran like a man possessed towards the door and he didn't stop running until he was well past it into the busy crowd. 'Lost them'

Breathing heavily the young blond rested against an alley wall, when he felt better he decided to make sure what happened before didn't happen again. 'I may not have enough control or practice for a full body henge but I can manage a facial one that way nobody will know it's me'

"Henge no jutsu" thankfully it worked well enough 'Now to get to Ichiraku for a bowl of steaming ramen finally'

Naruto hurriedly made his way to his favourite restaurant passing through the alleys and parks in other to avoid drawing attention to himself. Unfortunately for him, fate and a sadistic author was not on his side today.

"Katara there you are we heard you were in the hospital what happened?" said a blond girl about Naruto's age wearing a purple dress, she was with two other girls one dark haired girl and another blond like her and from the looks of it they knew who he was, 'great just what I don't need right now'

"Uh earth to Katara did you hear what I just said"

"Uh yeah uh I got released from the hospital"

"Are you sure you're okay Kat you're acting weird"

'Oh man how do I get myself into these messes?' Convinced there was something wrong with their friend the group of girls decided to drag him to their spot in the playground and proceed to ask a whole bunch of questions that he didn't even know how to answer and it caused them to be even more suspicious. On a normal day being in the middle of a group of kids his age would have been the best thing that has ever happened to him but today he was hungry, tired and stressed out and frankly this interview was starting to annoy him.

"You're not even paying attention to us Kat did something happen, cause you are really starting to worry us"

'I'm not Katara!' this was where things got seriously awkward.

"Uh guys who's this and why does she look like me and is she wearing my clothes?"

"Kat, but if you're Kat then who is…where did she go?" Fortunately Naruto had enough sense to bail immediately.

"Thank God that's over with, boy I can't wait Ichirakus is right around the corner."

Flashback end

Turning the corner Naruto bumped into a Chunin and it wasn't just any Chunin it was one of those people that had sent him to the hospital just two days ago and to top it off the bump caused Naruto to lose his focus and drop the henge. 'Kami-sama all I ever wanted was a bowl of ramen that was all I asked for one bowl of ramen' this was the thought going through the young blondes' head as he ran away from yet another mob, meanwhile the Kyuubi simply shook its head at the kind of luck this monkey possessed.

The Sandaime couldn't introduce the team to Naruto as he couldn't find him so he sent the team home unfortunately giving Kakashi the time and space he needed to plot his revenge.