Author's Notes: Hey everybody, finally finished chapter 3. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

He'd won! He beat Neji! And damn did it feel good. The way the crowd cheered his name, the satisfaction of knowing he was strong, that he wasn't the dead last any longer. This is the kind of respect he wanted. The kind he earned, not something that was handed out because of the blood in his veins.

If only Sasuke and Kakashi could see it.

Tardy bastards.

Naruto snorted a laugh, only to grunt in a pain a moment later. Neji had done a number on his coils, and they hurt like hell.

"Will Nara Shikamaru and Sabaku no Temari report to the arena floor."

Naruto ignored the proctor, not particularly interested in the battle that was about to commence. Plus he was tired. Really tired. Summoning Gamahiro had been far more draining than anticipated.

As if on que, Naruto felt more of the Kyuubi's chakra seep into his coils. His exhaustion fell away, and the pain from Neji's Jyuuken attacks faded into a barely noticeable ache.

Naruto frowned at the thought of his 'little friend'. Ever since the canyon incident, he had been able to draw on the Kyuubi's chakra more easily. His wounds also healed faster, and his threshold for pain had increased. It was like how he felt during his battle with Haku, only all the time.

My senses are heightened too. Naruto noted. His hearing had improved to levels he was sure were beyond normal ninja. The same went for his nose, he was picking up scents he'd never been able to smell before.

Although, to be honest, that wasn't the most pleasant of abilities. The world stank.

Naruto felt a momentary pang of guilt over what he'd done to Kiba in the prelims.

Poor bastard.

Naruto thought back to what he'd told Kyuubi.

"I've felt enough resentment for one lifetime. Enough hate. I'd like it if someday we could learn to work together, maybe even become friends. But for that to happen I have to live. I need you to loan me you're power."

Maybe the fox was more open to the idea of being friendly than expected?

Is Kyuubi... trying to help me? The thought surprised him. Not because Naruto didn't mean what he'd said, but because he never expected the Kyuubi to go for it. Afterall, this was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, most terrifying of the tailed beasts, a construct of rage and hate.

Or so the legends told.

And Naruto was his jailer. Aka, the one thing that stood between it and freedom. Wouldn't there be some resentment there? Some inherent hate?

A nagging voice in the back of Naruto's mind whispered tales of traps and tricks, making him doubt his potential ally. The Kyuubi was evil, this is what he was raised to believe. Since his waking breath, all he'd ever heard of the fox was how destructive and horrifying it was. Could Naruto really trust such a monster?

But... what if they were wrong? Where the thought came from, Naruto wasn't sure. But once in his mind, he couldn't force it out, and it opened the doorway to a deluge of other doubts.

They were wrong about me. The villagers were utterly convinced he was the fox reincarnated, or at least that had been the predominant belief amongst them.

Catastrophes had a way of changing people, and the massive death toll from 13 years ago was definitely a catastrophe. It was a disaster the likes of which Konoha had never suffered.

A day that would forever live in infamy.

To bad it also happened to be his birthday. Kind of a buzzkill.

The main question on Naruto's mind was, why did it happen? Yes, the Kyuubi attacked Konoha all those years ago. That was historic fact.

But why?

People were quick to assume it was a random act of malice from a mindless beast, but Naruto wasn't so sure. The fox didn't seem mindless. Quite the opposite. It sounded pretty intelligent, if a bit spiteful.

But, put into the fox's position, who wouldn't be at least a little bit spiteful? Caged inside a child, without another soul to talk to, for thirteen years and counting. It would be maddening.

Loneliness could drive people insane. Naruto had felt it first hand.

I wouldn't wish that upon my worst enemy.

And there was something else that bugged him. Where was the Kyuubi before the attack? It existed long before Konoha. Why weren't there any documented cases of it attacking other villages prior to its sealing?

And why Konoha? Why not Suna, or Kumo? He refused to believe Kyuubi went on a rampage through the most powerful of the five hidden villages without a reason.

Naruto sunk deeper into his chair, thoughts turning over and over in his head.

Why don't I just ask Kyuubi?

Would that actually work?

"Winner by forfeit, Sabaku no Temari!" The proctor's call shook Naruto from his thoughts.

So Shikamaru lost? He wasn't too surprised, the kid was always the laziest back at the academy.

I should probably be watching these fights. I'm going to have to fight some of these guys.

"Next match, Sabaku no Gaara verses Uchiha Sasuke! Contestants report to the arena!"

That perked Naruto's head up.

Finally! He could see how powerful Sasuke had grown, perhaps even get to fight him.

If Sasuke won that is.

After a few moments, Gaara found his way to the center of the area.

Where's Sasuke?

"Uchiha Sasuke, report to the arena!" The proctor shouted.

Naruto frowned. What the fuck was Sasuke doing? He was going to get disqualified at this rate.

That would really piss Naruto off.

"This is the last call. Contestants must either report to the arena or be disqualified."

…aaand nothing.

What.

The.

Fuck.

There was no way Sasuke would miss his fight, right?

The proctor opened his mouth, about to call the match. Just as Kakashi and Sasuke appeared in a flurry of leaves.

Wow, Naruto mouthed. He understood Kakashi had to show up late to everything, it was his sensei's nindo or code or whatever, but did he have to be so tacky about it? And to an event like the chinin exam finals? It was an embarrassment to Konoha.

"Kakashi, so glad you could make it." If the sarcasm dripping from the proctors voice was anything to go by, he wasn't to impressed with the late arivals. "However, you're going to have to leave so that the match can begin."

Kakashi eye smiled, and mumbled some excuse Naruto couldn't quite hear, before leaving the arena in a poof of smoke.

"Are the contestants ready?"

It was a rhetorical question of course, more of a formality than anything else.

Without waiting for a response, the proctor called out,

"Hajime!"

The match had begun.

Sasuke disappeared in a streak of blue and black.

The first word that popped into Naruto's head?

Fast.

As in, holy shit that was fast.

In the span of a month, Sasuke had somehow gained speed that reminded Naruto of a certain bushy-browed genin.

Lee right?

Naruto got up from his seat, moving to the railing to get a better view. His Sharingan was already activated, following Sasuke's movements.

And he was impressed. Sasuke was dancing around Gaara's sand, dodging his attacks with ease.

But dodging won't win the battle.

Lee's fight proved that.

He needs to hit back.

Hard.

Sasuke must have had the same thought, because not a second later the Uchiha flipped from defensive to offensive.

Kick, dodge, punch, slide, kick.

The sand was blocking every attack, until…

A fist rushed past Gaara's face, brushing his hair. For the first time in a long time, Gaara felt fear. Fear of pain. Fear of hurt. This ninja was fast, just like that one from the preliminaries. He didn't want to feel that pain again. He refused to let this ninja touch him.

So he used his most powerful defensive technique.

"Saikō Zettai Bōgyo… Shukaku no Tate. (Ultimately Hard Absolute Defence: Shield of Shukaku)"

Gaara's gourd exploded into sand.

Mother will have your blood.

Sand shifted around Gaara's form, encompassing him completely. When it stopped moving, the genin was nowhere to be seen. A golem, made entirely of sand, stood in his place.

What the fuck is that?

At about seven feet tall, it looked like a fat, demonic...raccoon? Emphasis on demonic. Strange cryptic symbols ran across its form, markings that were vaguely reminiscent of Naruto's seal. Its jagged maw of a mouth was open in a perpetual, silent, scream. The black, empty pits it had for eyes only served to enhance the technique's evil appearance.

It stood motionless, arms outstretched and foreboding.

"…shuuukaakuuuu…"

Naruto jumped.

That voice…

Kyuubi?

Silence greeted Naruto's internal question. Shaking his head, Naruto refocused on the fight. An eye made of sand hovered just above the golem-creature, its unblinking pupil fixed on Sasuke.

With such a dense form, it will be slow to move. Sasuke reasoned, trying to analyze his opponent's defense.

If I can strike hard and fast, Gaara wont be able to dodge from inside. Sasuke smirked. He's trapped himself.

He pulled back, retreating half way up the stadium wall.

Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, Monkey... Sasuke finished the last handseal, before grabbing onto his wrist.

I win.

The sound of a thousand birds chirping rang throughout the stadium.

Lightning crackled into life around Sasuke's hand, effectively turning it into a sword of raiton energy.

He charged.

Small arcs shot off of the technique, slashing deep gouges into the stone walls of the stadium as he descended. Sasuke hit the ground in a shower of earth and dust, making a bee-line straight towards Gaara.

"Chidori!" Sasuke cried, throwing his arm forward in an attempt to skewer the racoon's large pot belly.

The raiton jutsu hit Gaara's defense, melting and cutting through the sand.

Only to stop about wrist deep.

It's not enough. Sasuke realized. The sand is too dense.

He instantly jumped back, barely in time to dodge the large spikes that shot out of the golem's chest.

Chidori!? Naruto seethed angrily.

Kakashi taught Sasuke the chidori?! An A-rank assassination jutsu?! What the fuck! Kakashi had never taught him a single battle worthy jutsu!

Ever!

Favoritist asshole.

The fact that it was unable to peirce Gaara's defense actually gave Naruto a small level of satisfaction. He snorted in amusement. Served them right.

A flicker in Naruto's peripheral vision drew his attention.

Is that... a feather?

Entirely white, it almost glowed in the bright sunlight. It was joined by many others, hundreds of feathers, carried abreast by the wind. They floated across the expanse of the stadium, loftily drifting towards the earth.

What the?

Naruto's eyelids began to droop as an overwhelming sense of exhaustion overtook him.

Why do I feel so tired?

Naruto tried and failed to keep his eyes open. He felt like he hadn't slept in weeks.

What's going on?

His legs turned to jello and he toppled over.

Gen...jutsu...!

Blackness overtook him.

He was in the seal again.

There was no mistaking those cracked, yellow walls.

Or that smell.

Wet fox had a very unique aroma.

Why am I here?

The last thing Naruto remembered he was watching Sasuke and Gaara's fight when…

When... what?

Shit he couldn't remember what happened.

"A genjutsu."

Naruto looked up, noticing for the first time he was standing in front of the Kyuubi's cage.

"What?" Naruto asked, sending the Kyuubi a curious look.

"The Ichibi jinchuuriki stood before you, and you fell to a genjutsu!?" The Kyuubi growled, his eyes blazing.

"A fucking genjutsu!" The fox roared again, as if the idea was ludicrous.

"Uhhh, sorry?" Naruto apologized sheepishly. "Wait, the Ichibi? You mean…oh shit...Gaara?"

The Kyuubi ignored his question, apparently to furious to answer. One of the beast's massive ears cocked to the side and twitched.

"I can hear his screams..." Kyuubi uttered, his voice low and rumbling.

"...Shukaku has awoken."

"What-?" Naruto started, startled by Kyuubi's proclamation.

Red chakra exploded from behind the bars of the seal, cutting Naruto off. He resisted the urge to cry out as it pushed into his coils. There was so much! He felt like a water balloon shoved on the end of a fire-hose.

"How dare the Ichibi rear its head within MY territory!" Kyuubi's eyes glinted fiercely.

"Konoha... is mine..."

Naruto's world dissolved in a wave of crimson.

Kakashi charged chakra into the flash bomb held tightly against his palm.

Time before detonation, .7 seconds.

The sound-nin closed in, and Kakashi threw his arm up, palm open and facing his opponent. Kakashi's eyes were already closed, and he'd manipulated the chakra in his ears to muffle his hearing and protect them from damage.

Tactics 101, Distract enemy.

The bomb went off with a flash of light and a deafening boom. Even with his precautions Kakashi felt his body react negatively to both stimuli.

Ignore throbbing in ears. Lean back.

Kakashi tilted his body back at the waist, dodging the sound-nins blind jab.

Counter with punch to the throat, dislocating larynx.

Kakashi lurched forward, driving his first directly into his target's adams-apple.

He felt elastic cords and joints connecting the larynx to the neck give with a wet splurtch.

Blind, deaf, and unable to breathe, opponent will attempt jutsu.

The sound-nin threw his arm up, desperately charging chakra into his left hand.

Grab wrist, disable.

Kakashi wrapped his fingers around man's wrist, and in the same motion, twisted it. The hand make a fascinating snapping sound as multiple bones in it cracked.

Break wrist entirely; decapitate.

Kakashi tightened his grip and bent the hand at an unnatural angle. Ignoring the sound-nin's pained scream, Kakashi grabbed at the air with his other hand. Chakra infused wind swirled around his fingers. In one swift motion, he punched his hand forward, and removed his opponents head from his shoulders.

The body fell the too ground with a dull thud.

Just as a powerful surge of demonic energy erupted on the other side of the battlefield.

That had to be...

"Naruto!"

Naruto's eyes shot open, red and slitted

Just in time to see the silver flash of a sword coming down upon him.

With no time to dodge, his body reacted on instinct.

A clawed hand shot forward, his hand, swathed in chakra. It wrapped around the blade and twisted, yanking it out of the shinobi's grip. In the same motion, Naruto rolled to his feet and spun, ramming the sword into the ninja's temple.

There was no scream of pain, anger, or even surprise. Only a widening of the eyes, and then nothing.

Only death.

Naruto watched dispassionately as the suna ninja's body fell to the floor in a heap of lifeless flesh.

"...crushh shuukakkuuu..."

The words flitted through his mind, a whisper in the back of his skull.

Kyuubi was pissed.

He felt its rage, coursing through his mind as if it was his own.

Crimson chakra erupted from his body in a tidal wave, causing the ground where he stood to crack and groan. It bled off his form in thick, ropey, simulacrums of raw power, bubbling around him like a cloak.

And it burned.

Fuck did it burn!

Naruto let lose a guttural roar that echoed across the expanse of the arena. With the roar came killing intent. It fell upon everyone in the stadium, forcing many weaker ninja to their knees. This wasn't the killing intent of a ninja; genin, jonin, or otherwise. This was something else, something primal, raw, and terrifying.

It was the power of a bijuu.

The world came to a stand still, many ninja pausing their battles to gauge the threat of this new arrival.

Naruto's iris swirled red and black, twisting into his unique sharingan. His gaze fell upon the bloodied floor that was once the chunin exams, absorbing the scene with a clarity one could only gain from his doujutsu. Hundreds of already dead or wounded sound, sand and leaf shinobi lay across its ruined surface.

What is this!?

"Naruto!"

Kakashi appeared like an apparition, his form blurring into existence next to the blond.

"How did this happen! Why are we being attacked!?" Naruto growled, his voice angry and animalistic.

"Sound and Suna are invading. It's war."

It's war.

The proclamation rang through his ears, searing into his brain.

War?

The word sounded so foreign to Naruto. He'd never seen true battle, real bloodshed, not on such a scale.

Rage built up within him. These ninja would attack his village? His home?

They would kill his precious people?

No.

The chakra cloak that encompassed Naruto gurgled sickly. Three tails formed behind him, coiling and uncoiling like snakes about to strike.

"Naruto, stop! You can't let the Kyuubi take contro-"

Naruto's eyes flickered towards his sensei, and Kakashi stopped.

"What - you're eyes? The sharingan?" Kakashi's words were jumbled and confused. The shock of seeing those eyes in this student made his head spin.

Naruto didn't respond. He simply turned his gaze back to the battlefield, and the ninja fighting like ants so far below.

"I'll kill them."

Charging chakra into his eyes, he prepared his teleportation jutsu.

"I'll kill them all."

A twinge in his eyes, and he was gone. Like a sword cleaving through the expanse of the battle field, Naruto dived into the fray.

Stab.

Punch.

Tear.

Rip.

Shred.

Crush.

Kill.

Kill.

Kill. Kill. kiilll. KILL.

It was Naruto's mantra, repeated over and over in his head. He teleported from one location to the next, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. The killing came easily. With every swing of his arm or swipe of his tails, an enemy fell. Ninja after ninja, sound and sand alike. Powered by the primordial chakra of the Kyuubi, he had no trouble tearing through the skin and bone of these humans.

The repulsive flesh-sacs who dared attack his home.

My home.

A blood-red stain on the canvas of the battlefield, Naruto was gore incarnate.

A minature Kyuubi.

He was unsure how long he fought, or how many he killed, only that the tide of enemies was unending.

Their blood soaked his skin and clothing, caked in his hair.

They break so easily.

Naruto raised his arm. A giant hand of pure chakra leapt from his form. It grabbed onto a sound shinobi and squeezed. With a sickening squelching sound, the ninja's head popped off and his body was pulped.

A barrage of shuriken smashed into Naruto's side, only to bounce harmlessly off his chakra cloak. Without even looking at the attacker, Naruto swung his arm. The chakra around it extended like a hammer, squashing the suna ninja into the ground. A pool of blood and pulverized meat was all that remained.

Without a moments hesitation, he moved onto his next target. His eyes scanned the battlefield for more appropriate prey.

There.

His eyes focused on his target, and he teleported.

Today officially sucks. Anko decided.

Her cursed mark had been burning since the night before. It wasn't the pain that bothered her, but the knowledge that her former sensei was close. It made her paranoid.

It was her paranoia that pushed her to come to the chunin exam finals dressed for a battle. Hidden blades from head to toe, her best reinforced mesh underarmor, countless explosive tags and poison packs. She was decked out and dangerous.

I didn't expect an all out war.

When those feathers triggered the mass genjutsu, she barely had time to draw a kunai before sound and sand ninja started to flood over the walls. It was like the gates to hell had opened and the demons were pouring out.

The world jumped into high gear, and instinct took over. She had never been so grateful for the skills her former sensei gave her. Even if she hated the traitor, he was about as powerful as they came, and his tricks were useful.

"Hey look! It's that peice of Konoha trash Orochimaru left behind."

Anko froze. It was an entire squad of sound ninja. Judging from their vests, they were all jonin. And she was stuck in no man's land with no backup.

Not a good place to be.

"Anko isn't it?" The sound ninja grinned perversely. His crooked smile made her skin crawl.

Anko didn't respond. Instead, she pulled out a fist full of poison dipped sebon and an explosive note. She reasoned she could kill one or two right off the bat and poison the rest.

If she was going down, she would take them all with her.

"Kill h-"

He never got to finish his sentence. A fist cloaked in red chakra came down upon his head.

The man's grinning face literally exploded into a mist of blood and bone.

Naruto teleported into the center of the squad of startled sound shinobi, his entirely body wrapped in a cloak of pure demonic power. Anko watched, wide-eyed, as he tore through the remaining attackers, sending broken and bleeding bodies flying.

Soon, the squad of sound ninja was nothing more than spare parts and red spray paint. His assault over, Naruto turned to face her. Fear coursed through her as his eyes locked with her own.

There was nothing in those eyes but rage.

Naruto's chest swelled as he drew in breath. He tossed his head back, then snapped it forward again as he spat an explosive mixture of chakra and air at her.

The attack rushed passed her head, followed by a meaty thud.

Anko looked over her shoulder. A suna shinobi that had tried to sneak up on her now lay dead, half his torso and one arm blown off by Naruto's attack.

"Holy shit." She breath out.

He's a monster.

She turned back, but Naruto was already gone.

I like his style. She decided, a smirk fitted to her face.

Naruto's swatted a random suna shinobi, his chakra claws cutting and burning through the boy's gut. The ninja, a boy even younger than Naruto, fell to the ground clutching his stomach.

As Naruto moved to end the boy's life, he sensed something that gave him pause.

A presence, far to the east, outside the walls of Konoha. Its power was growing, looming on the edge of the battlefield. It was something greater, something far more worthy of his wrath, than the self-righteous monkeys he was slaughtering now.

The one-tailed beast had been released.

"Shukaku!" Naruto roared.

I'm coming for you.

Casting his eyes to the horizon, Naruto disappeared.

Sakura peaked out from behind the branches that served as her hiding spot.

Oh my god, what is that thing?

It looked like the golem Gaara created during his match with Sasuke, only bigger. Much bigger. Waterfalls of sand poured off its colossal body, burying the forest below until only the tips of the tallest trees were visible.

Its very presences was turning the great forest into a desert.

And it was coming this way.

Sakura glanced worriedly at her unconscious teammate. Sasuke lay on the branch next to her, passed out from chakra exhaustion. He'd tried to defeat that, that... monster and failed. She'd barely managed to grab him and escape.

What am I going to do?

She couldn't leave Sasuke here, but she was too exhausted to carry him to the village.

Not that it'd be any safer there.

What with the invasion and all.

Plus the giant sand demon seemed to be headed in that direction.

Sakura took a shaky breath, fighting to push back the fear that paralyzed her.

"FREE!" The beast boomed jovially, before breaking into a bout of maniacal laughter. That laugh... it was an evil, insane laugh that sent a shivers down Sakura's spine.

"Come and fight me puny humans! I'll crush your flesh into paste!"

As if on que, a figured appeared in front of the demon.

One that glowed red with chakra.

All Sakura could distinguish of its form were the three red tails that swayed behind it. A massive killing intent accompanied the figure. It fell over her, a suffocating blanket of fear that made her heart skip a beat.

"Huh?" The beast grunted, stopping to observe the newcomer.

Who is that?

Sakura squinted, trying to see through the haze of red chakra that hung around the person. She could just make out a tuft of blond through the red.

Red chakra? Blond hair? Memories of the forest of death, and the battle with that snakelike grass shinobi, flashed through her mind.

Naruto?

"Hahahaha! You'd challenge me in that form, aniki?" The demon bellowed. "You're so tiny!" It giggled insanely.

Aniki? Sakura thought. As in brother?

The killing intent she felt increased, and Sakura could have sworn the sand demon pulled back, even if ever so slightly.

Is it afraid? Sakura wondered.

What would give something so powerful a reason to fear?

Naruto stared into Ichibi's unblinking eyes, his rage mounting.

This crazed, pathetic creature, weakest of all the bijuu, dared march against his territory? His chakra tails twitched angrily.

Foolish little brother.

"Hahahaha! You'd challenge me in that form, aniki?" It giggled. "You're so tiny!"

Naruto drew upon as much of the Kyuubi's hate as he could, pushing it into his killing intent. He grinned in amusement when the beast pulled back.

Even if it was only a little.

"We are not pleased, little brother." Naruto's voice boomed across the forest, amplified to a level that was beyond the normal limitations of the human voicebox. "This is our territory. You should run, with your solitary tail tucked between your legs.

"While we still let you."

The threat hung in the air, and for a moment Shukaku seemed to hesitate. Then the demon broke out into another fit of deranged laughter.

"I WILL BLOW YOU UP!" It yelled suddenly, its demeanor twisting from amusement to rage in a heartbeat.

Shukaku's stomach bulged as it drew in air.

If we dodge this attack, it could hit Konoha.

Naruto rushed through handseals, his fingers a blur.

"Doton: Doryūheki (Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall)!"

Even though Doryūheki was only a B-rank earth technique, the size and strength of the wall it created was dependent on how much chakra was used.

Naruto used a lot.

The ground underneath Naruto shook and split. A huge slab of stone erupted from its bowels. Easily thirty feet wide, and three times as tall, it stood between the beast and Konoha.

Shukaku smashed both fists into its stomach. A highly compressed ball of air howled from its mouth.

The bullet impacted his wall, exploding into a torrent of cutting wind. Air battled against earth, struggling to break though. Naruto felt the rock wall moan and crack as great fractures spider-webbed across its surface.

And then, as quickly as it began, it was over. His wall still stood.

But the aftermath of that single attack was unbelievable. The air bullet had gouged a deep pit into the earth. Massive limbs that used to be roots protruded from the dirt like spikes, the trees that once grew from them nothing more than splinters.

If that had hit Konoha... Naruto steeled his resolved. He had to stop this thing before it got any closer to the village.

Naruto refocused his eyes on Shukaku, taking a moment to analyze the bijuu. His sharingan let him see the flow of chakra throughout its body. It looked like most of the demon's chakra was still behind the seal. He guessed it was only at a fifth of its full power. But, at the rate chakra was hemorrhaging out of Gaara, it wouldn't be that way much longer.

He had to attack fast, while it was still weak.

Naruto reasoned that with so much of its power still sealed away, it would difficult for Shukaku to hold that giant sand body together. If he could hit the demon hard enough, the whole thing might fall apart.

"Jaibaku Daibakuha Bunshin (Suicide Bombing Clone Great Explosion)."

Two of his three tails disappeared, their chakra funneled into the jutsu.

Four clones popped into existence.

During his training with Jiraiya, Naruto had become fascinated with the Daibakuha Bunshin technique. The idea of an exploding Kage Bunshin was, to put it simply, badass. At least in his mind. So he'd toyed with it, using the Taju Kage Bunshin training method to master its use. And he didn't stop there. Inquisitive by nature, Naruto tried to make the explosions more powerful, more destructive...

And he succeeded, almost blowing himself up in the process.

The result of his training was the Jaibaku Daibakuha Bunshin. The jutsu was basically a Daibakuha Bunshin amplified a thousand times over. It took a hell of a lot of chakra, even by Naruto's standard, but it was devastatingly powerful.

Which is why Jiraiya labeled it an S-class kinjutsu, to be used only as a last resort.

A bijuu marching against Konoha during an all out war probably qualified.

"You've even smaller now aniki! You're an ichibi like me! HAhahahaHAhaha!" Shukaku laughed gleefully, stomping around like a child.

I need to space the explosions perfectly to maximize damage to the demon's body.

Naruto raised his hand, signalling his clones.

"Jikoku... Doutai (Instant body Movement)." His clones disappeared, landing on various spots of Shukaku's body.

"Huh?" The raccoon bellowed dumbly.

"Kai!" Naruto shouted, forming a one-handed ram seal.

The clones bulged for a moment, as their constructs deteriorated. Then, in a brilliant flash of light, they exploded.

Holy motherfucking boom.

Naruto felt the shockwave first. It nearly knocked him off his feet, even from this distance. The sound of the explosion followed, rocking through the air like thunder.

A giant cloud of dirt, sand, and rock mushroomed into existence.

Did it work?

Naruto squinted, trying to see through the cloud of debris that still hung in the air. After a few minutes, the dust settled enough for Naruto to make out a shape.

A large, semi-round blob of sand was slowly falling towards the earth. Bits of molten and half-cooled glass were flecked across it, shimmering in the light of the sun.

The construct landed and the sand fell away to reveal a now conscious Gaara.

"The funeral for the Third Hokage who lost his life in this battle, as well as other victims who gave there lives, will begin now." Hundreds of villagers, ANBU, and ninja alike stood solemnly, like dark statues standing in neat columns.

Black, the color of mourning, the color of death.

Naruto stood in the first row, a section normally reserved for family. He was dressed fully in black, formal battle attire, like the rest of the shinobi present. Konohamaru stood beside him, sniffling as he tried to hold back tears.

"You don't have to hold them back." Naruto whispered reassuringly. He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder. Konohamaru looked up at him, his face contorted with sadness.

"When you lose someone close to you, it's okay to cry."

Konohamaru nodded. The dams broke, and tears ran uncontrollably down the boy's checks.

"I-I just ca-can't believe he's real-ly gone." Konohamaru cried, wiping at his face with his sleeve.

Naruto didn't know what to say to that. To be honest, he couldn't believe it either. Old-man Sarutobi had been like superman. The strongest ninja of the hidden leaf, the professor, god of shinobi.

How could he die?

Naruto shook his head, forcing those thoughts away. Ninja died. It was their way of life. No matter how strong you were, there was always someone stronger, smarter or faster than you.

And if not, then age got you.

Storm clouds gathered overhead, and the sky turned opaque. Drops of water slowly began to fall.

"Rain," Asuma whispered.

"The sky is crying to," Naruto stated quietly. One by one, each of them placed a single white flower on the memorial.

It was Naruto's turn. He walked up to the memorial, a picture of the Third on a black cushion. Memories flashed through his mind. Him being chased by Sarutobi, the Third bringing him to his new apartment, the time he used Oiroke no Jutsu on Sarutobi, them eating ramen together, the conversation in his office just a few days ago…

Naruto laid his flower in the pile of others and walked away.

In the craziness after the invasion, it was sheer luck that Kakashi stumbled into Naruto. He got filled in on the everything that had happened while he was gone training Sasuke.

That was yesterday, but his head was still reeling from the information. It was hard to process.

Not only was Naruto a Uchiha, he was Obito's nephew. But, the more Kakashi thought about it the more it made sense. Naruto was practically a blond version of his former teammate. He just wished he could have realized it earlier.

Kakashi ran his calloused fingers over the surface of the memorial stone, feeling the names etched into its surface.

One of these days, it will be my name.

"Did you come here for Obito?"

Kakashi didn't bother to face the voice. He recognized it as Anko. Not that he had to hear her voice to know it was her. He was so accustomed to her by now, he could sense her chakra a mile a way.

"No... I'm reading the names of those who died in battle yesterday."

"Really?" Anko sounded genuinely surprised.

Kakashi nodded.

"I come here whenever I can to check for new names."

Kakashi stood, and pulled his hitai-ate down to cover his sharingan eye.

"I read them with my sharingan, so I can never forget."

For a few seconds everything was silent except for the rain.

"Kakashi... you should focus more on the living than the dead."

"I know." Kakashi assured her. But his words sounded hollow, empty. As if he didn't really believe them.

"Do you? To carry around the names of all your dead comrades, that's a burden no one should have to carry."

Kakashi grudgingly found himself agreeing with her. He started doing this so long ago, after Obito and Rin died. Now he just felt tired. Tired and old.

The names of all the dead weighed him down, he felt like he was drowning in them.

"Maybe one of these days I'll stop. I just... I don't know how."

He felt a hand wrap around his own, and allowed it to comfort him.

"You'll figure it out." Anko said slyly.

Her hand squeezed his own. A smile tugged at his lips, and he squeezed hers back.

It was nice, being with her. His problems already felt smaller, farther away.

He felt like things would be okay.

It was a feeling he hadn't felt since Minato died.

He liked it.

Author's Notes: There. Chapter three, rewritten. That was a project. I would have liked to have added more in certain places, and elaborated on certain parts, but redoing this chapter become such a huge project I just wanted it out of the way. Almost gave up haha.

GLAD IT'S DONE. :D

Anyways, review guys! I'd love some feedback on how u like the chapter rewrite. Again, I have no beta reader, so let e know if you see any grammar or spelling mistakes. Or if something just doesn't make sense haha.

Cheers!