---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I wish I did!!! I only own my OC and maybe a few jutsus that I may come up with on my own. I hope you enjoy this. If I did Lee and Gai wouldn't have their sunset hugs, Sakura and Sasuke would be long dead, and the Sharingan would have never been invented. Naruto would be raised by Tsunade, have a relationship with anyone but Sakura, decline/ quit Team Seven, and Lee and Gai would be much less creepy—instead Kakashi would be the one to fear for all the wrong reasons… Tsunade would reprimand Jiraya for stealing Naruto's money, Naruto would have two chakra affinities, and Ibiki and/ or Anko would have raised Naruto etc… But unfortunately I don't. I also don't claim to have perfect grammar… I don't have a beta so deal with it!

New Full Summary: What would happen if the Yondaime had another student? Not just a fourth student, but an apprentice. What if this student had a bloodline once thought to have vanished during the reign of the Nidaime? Feared by many for its raw potential and the legends that surrounded it. What if Kumo was not after the Byakugan? What if there was more to the situation than once thought? Who was that man with green eyes that once took care of Naruto? What is the Midorigan and what does it have to do with the Biju and Akatsuki? This is what would happen if these questions and more were addressed. WARNINGS: OOC, AU, OC.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Pre chapter Note – Chapter 1

I know the chapters aren't out as frequent as they used to be, but I am back at school full time. I am constantly doing work especially for my intro physics class which I am taking for a second time, but when I have some down time I am always playing with ideas for new chapters and to edit the previous ones I have been fiddling with ideas but couldn't come up with anything specific that would rock your worlds. As you have noticed for experience, even the smallest of details can hold a great deal of significance when the time is right. I wish Kishimoto did a lot of things differently, but then again if he did I wouldn't be writing or reading fan fiction.

I am thinking about looking for a beta. I am currently doing my best, my writing in the passive tense is beginning to really annoy people as well as the typos I have overlooked. I don't want someone who is just going to change errors. I would like someone who would also add some insight too!

I got some ideas updates for a few of my other stories way ahead of schedule though I have yet to try to flesh them out for they are all still in the working process. I can't work on chapter 22 (or even finish chapter 21) yet for I have no clue where I am going to do with chapter 21 and how I am going to get it to the present all of a sudden. And more importantly I still need to fix the whole Konoha situation in general: specifically Naruto and Gai, Naruto and Kyuubi, and Sandaime and Kakashi/Sasuke. I know a lot will be different from the manga/ anime, but this is my fic and this is a "what if scenario." I hope that all of you enjoy this. I am hoping that it makes sense and my review count jumps too! I decided to redo this chapter instead of a brand new chapter once again because I was feeling that some of it may have appeared a little rushed and unclear. I have almost ten thousand hits for this chapter alone and then it drops fairly quickly after that. Hopefully this will help catch the eye of potential fans. Any constructive criticism is welcome as I am always trying to improve the quality of the story, just don't be downright rude. If you find flaws that fine, point them out. If you don't like the concept look at the summary, it essentially tells you what to look out for.

This will not be one of the major series of revisions where I shift the order of chapters. This is simply to help clarify weak points and further elaborate on areas that will be of future importance. However this is a very minor update for this chapter in the sense I just had to correct several errors that have been brought to my attention. There are likely several still out there… but for now I have changed all mentions of Arashi Kazama simply to the Yondaime or Yondaime Hokage as I do not like his new name of Minato Namikaze. I probably wont make many significant changes all at once, but I am trying to go through and edit each and every of the chapters I have written, hopefully making each chapter (author's notes, disclaimer, and pre-chapter notes included) at least ten thousand words a piece. I really feel that with each update the quality increases ten fold, maybe this round of updates will bring out the true potential of this fic, for many (including myself) have found it to be lacking. I don't know that this fic will move at the fast pace many would like it to, but it will pick up soon hopefully I promise. The first five chapters for now almost perfect… well for now… they serve their purpose

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Chapter One

Updated December 4, 2007

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in Leaves, in Hi no Kuni, the Land of Fire, is still known throughout the shinobi continent as being unrivaled by the others. While each Hidden Village and country had its strengths, weakness, and special aspects, Konoha would always be regarded as the greatest regardless of history. Konoha would soon fall and suffer a cycle of despair before a new nation took the throne much like the nations before it. Many of the minor nations today are remnants of once great countries torn apart by bitter enemies and jealous rivals. Two such nations are Grass and Wave. Both held great power under the era of the Great Alliance, but humanity is flawed and even the best of things crumble. And thus the weakening of Great Alliance allowed the establishment of the Five Great Shinobi Countries. Regardless of the outcome the former Great Alliance countries varied. Several were now waiting once again for their time to shine, while several were now part of the Five Great Shinobi Countries.

The Great Alliance was a legend within itself for the history behind itself was not truly known for several nations across the continent, and very different from each other were allied. And they were nearly invincible until something had caused it all to crumble. Those nations were all on good terms with each other for the most part, but something just didn't seem to add up. With the Great Alliance gone, several other alliances were formed through the ages, but eventually the Five Great Shinobi Countries Alliance was formed between two former members of the Great Alliance, two of their enemies, and a fairly new nation in compared with the others. Power and alliances are like waves, forever changing and to an escape predictable yet unpredictable.

(NOTE: more information on the Great Alliance will be discussed in a future chapter where the origins of the Shinobi World/ Era will also be discussed. There is a reason for all of this history for there is always a reason behind my methods of madness!)

A true hero will always arise from the ashes. That type of person will look past their injuries and continue on their path until their goal is accomplished. They are not afraid of showing their emotions when necessary and will also hide their true colors if the situation calls for it. The greatest shinobi to walk the face of the world were always the ones who were able to live two lives. A life lived for themselves and a life portrayed to the rest of the world.

Always look underneath the underneath. For even the most unbelievable tale can hold a plethora of secrets. Let us watch how the determination of a few can change the path chosen/ dictated by fate. The will of fire of one, and the mixed blessing of the other will change the shinobi continent forever. Every hero has dark tales hidden amongst their tales of the glory days. Everyone has skeletons hidden in their closets. Even the beacons of the light have done things that would make you sick to your stomach. Let us begin with the darkest tale of them all:

The Folly of the Hidden Leaf Village

Something that almost caused the end of the Konoha, as we know it.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Konoha was a beautiful village by many standards. Not even the breath taking brilliant snowscapes of Hidden Snow, the distinct cliffs of Hidden Cloud, the bright shores of Hidden Mist, or the lush forests of Hidden Grass. The average lifespan was significantly increased to the prosperity and morality of the village. The Land of Fire was known for its passionate shinobi, but those from the Hidden Leaf Village tended to be more determined and were loyal to a t with their teammates… at least most of the time. Each village has its own faults. Some value brute strengths, others conformity, bloodline traits, you name it. Konoha valued friendship and loyalty above all. Yes it was important to complete the mission, but it was also important to always complete the mission. These two conflicting principles caused the early deaths of many of Konoha's greatest figures.

(12 years before Naruto's Academy graduation/ the year of the Kyuubi's attack)

A blond teen with green eyes and a very aristocratic looking face (piercing eyes, defined cheekbones and chin, a well proportioned nose, etc) could be currently found in none other than the Hokage's office in Konoha's Hokage tower with a man that could have easily passed for his father. The only difference was the eye color: the elder with cool blue and the younger with a piercing green. The oddest thing they shared was a very similar hair color, for blond hair was not very common in Konoha, especially among the shinobi. The hair color was not the same shade, but that was a small matter of very little significance. The office had more seals place within it than ever before. As we all know the Yondaime was a master of seals, who surpassed both his sensei, and the sensei of his sensei. He had outclassed the Toad Sannin and the Legendary Professor of Konoha. Both knew that this would be the final time they would ever see each other. Fate hate dealt the pair each a hard life, but neither would have the life that a third blond would be forced to endure for the majority of his existence. For if his sensei succeeded in this ridiculous plan of his, he would forever be sealed with the Death God. It would be a small price to pay to defend the village he loved. It was his duty to put the village before his needs and those of his family. The younger, green-eyed blond wanted to let his sensei watch his son grow up, but both blonds knew there was no other option. The Yondaime's sensei, the legendary pervert (and author of the infamous orange book series Icha Icha) and Toad Sannin, Jiraya, had already tried to convince Arashi to do otherwise, but not even the Sandaime Sasuke Sarutobi was able to change his mind. Even the legendary sucker and Slug Sannin, Tsunade-hime was unable to make Arashi realize the repercussions of his decision (she was normally his voice of reason) and the lack of contingency plans he had made for the future vessel for the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Unbeknownst to the two still loyal Sannin did not realize that Arashi, the Yondaime, was planning on using his own newborn son expected in only a few hours. With a heavy heart he knew that above all his responsibilities to the village came before those for his family and most importantly his responsibilities as a father. There would be more than one soul left to suffer for eternity because of his actions.

Arashi deep down knew that the villagers would most likely hate his son, but the shinobi would be logical wouldn't they? They were taught to look under the underneath so they should've had no problem realizing the predicament he was placing his one and only son into. Surely the Sandaime, his sensei, and sole remaining student would protect his legacy. Wouldn't they? He knew he could count on the short tempered, but loveable Tsunade-hime to help his sun in the future. Right now he knew she had too much despair and guilt to get out of her system. Of all of Konoha's citizens, none of them seemed to have ever suffered the amount of survivor's guilt the Slug Princess faced everyday and throughout her life. She would never turn down a good challenge. He was sure that if Naruto was anything like him, that he would outsmart the 'old hag' and gain something priceless out of it…

The Kyuubi no Kitsune, the nine-tailed demon fox, the demon lord of fire, head of the tailed foxes, and leader of the Biju (well of the known tailed beasts for there were a few more powerful out there), could be heard on the prowl in the hidden leaf village, Konohagakure no Sato, destroying everything in its path. The Land of Fire was always recognized as one of the most powerful, but in this moment of weakness many feared that this would be the end of everything. The war with Earth Country, more specifically the Hidden Rock Village, had left the village understaffed and significantly weakened. The power of the nine tailed fire fox was unrivaled amongst the other eight of the infamous biju that ravaged the continent of the elemental nations and even the most elite of shinobi. Not even the collective power of the eight OTHER biju AND the greatest KAGES ever would be able to defeat it on the battlefield in a fair fight. Each of the biju each had their own unique characteristics and strengths and weaknesses, but the Kyuubi seemed to be unstoppable. Each tailed beast had its own flaws in elemental or special abilities, but as the King, the Kyuubi seemed to be impervious to everything. The neutral chakra of the nine tailed fox was the secret behind its strengths, but also the cause of its ultimate downfall. It withstood Genjutsu, would be futile to try Taijutsu against it, and received miniscule damage from even A-ranked jutsu. Not even the attempts of the Sannin had any impact on the matter, a sad fact when the Sannin were supposed to be some of the greatest shinobi to ever live. Little did they know that a few of their own were the cause of all of this unnecessary devastation? The suffering of a few was excusable for the betterment of many in their eyes.

The village of Konoha was covered in a blanket of silence for a large number of their top shinobi were off defending the village by fighting the beast. It was almost as if a Genjutsu had caused all of the inhabitants to freeze in their places and lose control. No one moved from his or her spots. Some tried futile attempts to slay the beast, but ultimately sacrificed their lives for no reason. This uphill battle had not been waged for long (compared to the battles with the lesser tailed Biju) but the causalities had already begun to grow at an extremely alarming rate. The demon fox's growls grew louder as it approached the Hidden Leaf Village. The civilians and children had been evacuated long ago. It would only be a matter of time before the devastation reached the Hidden Village. This was not Konoha's first exposure to a biju, but it was definitely the most memorable and frightening—though the other instances had been long forgotten. The most important and forgotten tale was one involving a ten-tailed beast and a wooden statue. Many of the greatest achievements once held by the hidden village were now forgotten with the passage of time. The shinobi fought without any regret against the giant demon beast in an attempt to halt its progress towards the village. They were doing so to protect their loved ones and their way of life. Life is precious. The shinobi of Konoha knew that all too well. Once again Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves, was being brought back into a dark age of chaos, neglect, and death.

"Keep it up men! We just need to hold out until Hokage-sama gets here! Just a little longer. We are Konoha shinobi! We will not back down. We shall never back down! This is why we are the strongest of the five great nations. We value our comrades and will do what it takes to complete our missions! Right now our mission is to hold back the demon fox until the Yondaime is able to get here to slay it! We must do what it takes men! We cannot let Hokage-sama down!" yelled an injured special jounin of no significant importance to the shinobi on the bloody battlefield a few miles from the Hidden Leaf Village as squad after squad of ninjas went up against the Kyuubi, only to be thrown back and killed moments later. No matter the odds, Konoha shinobi were known throughout the continent for their valor, loyalty, and sheer determination when it came to doing what they did best. However it appeared to any observer that all of these values were useless for they were making no headway against the beast and their shinobi were dropping left and right like flies.

When all hope seemed to be lost, Gamabunta, the infamous frog boss was summoned to the battlefield by none other than the 'recently appointed' Yondaime, Arashi Kazama. Gamabunta was the most recognized of the Sannin's boss summons by the populace of Konoha for neither Orochimaru nor Tsunade had a reason to summon creatures from their contracts. Tsunade rarely summoned in general and Orochimaru only summoned when he had no other choice. Upon Gamabunta's head there was another besides the Yondaime, a blonde baby that was only moments old. If one had a chance to look closer they would have observed the circle of kanji written on the child's stomach. Yes, you guessed it; he was going to use his own flesh and blood in the ritual he was about to commence. This ritual would be the one that would ensure a bright future for the Hidden Village in the Leaves, Konoha—the legacy of the Shodaime and Nidaime. For who could ask another to give up their child? Konoha's Yellow Flash had begun to form many hand seals as a shadow of the Shinigami, the death god, appeared above him. The Kyuubi no Kitsune didn't know that its fate had already been sealed by the lightning quick hand seals that the Yondaime had begun making with an unseen speed that were just blurs even with the aided vision of the Sharingan and Byakugan. The demon fox had made a last ditch attempt to strike at the Yondaime with its five of its tails (the ones that contain the five main chakra elements- Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, and Water, --listed in order from strongest to weakest in terms of the Kyuubi's control). Unfortunately it was too late for the Shinigami grabbed a hold of both the Yondaime's and the Kyuubi's souls. And its attempt with the five elemental tails was just what the Yondaime had hoped for as he finished performing a Five Element Seal on the stomach of his one and only son, named after his favorite food and the symbol of Konoha, the symbol which represented the two founders (a whirlpool of water within a single leaf). His recently born child would be the legacy of more than Kyuubi and the Yondaime/ infamous Kazama clan. A child robbed of his innocence and childhood. A child robbed of his identity and legacy. A child robbed of his own life. The Yondaime was sure that the village and the Sandaime would take care of his one and only son, but then again he was always too much of an idealist.

Before the demon fox had a chance to continue its futile attempts at escaping, the Shinigami pulled its soul out and began to push it into the body of the blond blue-eyed newborn baby that lay beside the Yondaime on Gamabunta's head. With a flash of light the kanji on his stomach had begun to change and a sun with a spiral in its center had reappeared where moments before a circle of kanji had lain before. When the sealing was finished, the smoke had cleared and the future of Konoha was forever changed: the Kyuubi was gone, Gamabunta was dispelled, the Yondaime was falling to the ground at an alarming rate, and an orphan (who was also plummeting with the Yondaime) had been given the chance of the lifetime to prove civilization wrong: that the jinchuriki would not and should be feared for their power, but in turn should be respected and praised for jailing the Biju and protecting everyone else by holding them at bay within their own bodies. For they (the jinchuriki) do not solely cause chaos throughout the Shinobi Continent, but could also be used for the side of everything that is good and bring about a new era of change, prosperity, and peace… Maybe the first two were plausible… but there would never be peace amongst the shinobi of the continent: no matter if there were only one nation or a hundred. Peace would never exist even in a utopian society.

Within one of the examining rooms in Konoha's shinobi hospital, was a chamber lit solely by a ring of candles set around in a circle at precise intervals. Between the candles set in a circle along the center of the room was a series kanji seals. The candles and seals surrounded a blonde blue-eyed boy in a circle for one reason. And one reason alone. On his stomach lay one of the most powerful seals in existence… One of which was far superior to the seven other seals that sealed a similar purpose. (Well six, as one had been modified for a very important reason. For the Sanbi was no longer the only Biju not housed within a human). It was fitting that the seal for the Kyuubi was the most powerful… a sun being overpowered by a spiral, more specifically a storm/ maelstrom. The sun being the fire demon and the spiral being Arashi, the Yondaime Hokage, or the child, the demon host, depending on how one looked at it, While this seal would prevent the Kyuubi from taking over in most instances, absorbing too much chakra could overpower the seal.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

There were only a few thoughts running through the mind of the recently reappointed Sandaime Hokage, Sasuke Sarutobi. Unsurprisingly most of them involved reconstruction and funerals, but there was one thing that would not stop haunting his conscience, but he decided to let it pass for now.

'Forgetting one for the betterment of the collective group is important. Konoha needs to rise from the ashes of defeat once more. I am sorry Arashi, but the village will not, cannot, and shall not see your son as a hero. They will not even know he is your son ' thought the aged Sandaime.

To this day no one knows whether the Sandaime's intentions were sincere. He knew Arashi's son would have a hard life, but revealing him as the legacy of the Yondaime would be even more costly. But then again he never thought a clan within Konoha would reveal to the outside world that Naruto house the Kyuubi. It was interesting why the Sandaime even bothered to reveal the Kyuubi was sealed into Naruto if it was an equally if not more dangerous choice compared to revealing Naruto's lineage. Really wouldn't it be better for everyone if Naruto were never revealed as having the Kyuubi in him? Sure he wouldn't want to be the Hokage for the same reasons, but he would still have similar goals, as he would still be an orphan trying to show the world you don't need a clan/ and or family for greatness? All in all we can't change anything, but it does call into the Sandaime's intentions. Sure he is one of Konoha's biggest optimists ever, but Naruto wasn't the first jinchuriki ever either.

(Now we found ourselves once again returning to the office of the Hokage in Hokage Tower in the middle of the Hidden Leaf Village. An orange clad book lay forgotten on the floor of the office and his crystal ball had rolled away somewhere in the office. Paperwork was covering much of the office, but more surprisingly the Sandaime had his head in his hands, deep in conversation.)

'It looks like Arashi was successful after all, but at what cost? You have saved the village, but have damned your own child to a life of hardships. You wanted your legacy, your son Naruto to be treated like a hero for having the Kyuubi sealed within his body and soul, I will follow your request but I am not sure if the village will follow suit. Maybe it was wrong of me to reveal Naruto's status, but I thought of it was for the best at the moment. He will grow into a fine shinobi though. This will only drive him further. I truly thought they would accept him, I guess I was wrong. Forgive me, Arashi' Sarutobi sighed.

'I'll do everything I can to make sure that your final request is followed, but I have a feeling it will not happen. Naruto, you have a rough life ahead of you. With great power comes great responsibility and great sacrifices. And I know that you will face many challenges, but if you are anything like your father, I know that your stubbornness will help you outshine those around you and overcome the difficulties of being an orphan. It is a shame that neither Jiraya nor Tsunade are here…" the old monkey man thought before once again turning back to dust off and pick up his favorite orange book once again with a lecherous laugh that rivaled even the author's (NOTE: I am referring to Jiraya not me!).

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Throughout the shinobi world several shinobi were sneezing. There is an old saying that if you sneeze, someone is talking about you. A few people would find out how true the old wife's tale was head on.

One was in one of the grandest casinos ever built within the Land of Rain. Despite her reputation for never paying her debts, this casino had welcomed her with open arms and even started her off with a tab. Her sneeze had led her to winning the biggest jackpot of her lifetime… an omen of bad things to come.

A second individual was just caught peeping by a group of women at a hot spring in the Hidden Grass Village. And even more surprisingly they did not attack… they did something completely unpredictable… they began to grope him and do everything he had ever dreamed of… despite his many fantasies Jiraya knew this was a bad omen, but as he put it, "A chance like this only comes once in a lifetime, especially in my lifetime."

The third and final individual began to toss and turn in his bed. His dreams were plagued by dark thoughts that made even the most grim of nightmares seem like dreams of rainbows and unicorns. The attending nurse knew she only had so much time left in Konoha, but could tell the child would not live an easy life. A mirror in the room shattered and it confirmed her thoughts. She knew she had to leave, but felt guilty for doing so. 'One more night… I will stay one more and that's it. I most follow HIS orders. I cannot risk being caught here or Naruto will never stand a chance. I am sorry Naruto, but I know someone will take up the task.'

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Meanwhile overlooking the chaos and destruction were menacing pale yellow eyes watching the chaos from a far. The eyes barely resembled those of a human, though they were if a similar size. It was almost as if a human had the appearance of a creature. The overall appearance was very creepy when one thought about it. Those eyes held more dark and twisted secrets than anyone else that ever existed in the history of the Shinobi World. (Note: I will elaborate on the Shinobi World VS. the World in future chapters). The shadow enveloped, a figure that once held get promise, was not slowly crafting a perfect chain of events. There would be no room for error… and not chance of escape…

Suddenly the being had decided to 'make its presence' known to the world by opening its mouth, uttering a creepy chuckle, and then proceeding to talk to themselves saying: "kukuku… everything is going exactly as planned… Sarutobi-sensei has not changed one bit. All the pieces seem to be falling into place. In a couple of years I will have the perfect weapon…"

And as sudden as they had appeared, the pale yellow eyes of that person/ being had disappeared from existence with such speed it made one wonder if they had ever existed in the first place. That individual had disappeared without a sound… with even less sound than a clone that ha been dispelled by an item/ object or person.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Many of the council elders had called for the immediate execution of the Kyuubi's vessel, but the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha would not hear it. Many of them feared for the possibility of the Kyuubi escape. But more of them were bitter at the Yondaime. For instead of maker harsher restrictions on shinobi, he made it so even orphans could rise up in the ranks. They had conveniently forgotten that he himself was an orphan. Arashi had been forced to grow up with only himself to look out for. It was quite ironic how some of the greatest shinobi of Konoha were orphans from the beginning: two of the sannin (Orochimaru and Jiraya—Tsunade was orphaned later on), Arashi the Yondaime, his student Rin, and now young Naruto Uzumaki, the container of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and holder of a very special bloodline. A bloodline that made both one of his families very important in the shinobi world—historically and physically. Sure there were other great orphan shinobi, but these five shinobi had one similarity: they were all orphans from the beginning. Yet no one could see that; for all of the great clans, whether they had bloodline limits or just family jutsu, did not want their power threatened by the possibility of a stronger shinobi arise with abilities they knew next to nothing about. They only saw the child as being the reincarnated Kyuubi who had no skills or power of his own, a liability if you will. Some called for his death, others wanted him turned into a living weapon, but Sarutobi knew he had to make it up to Arashi and Naruto for making his past mistakes regarding the matter (it had only been a month or so since the attack).

Sarutobi was extremely disgusted with his former teammates Koharu and Homura who in particular had no problem with defying the dying words of the Yondaime. These two village elders knew how demon containers were not the demons themselves, but wanted to find a scapegoat for all of the destruction and lost of lives. Koharu and Homura also had another reason for doing so: they hated the Yondaime… they didn't like the changes he was making to modernize the village, they didn't like his stance on orphans, and they most importantly did not like his status as his orphan.

"Sarutobi-san, I think you know as much as I do, that child should be killed. If the Yondaime had any brains he would have sealed the child into a child of a prestigious bloodline that would negate the influence of the Kyuubi and only make them a container as opposed to being a vessel" Koharu said with an air of arrogance that would put a Hyuuga or an Uchiha to shame.

"Koharu, I don't see how a container differs from a vessel if the two both contain something. A demon container does not become the demon for they only hold the demon at bay, they do not become one being. And prey tell how a bloodline, especially any one of Konoha's bloodlines, would be able to hold back the most powerful Bijou's influence?"

"Sarutobi-san I think that the Koharu-san…" Homura began.

"Homura it is almost as if both of my former teammates are scheming something."

"We are not doing anything. We are only thinking of…" they both started at the same time before being cut off.

"Only thinking of yourselves. You two, the most out of anyone else here, should now how the jinchuriki are. Every single one of the villagers-whether they are civilian or shinobi are just too damn ignorant for their own good. Anyone with half a brain cell could see how stable the child is. He only contains the Kyuubi, but as you know the seals used to contain a Biju prevent the vessel from merging unless their mental state becomes unstable due to mental and physical abuse from their villages. If all of you continue on the path you are, Naruto will become unstable and we may have to face that possible future. But if you do the right think now and solely think of him as a child with a "bloodline limit" if you will, then maybe we have a chance to have a fiercely loyal and powerful shinobi for the Hidden Leaf Village that may even give myself and Sannin a run for our money."

Some of the clan elders were not that reserved as to not hesitate about openly defying the Sandaime. There only interests were those of their allying clans, being a thorn in the side of their enemies, and most importantly helping their own clans rise above the rest. The Yondaime was not of pure enough to hold the title of Hokage for many of them. Many were glad he was gone on the inside. For his power was a threat to their monopoly of control on the Hidden Village held by the shinobi clans that have been shinobi for many generations.

But then after hearing what the Sandaime had to say, a few were beginning to change their minds. A few knew about Biju and their containers. Something seemed to click in the minds of those who were informed of this matter. It was true that some of the characteristics of a Biju were passed on to their offspring. Any of the Kyuubi's powers in general would create an unstoppable new 'bloodline' that could make Konoha even greater. Several clans were furious they could do anything for they did not have any female 'heirs'—that is to say that the only females in their clans married into them. But at the same time not many of them wanted to marry one of their clan to an orphan, no matter how promising a union could be. But if the marriages didn't work after a child would be born it would return with the mother to her clan thus being a win-win situation for those who were able to see past him being both an orphan and housing the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

"The Yondaime has come up with a plan that cannot fail. As those who are informed of the matter already, the seal used to seal Biju away summons the Death God to do the sealing process at the cost of the caster's life. The Shiki fuujin no jutsu has been used for generations to seal away the Biju as noted in the scrolls we have from the Shodaime. The seal the Yondaime created is an improved version of the Shiki fuujin no jutsu that will not only seal the Kyuubi permanently but will also in time kill the Kyuubi by transferring all of its knowledge and chakra to its vessel. And the vessel in turn receives almost infinite chakra reserves without having to worry about the Kyuubi trying to escape. The Kyuubi's chakra will little by little leak into the vessels chakra system which in turn will convert and absorb it in order to make it it's own. The best part of the seal is that Naruto will not become the Kyuubi for this fusion of knowledge and chakra is not sentient. Unlike the Shiki fuujin no jutsu where there is the possibility of contact and corruption, the Kyuubi will only come into contact with his vessel when he needs to summon chakra. This seal does not fuse their minds, only their chakra, thus eliminating any chance of him becoming the Kyuubi incarnate. Though if all of you continue down this path even a normal child may seek revenge for the wrongs committed against him."

The council was given some time to think, as this was a lot to absorb. Many of the older (well more traditional) and younger clans were very hesitant to accept this matter for they would always see the child as a demon. Very few could think otherwise for all of the precious people they had lost to the Kyuubi. The Sandaime once again began to try to instill a sense of reason into the council.

"If a vase holds water in it does the vase become water? If we eat beef do we become cows? The answer to both questions is no. The same logic should be used in regards with the Yondaime's Legacy, young Naruto Uzumaki. You all know he was regarded throughout the continent, even in Cloud and Stone, as the worlds premiere sealing expert, even surpassing Jiraya and myself. So I think we will all be able to have faith in his work. Newborn babies are used as vessels for their chakra coils are still new enough to incorporate a Bijou's chakra into their own. In a sense it is like a bloodline limit for despite the chakra exhaustion, they received unique gifts that are exclusive to themselves and sometimes their offspring."

The last bit was met with confusion for it was VERY rare that a vessel was even alive long enough to have children. Even more rare for one to have children successfully for it was hard enough for them to find a mate. Not even the demands/ orders of a Kage could do so.

"The last wish of the dying Yondaime Hokage, Arashi, was for this newborn infant, Naruto Uzumaki, to be treated as a hero for being the Kyuubi's container. You have heard the tales of both Kumo's Nibi no Nekomata (two-tailed demon cat) and Suna's Ichibi no Shukaku. First we shall discuss the Nibi. The Nibi was sealed into a child, with great promise. She has become a force that even rivals Kakashi Hatake at his prime, with her not being at full power. However Kumo does not have to worry about her because she is fiercely loyal to the council and Raikage who took her away from a life of hunger and abuse, and gave her a life of adventure, potential, and to a small extent-promise. But her potential has been wasted for she had been forced to become a living weapon from the moment it was sealed within her. Had she been able to move at her own pace, instead of being forced to do so for all of her childhood, she would have become an even bigger threat to us. Luckily for us that did not happen, despite that she still remains a huge threat, as do several of the other demon vessels. Many nations out there are claiming that they posses one, but there are far too many claiming to have one of the nine Biju. Between Kumo, Suna, and Konoha there are three already. The three tails has been loose for as long as I remember. So there are four known Biju and yet more than twelve villages claim to have the remaining five. If we could give him a stable upbringing he would be fiercely dedicated to protecting the village; otherwise he could become a liability. You all do realize that disobeying a Hokage's command is treason. Not even you the council have the power to overrule a command such as this. For the Shodaime and Nidaime made sure there were loopholes for the Hokage. You will never outsmart me for I have justice on my side, unlike all of you. All of you want to end the life of an innocent boy who has done nothing but prevent the Kyuubi from causing further death and destruction, yet you all want to kill him and potentially release the Kyuubi no Kitsune once more. I would not be surprise if your choices today will come back to haunt you in the future. You all remember the pranks of Arashi as he was scorned for being an orphan. Can you imagine the pranks Naruto will unleash on this village if you all continue to scorn him for being both an orphan and the vessel for the nine tailed demon fox lord, the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

The council was silent. It was well known that Kumo's jinchuriki had been turned into a living weapon and was as mentally stable as a normal person for the most part. However most of the jinchuriki were seen as solely being the demons reincarnated—the fate of Suna's Ichibi no Shukaku, and were completely dangerous and out of their minds. They have all been outwitted at their own game. Only a few clan heads were with the Sandaime with the beginning, but he knew that they must remain silent for their own safety. But silence was better than treason. However the promise of having another Nibi was very promising to a few for the Kyuubi had mastery off all elements and had a millennia's worth of jutsu and knowledge in general.

The aged Sandaime was facing an uphill battle by upholding Arashi's dying wish. He was beginning to wonder why he was doing so himself with the uphill battle he was currently faced with. And if things could have not gotten worse… The Haruno clan had decided to start something that Konoha could not deal with at the moment: an attempted coup d'etat.

A Haruno had jumped from his seat to attack the infant in front of the Sandaime. The pink haired clan was known for both their insane inner mind, a second personality that saw no reason, for that clan had book smarts, but were useless in every other sense in the shinobi way. It was a surprise that any became genin at all. It was more surprising how their clan held some power in the council despite over ninety seven percent of the shinobi candidates in that family did not even make it past genin if they even got that far. Little did the Sandaime know, but a certain blonde boy would be forced to be on a squad with one of them, one of the worst the village had ever seen, due to the stipulations regarding how genin squads were formed. The crush he would develop for the pink haired girl would be for all of the wrong reasons. The problem with the Haruno clan ran far deeper than solely with the clan head. Their instances with treason would far and between, but this would not be the last instance. They only had loyalty to themselves. They held no powerful ranks in the shinobi community. They held no power in the villagers' daily lives. A question many had and could not answer (including Danzo, Sarutobi and his teammates, and even Orochimaru!) was how the fck that useless clan held power for so long. Not even Orochimaru or Danzo were as sick and twisted as a Haruno. Little did they know, but the Haruno were already plotting. Everyone said they originated in the Land of Fire, but that was far from the truth and in a few years Konoha would face that problem head on.

"Die demon!" the pink haired elder said before he was stopped by an ANBU with a cat mask. Said ANBU would later become an important figure in Konoha for specific reasons. His abilities were very unique despite the circumstances under which he acquired them.

Several other clan heads had joined the Haruno head in the attempted coup, but they were about to pay the ultimate price. Most of said clans were either old clans that were furious that they were passed over for being Hokage several times, or young clans trying to gain power at any cost, even if it meant eliminating the current Hokage and attempting a coup. Sarutobi stood up and cleared his throat before announcing:

"As of today no one is allowed to speak of the Kyuubi and its connection to Naruto Uzumaki. The Yondaime sacrificed his life by sealing the Kyuubi into this child before you to end its rampage. If anyone tries to defy this order they will be immediately executed and recorded as a committing high treason. This a SS secret that no one may speak of. I am disgusted with all of you here. If you try to go around this and try to have your children hate Naruto for no reason your clans shall be at risk also. All of you have emotional span of a teaspoon and the intelligence of a rock. Few of you even respect and believe in the Yondaime. Most of you are still bitter that an orphan surpassed you all and became a Hokage and that none of you ever have a chance of following suit. If Tsunade and Jiraya were here right now you would all be wishing Orochimaru would come back and kill you all. I thought you were all trained as shinobi for a reason. One of this villages highest principles is looking underneath the underneath. Yet few even bother to look past the fact that Naruto has the Kyuubi sealed within him and instead decide he is the Kyuubi instead. Such ignorance may cost your lives and the future of this village. Being the jailer for a Biju is a difficult task that should receive praise, but instead they are almost always scorned for doing so. We (i.e. the Yondaime and Sandaime) hoped that you would want to once again show why we are the greatest of the nations and hidden villages, but I guess we were wrong. You all wont put aside your petty differences. We all lost precious people to us, but do not let their deaths be in vain.

Murmurs of him being replaced were quietly silenced.

"SILENCE! I am within my rights as Hokage. While none of you have access to many of the secret scrolls of our Hidden Village, it is well known that abusing a child to any degree is well within the grounds for treason. The Yondaime has placed his trust and faith in all of us, and yet all of your are more determined in furthering your clans than the welfare and future of this village" the Sandaime shouted in a tone that was rarely used.

The Root head, Danzo, was originally holding the same thoughts as the majority of the decision makers in Kohona—Naruto should be killed. But then he realized what kind of an asset he could be in helping him create a new Konoha—the Nibi no Nekomata had been successfully raised into a successful ninja, albeit slightly abused and a little paranoid, but well rounded enough. He had just thought of something that would help bring about his greatest vision. All he needed to do to create a stable and powerful vessel like Yugito, the Nibi's container, was showing compassion and concern almost like a family and then it would be hook, line, and sinker. The Raikage took the young orphan girl in and in no time she quickly rose the ranks to BOLT in no time, was accepted by a majority of the Hidden Village, and most importantly felt safe at home. Yes all of this was classified information, but Danzo got everything he wanted, outside of Konoha thanks to the network established by a certain clan within Konoha.

"Hokage-sama might I suggest that Naruto…"

However Sarutobi knew what the old war hawk was up to and cut him off before the proposition was ever made.

"Danzo, Root will not be re-established. Arashi was correct in disbanding that branch of ANBU, and it was done with a 9/10 majority. If I learn that you are still operating, yourself and any shinobi found under you will be immediately executed. Naruto will never become your living weapon. He is Arashi's legacy and you will follow it."

The old war hawk knew he had outsmarted and outed, but he would never give up on his vision of a new Konoha. A certain yellow-eyed traitor had made a deal that would later change the future of Konoha. He would lay low, but Root would never be disbanded for from the ashes always arises a bright future.

(7 years before Naruto's Academy Graduation/ 5 years after Kyuubi's attack)

Five years had past since that fateful night in October when the Kyuubi had attacked Konoha and the Yondaime Hokage had perished in the battle and was forever immortalized as a hero of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. While one person went down in history as a hero, there was a young boy that had been given a burden that forever changed his life. While the battle had been solely blamed on the Kyuubi randomly rampaging through Konoha and slaughtering the village's shinobi, there was much more to the story than meets the eye for the Kyuubi had attacked the village for a reason, and for now it shall remain unknown.

The incident with Kumo involving the attempted kidnapping of Hinata Hyuuga was well carved into the memory of many in Konoha and only fed fuel to the fire that is the constant feud shared between the lands of lightning and fire. The two were not always enemies, but recent events had caused many things to change throughout the elemental nations. Under the guise of a peace treaty, Kumo had sent shinobi to capture a Hyuuga in order to obtain the Byakugan. Kumo was well aware that Hizashi had taken the place of his elder brother, however they had gained nothing for Hizashi Hyuuga's caged bird seal was activated once handed over, thus eliminating any chances Kumo would gain the Hyuuga's Kekkei genkai. But that is not to say Kumo did not gain anything out of this turn of events.

While Kumo had failed to gain the Byakugan of the Hyuuga, they had gained something far more dangerous if the hands of the wrong people, a child of the sannin. Yes, the living legacy of the Sannin. A child whose future held great promise, unrivaled. The power alone the child would exert alone would be enough to make many tremble. The abilities than ran through his veins would make him a legend regardless of how good of a shinobi he became for some skills were more valuable than experience. But for now he was only following his deceased sensei's orders to do everything it took to protect his son, the vessel of the Kyuubi no Kitsune and the resident prankster/ number one most predictable person in Konoha, Naruto Uzumaki. The blond teen knew he wouldn't be here to protect Naruto in person, but eliminating the threat of Kumo was much more important. Besides, if he had planned everything out correctly, it would only be a short matter or time until he found a worthy shinobi role model other than himself and the Yondaime. Meanwhile a man with giant eyebrows sneezed.

And as a blond green-eyed boy walked away from Konoha with the Kumo shinobi tears were running down his face. This was the hardest decision he had ever had to make. He knew it was not as difficult as the one the Yondaime had to make, but at his age it seemed much more troubling. The teen knew that Naruto would have a difficult life, but hopefully everything would go according to plan, or he would not be able to return to Konoha someday to continue protecting his sensei's son personally.

'Sarutobi look after Naruto. I am sorry I have to do this, but this is the only way to save the leaf village. My life is meaningless if you fail to live as the Yondaime's legacy. Be strong little one. The Golden Eagle shall return to you someday.'

The green-eyed boy continued to move along the trail with the nin from Kumo. He felt guilty for leaving Naruto behind, but it was either that… or let Kumo, the Hidden Cloud Village of the Land of Lightning, get their hands on a second demon vessel, Naruto. He had promised his sensei he would do everything in his power to ensure Naruto never got into the wrong hands. Right now he wished he could actually be in two places at once, for no type of Bunshin could survive the distance between Kumo and Konoha for any period of time. He had a feeling something bad was about to happen, but surely someone would take care of Naruto in his stead right?

Little did he know, the green-eyed young man was very wrong. The next few years would be the final straw for the blue-eyed Naruto. Something would break within him, something that would make him see the Kyuubi with reason. No matter what happened he knew there would always be people within the village that would treat Naruto fairly, no matter how few there were, they would be enough no matter how long it took for him to make it back to Konoha—well if he ever did for deceiving the Kumo-nin into thinking that he was the nine tailed fox's vessel.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

Author's Note

Chapter 1

Version Five Notes:

Minor changes such as changing references to Arashi Kazama, the Yondaime, have simply become the Yondaime or Yondaime Hokage as I dislike Kishimoto's real name for the Yondaime, Minato Namikaze. I however have no problem using his mother's name or Kushina Uzumaki.

I REFUSE TO USE THE NAMES KISHIMOTO PROVIDED FOR THE YONDAIME! Well at least until people start becoming harpies and attacking me for it. I think the whole fan-name of Arashi Kazama sounds much cooler (and intimidating) than Minato Namikaze. What kind of last name is Wavewind? That is not intimidating. Sure he had the Rasengan, but the Yondaime was more of a Lightning dude, and Arashi Kazama evokes more of a Lightning spirit than Minato Namikaze which makes one think of someone more along the lines of Haku or like Hinata lol. I will just try to refer to him as Yondaime at all points. If you see Arashi anywhere before chapters 18 or so its because they haven't been updated yet.

---- The Difference of One Shinobi ----

(Version four)

I know that the story seems a little farfetched. But give it a chance. I got an idea while reading a few different fan fictions. Nothing much has changed from canon except that a non-aggression pact was settled with Kumo by sacrificing the life of the legacy of the Sannin, well Hizashi also paid the price, but it was the Hyuuga council that had come up with that idea. However the child, well young man, with the green eyes was the difference between making and breaking the deal. Washi, my original character is the one that makes the difference, for he will do something that many others wouldn't. I hope that you like it a lot :-). There may be a few OC's beyond my main character and the Kumo shinobi he interacts with. I hope you enjoy it. Not much will change early on in Naruto's life, but graduation will be full or surprises  I will however let you know three obscure bloodlines will be utilized in a new way. Trust me, no one will be able to look at those three bloodlines in the same way ever again.

I have made the story a little darker since the original version was uploaded in May. The first update to this chapter changed the entire feel of the story— I also decided to bring in blood purity… it's a parallel I thought that would work quite nicely. There are a lot of similarities between Harry Potter and Naruto so I thought this would be a better way of going about everything. Logically many of them would be able to know that Naruto was not the Kyuubi reincarnated, but no one, not even Sarutobi did anything to help Naruto or prevent the civilians' actions. I also decided to bring up more Sakura bashing hehe :) It is true that Sarutobi made a few feeble attempts in the beginning, but he really did nothing to help Naruto. He never made an example of those who broke his orders beside torture via Ibiki and/ or Anko. What he should have done was had the punishment done in public or something of that scale. There just wasn't a lot done if people could break in and trash Naruto's apartment. And who in their right mind would let a child raise themselves? I mean seriously how much sense does that make? A lot of things just don't seem to add up. Like we all know eating ramen all the time isn't the smartest idea, but wouldn't the ramen stand owner and his daughter realize this? I know they enjoyed the business and his company but wouldn't it be more important to maintain his health as opposed to maintaining business?

I made a few minor changes to help clarify a lot of confusion many had concerning the green-eyed hero of this story. No it's not Naruto. His name is Washi, he is my original character and will play a huge role in this story, though he is only the main character for the first ten or so chapter until the back-story has been established enough for me to proceed to Naruto's childhood. I know a lot of characters will have seemed to act out of character, but it is just another way of me changing Naruto into how one person can make a difference. You have all been warned; so don't go off on me for only having Gai and Danzo seeming to be the only two acting "true to character."

I hope this version makes Sarutobi seem like less of an evil person. Sure he still will be quite misguided with everything regarding Naruto, but at least he attempted to do something in the beginning. It may not always be that way, but Naruto in the beginning was 'taken care of' by the Sandaime. A lot of things changed in this chapter slightly, but I think that doubling the size of chapter (I think I doubled the length of the Author's not also by accident too) helped further elaborate a lot of things and make a lot of things more believable. I hope that by adding more depth to Arashi and Sarutobi you, the readers, can get a better grasp of the entire situation. I made the council seem a lot crueler/ more sadistic, but there are still a few who believe in the Yondaime's work, and a few believe in him to an extent for his possibilities. I really don't like the idea of hating the Sandaime personally, but something just doesn't seem to add up in regards with the entire Naruto situation. Seriously I understand that there were a lot of things out of his control, but how could he let Naruto live the life that he did? It really makes one question how good of a Hokage he is, if one of the most fragile lives in all of Konoha is forgotten over and over again. More importantly that hateful life could have caused Naruto to snap, thus releasing the Kyuubi—well his influence, and eliminating Konoha in the process. I really don't understand, but oh well.

The pairing is still undecided, and the woman looking after Naruto when the mirror cracked will be in later chapters. Tenten, Jiraya, and Tsunade will also play major roles though undecided yet. Naruto will be a bit smarter, but nothing too out of control. Also my OC will have an "insane bloodline." Sure it seems like an "uber bloodline" but it has many limitations that negate some of its strengths, thus leveling the playing field.

-Griffin

August 10, 2007