Sinister Chakra

Book 1: The Beginning

Chapter 1: Crimson Glow

Konoha

"Let go of your hold to this world;

It is your own grip which holds you down, drowning you.

Why be the force of your own demise?

Empty your heart.

Release the illusion of reality;

This world is nothing but deception, nothing but what you accept to be real.

Why then would you accept an incomplete world to be the real one?

Empty your mind.

Free your spirit into the void.

See for yourself that the world around you is changed, bent to your will.

Why must you constrain yourself to this broken dimension?

Empty your soul.

Become ethereal."

Tobi was enlightened. Only when he emptied himself entirely was he finally able see the world as it truly was; an illusion. Witnessing Rin's death had nearly destroyed him, but his Sharingan had changed everything. He didn't understand the significance at first, but Madara had explained everything to him. It turns out that the Sharingan has a spirit of its own, and it will adapt to the world around it when activated. It will continually evolve to match the danger of the world in order to protect the wielder of the eyes, in this case Tobi. But when the danger is more than just physical, but mental and emotional, the Sharingan will evolve further, into the Mangekyou, changing how the wielder sees the world, and how the wielder can manipulate it.

According to Madara, there are evil and pure ways to unlock this ability. While his own way, seeing Rin die, didn't exactly seem pure, his Sharingan evolved to help him see reality in a better way.

And with this new vision came new powers.

He materialized in an instant, spiraling into existence in the main entrance of the Hokage's tower. He had spent months training with his new ocular powers, and Madara had deemed him ready for this mission. Technically, there was only one opportunity to actually do this mission, but Tobi couldn't help but agree that he was in fact ready. Though he was just a teenager, he was prepared to assassinate the Hokage and capture the Kyuubi.

How strange that just a couple of years prior, he was a weakly genin, training under this Hokage. But those years spent under Madara and training with his new powers (and a new Sharingan, which Madara helped him acquire) had seen Tobi soar in levels of strength. Hell, as far as he knew, he was the most powerful ninja in the world now, given Madara's old age and weak state. He could rule the world if he so desired…but this world meant nothing to him, not anymore.

Rin…

He took a deep breath, trying to quell the emotions that involuntarily flooded over him upon entering Konoha for the first time since he was a Genin here. "Let go of your hold to this world," he darkly muttered to himself, absentmindedly adjusting the single-holed mask covering his face.

"Release the illusion of reality." The guards at the end of the hallway noticed his appearance... so they were prepared for an attack tonight. His crimson eyes began to glow with power.

"Free your spirit into the void," he continued to himself and the guards drew their kunai and began to sprint toward him. He snapped his own fingers, and within a heartbeat, a long katana began to appear in his right hand, solidifying out of nothingness.

"Become ethereal," he finished as the guards closed in, slashing at his face and heart with their kunai. Without him moving an inch, the guards simply phased through him, as if he were a ghost, slamming into the entry door behind him. Before they could even turn around in amazement at what had just happened, he lashed himself back into this dimension and swept his katana in a wide arc, slicing through their necks.

Just like they had a second ago, his blade passed through their skin as if they were ghosts, leaving no trace of any damage. Unlike him, however, the two guards dropped to the ground, their eyes glazed over and their bodies soulless.

When Tobi turned his masked face forward, he noticed a third guard standing where the first two had originally been. He couldn't help the grin that grew hidden on his face when he noticed the man probably twice his age trembling in a mixture of fear and anger. Oh, how tempting it is to rip off this mask and reveal to the world that he had returned, no longer the worst in his class, but a S-Class monster.

He half-lashed himself into his other dimension and flew forward. Half lashings like this would make it appear as if his body were in this physical world while it was actually in a completely different one. He was partially in his own dimension now, a dimension where he could fly weightless at incredible speeds. In fact, he reached the surprised guard before the man could even draw a weapon or form a hand-seal. Just like before, Tobi passed through the man like a ghost, stopping right behind him. Turning around just as quickly, he lashed himself back into the physical world and thrust his katana into the guard's chest.

"Wha-," the guard managed to breathe out before collapsing to the ground, lifeless. He pulled out his blade, which shined in the low light, bloodless. Ha, that guard was a Jonin! He remembered how powerful he once thought Jonin to be, he remembered how proud everyone had been of Kakashi when he had reached Jonin rank.

He turned to partially lift his mask and spat at the thought of his old teammate. Betrayer. His time would come.

Rather than fly like before, Tobi half-lashed himself back into his own dimension and opted to float forward, his cloak billowing behind him, making him appear truly like a phantom. He phased through the door that led to a stairway up; he had to get to the Hokage's room after all. Unsurprisingly, there were several more Konoha ninja up higher on the stair case.

"He's here, in the front staircase!" one of them radioed, his hand to his ear, his face covered in a familiar mask.

Anbu. These ninjas did not tremble in fear at the sight of him, a flying phantom, nor did they appear to show any emotion. That was good; maybe this would be a more challenging encounter, despite the end result of their sure death.

Rather than running forward, one of the Anbu flew through some quick hand-seals, landing on the tiger seal. Bringing his hands up to his mouth, he quickly shot several speeding fireballs towards Tobi.

Theatrically snapping his fingers, and tiny black hole rippled in front of Tobi, sucking the fireballs into it. With barely a sharp hiss, the fireballs vanished, sucked into what appeared to be nothingness. Sure, Tobi could have let them pass through him like nothing, but this was more entertaining.

Rather than stand in shock, Tobi realized that two of the Anbu had appeared behind him during the minor distraction. Before he could even turn around, two katana sliced through his chest, though it did him no harm. He chuckled when he heard them curse. This was so much fun!

He spun around quickly, and snapped his fingers once more, creating another tiny black hole that appeared in front of his eyehole. Reality itself began to warp and spiral around him, and before they could move away, they were sucked into it. The hole disappeared without a sound, as did the two Anbu.

When he turned to look at the remaining Anbu, he finally saw the moment of hesitation and fear that he was looking for. Even some of the most highly trained ninja are bound to flinch when their friends die and they realize they themselves are seconds away from death.

"I'm here to bring about the creation of a new world," Tobi stated as he began walking up the stairs, toward the ninja. "You cannot stop me."

He snapped his gloved fingers, lashing himself into void, becoming fully ethereal and invisible to the human world. He flew forward to the glowing spirit of the Anbu, who hadn't moved an inch. Time in this dimension moved far differently than that of the real world, after all. He could fly miles over the world in his own dimension, and when he reappeared, only a minute might have gone by.

When he did lash himself back into this world's dimension, he took his shining katana and drove it into the man's chest. Like a candle that had been blown out, then man's soul extinguished and he dropped to the ground, lifeless. Tobi had forged his katana in the void, after all. He could lash it into the real world like himself, and the blade would seemingly pass through virtually everything with no problem…except when it came into contact with anything living, it would cut through the soul, or a human's life force.

He didn't yet fully understand how it worked. When he first realized that he could see the souls (or life energy) of people and creatures in a separate dimension, he had tried to attack them from there, but no damage could be done. He even forged his blade with the strange metals that he found in his separate dimension, yet when he was fully lashed into the void, nothing could be damaged. Oddly enough, it is only when he is fully lashed into the physical world that the blade would cut through anything. When the blade came in contact with anything that had a chakra or life force, it would destroy it completely from the spiritual realm.

By the time he reached the hallway leading to the Hokage's office, about two dozen ninja lay dead in his path behind him. The last two, standing guard by the Hokage's office, were shaking with fear and rage. They were Chunin…it was curious that after killing multiple Jonin and Anbu, two Chunin would be the last standing by the door.

"Move aside," Tobi commanded, walking toward them without a care in the world. "I quickly tire of killing you. There's nothing you can do to stop me."

Surprisingly enough, one of them dropped their kunai and bolted to the right. Seriously? He turned his head and sharpened down his eye on the moving target, activating Kamui and lashing the man into a different, empty dimension. When he turned back to face the other terrified guard, he winked at him, though the man wouldn't be able to tell with his mask on.

"What a dick," Tobi casually mentioned to the other guard, who seemed like he was about to run himself. "I mean, you guys have one job, don't you? To guard the Hokage? Shouldn't someone with that job not run away when the Hokage is about to be attacked?"

Tobi shook his head and snapped his fingers again, causing the deserter ninja from before to appear in front of him, on his knees, confused and disoriented. Before he had a chance to say anything, Tobi casually slipped his katana through him, killing him instantly. Ignoring the remaining guard completely, he lashed back into the void, the world around him becoming transparent and empty, a grey image of the real world. He gently flew forward past the glowing life force of the remaining guard until he was in the Hokage's office, and then lashed back into the real world.

"Empty of heart, mind and soul," Tobi muttered as he materialized in the office. "I stand before you, ethereal, divine. I've come for…"

For the first time that night, it was Tobi's turn to be surprised. He was expecting the Hokage to be seated behind the desk, but the Hokage was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was another man there, old with dark hair and a malicious glint in his eyes. Damn, perhaps he had been too naïve thinking the Hokage would be here in the first place.

"Who are you?" the man barked out an order, still calmly seated behind his desk. As if he didn't realize how much danger he was currently in. What was the man's name…Danzo? Tobi didn't know much about him, but if Danzo sat here in the Hokage's office, it meant that he likely knew where his old sensei Minato was. And if Minato wasn't here, then he was definitely protecting his wife and the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Rather than say anything, Tobi slowly walked forward, half lashing himself outside of this dimension. It didn't take more than several steps before kunai flew out of the shadows, pointlessly flying through him. He felt like a god; there was nothing these ninjas could do to harm him. He was invincible. He could see Danzo start to worry as he approached, as was natural.

"I am no one," Tobi declared, his own words tasting bitter on his tongue. "But so are we all. This world will soon be nothing. So tell me, Danzo: where is the Hokage and his wife?"

Rather than wait for a response, Tobi summoned a large amount of chakra and brought it forth to his right eye. His crimson Sharingan began to twirl and twist into a new, complex shape; the Mangekyou.

"Kotoamatsukami."

Blood began to trickle down his face from his eye as he rapidly searched through Danzo's mind, looking for the information that he needed. Kotoamatsukami was a Mangekyou technique that allowed one to enter and dominate a person's mind completely; a sister version of Tsukuyomi. Tobi, however was not yet adept at using it, and he probably never would be. He couldn't subtly manipulate people like Madara had once been able to, and it drained massive amounts of chakra to even use the technique, which he could only do once a day. The Mangekyou Sharingan usually only unlocked with two native special techniques; all the others were far harder to learn and even harder to master. Tobi had been planning on saving this jutsu for the Hokage, but there was no use in saving his chakra if he wouldn't be able to find the Hokage in time in the first place.

After a second passed in the real world, he left Danzo's mind, having found what he wanted. He couldn't help but chuckle himself at the wicked things he had seen in such a short time.

"So he's over in a cave outside the Village, is he?" he stated, watching Danzo's eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "I'll be heading over there, then. But I don't have to worry about you intervening, do I? After all, this whole defense is a rouse; you wish to become the Hokage yourself."

Danzo's eyes narrowed down at him with a strong sense of hate and fear. "Who are you?" he demanded, slamming his fist on the table.

Tobi chuckled again, shaking his head in amusement. "First the Senju, next the Uchiha, then the Hyuga? You wish to take power for yourself and remove it from everyone around you. You may ultimately aim for peace, but you're so shortsighted in your plans, so naïve for someone your age."

He turned his back on the crooked old man, having gotten all the information that he needed from. "Know this, Danzo. I am the will of Madara Uchiha. And against his will, Konoha will burn to ashes."

With a snap of his finger, he vanished.

Miles Away – Konoha

Tobi couldn't have arrived at a better time.

As he materialized into the room, the guards outside dead, he interrupted the special moment when the parents held their child alone for the first moment. So, the red-headed Jinchuuriki had given birth, meaning that the seal containing the Nine-Tails was on the verge of being undone. He couldn't possibly imagine why anyone would bother sealing a tailed beast into a woman in the first place; the mere chance of them getting pregnant and accidently unleashing a demon upon the world was far too much of risk. Not that he was complaining; he was, after all, taking advantage of this situation himself.

He didn't even waste time with lengthy monologues, or disposing of the numerous medics he sensed in the surrounding rooms. He had been planning on fighting the 4th Hokage, his old sensei, while Kushina was preparing to give birth, but now that the deed was done, there was no reason for him to interact with the new parents in the first place. All he needed was the Nine-Tails.

"Congratulations," he loudly announced, revealing his presence at last since they still hadn't managed to see him appear. In a moment of fear and confusion, both the Fourth Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki turned from looking at their child to looking at him. He smiled, looking directly at Kushina with his crimson Sharingan spinning wildly. Their mistake.

The next moment, he appeared inside of what looked to be some sort of complex sewer system, having entered Kushina's subconscious with his visual jutsu. Looking in front of him, he saw the massive and grand metal gates of the Kyuubi torn open. Madara had instructed him that normally a small paper seal would be on the front of the gates; a seal that only the Jinchuuriki could touch themselves. But during childbirth, that seal would weaken enough that the Kyuubi would be able to break through it, unleashed within Kushina's subconscious before breaking free entirely. So, if that was the case, where was the tailed beast now?

Walking forward through the gates, he began to hear a sort of monumental breathing sound, something that could only come from a creature as large as the legendary Nine-Tails. Perhaps sensing his presence, a massive snarling noise began to emit, almost sounding as if the creature was in pain. As soon as he walked far enough that the light somehow shifted and he was able to see the creature, his eyes momentarily widened with surprise behind his mask when he saw massive chains swirling with powerful chakra protruding from the ground and enwrapping none other than Lord Kyuubi; the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Who are you and what do you want with the Nine Tails?"

His gaze fell downward to look at the distant humanoid figure that had called out to him. Walking closer, he was able to see that it was Kushina Uzumaki, holding her hands together in the Snake Seal, sweating with concentration and exertion. Ah, so it was her who had summoned the chains.

"Very impressive," Tobi found himself admitting, looking back up to the giant beast behind her. "Going through childbirth while simultaneously suppressing the Kyuubi. You haven't had that fun of a night, have you?"

Kushina didn't seem flattered. "Who the hell are you?!" she demanded, shaking her head in both anger and fatigue, sweat dripping off of her head.

"Unfortunately, I'm here to make your night worse," Tobi continued, ignoring her questions. With one hand, he reached up to his face and gently pulled off the mask which concealed him. He was going to need both of his eyes for what he was about to do.

The look on Kushina's face was fairly amusing, to say the least. "Obito…Uchiha? Is that really you, Obito?"

The Kyuubi stopped struggling for a moment, perhaps sensing something was about to happen after hearing his last name. It actually struggled to turn its massive head and look down at him, eyes widening when it saw the power behind his crimson eyes.

"Those eyes! Kushina, you pitiful brat, stop him!"

Although he was flattered that the Kyuubi saw him as a threat, it was too late. Pushing all of the chakra he could into his eyes, he activated the Mangekyou Sharingan to perform his signature technique, once again.

"Enter the void!" he shouted, his voice strained from his massive effort as blood dripped down both his eyes. "Kamui!"

A black hole the size of his head appeared high in the air, directly above the Kyuubi. Before Kushina could do anything, the constrained demon fox was sucked upwards into the abyss, sucked away in a matter of seconds.

Tobi nearly fell to his knees from exhaustion. He had done it! He had sealed away a tailed beast within his own dimension! His overall visual jutsu and spiritual chakra wasn't quite as strong as Madara's; Madara's Sharingan was powerful enough to use Kotoamatsukami to control any tailed beast, but at least now Tobi was strong enough to be able to temporarily seal them away.

When his Sharingan returned to normal and he opened his eyes, he was standing in the safe house once again, staring at the Fourth Hokage and Kushina. The baby began to cry, and it looked like the Fourth Hokage was either about to say something or attack, but Kushina latched out and grabbed his arms.

"Minato, watch out!" she pleaded, still breathing heavily while holding their newborn child. "He just entered my mind…he stole the Kyuubi from me! It's Obito Uchiha, your old student!"

The Fourth stared at him with open shock. "Stole the Kyuubi? Obito…there's no way, I don't believe it!" he responded, shaking his head back and forth. "Obito died years ago!"

Now that he had sealed away the Kyuubi, Tobi's mission was complete. He just had to return to Madara, and-

SLASH!

Appearing in front of him in an instant, the Fourth Hokage slashed at his face with a kunai. The speed was so blindingly fast that it was all Tobi could to just to lean back to avoid getting his eyes cut out. The blade managed to crack his mask, but luckily, Tobi was somehow able to avoid getting hurt. Before the Fourth could do a follow up, he made sure to half-lash himself into the void. He didn't quite have enough chakra to warp all the way back to Madara's hideout just yet; he needed several seconds to regenerate.

"It is you…Obito…"

As his masked fell to the floor, the Fourth Hokage looked on at him with a mix of confusion, pity and anger. Disgusting. The last thing he needed in the world right now was for this man, a relic of his past life, to begin to lecture him or plead for him to return. Damn him…the Fourth had probably held back on purpose in order to expose him and destroy his mask. He quickly wondered if the Fourth would have killed him instead had Kushina not mentioned his name. Damn them all!

"That's not my name anymore," Tobi smiled bitterly, trying the buy the few seconds he needed before he could fully warp away. "Minato-sensei…it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry I can't stay and talk."

A pitiful tear fell down the side of his old mentor's face. "Obito…I'm so glad…I haven't lost two of my students."

Rage filled inside his heart at the mention of his name again and Rin's death. This bastard…taking a deep breath, he did all that he could to contain his emotions. Not here, not now. His anger and rage were a thing of the past now that he had a new purpose. A new mentor. A stronger purpose, and a stronger mentor! He was no longer Obito; he had emptied his heart, his mind, and his soul.

"…smell you later, old man. And good luck tonight, you'll need it."

With a flare of chakra, Tobi began to vanish, not able to hear the final words that came out of his old sensei's mouth.

Elsewhere

When Tobi lashed back into the world, he fell to his knees, breathing deeply. His hands reached out to the cold stone floor beneath him seeking stability. Despite his exhausted state, he couldn't help the maniacal grin that spread across his disfigured face. He had done it! He hadn't failed Madara!

"You've returned."

Tobi tried to get a hold of his breathing as he looked up upon none other than Madara Uchiha, seated upon a stone chair in this distant, gods-forsaken cave. "Master," he humbly said, not waiting for Madara to ask him the obvious. "I have succeeded in capturing the Nine-Tails. I hold him prisoner within the void as we speak."

Childish as it may be, Tobi had hoped that Madara might break out into a laugh or smile, congratulating him for his success. Instead, the old man simply nodded. "Good. I expected nothing less from my greatest student."

This…this was even better than a smile. All of his life, people looked down on him as a failure. No one had ever expected great things from him…until he met Madara Uchiha. Madara had trained him like none other, and had invested all of his hopes and dreams into him. Yes, Madara Uchiha had invested his faith into a failure like him, Tobi! And now, when tasked with confronting the Fourth Hokage and the Nine-Tailed fox, Madara wasn't even surprised at his success. That was how much Madara believed in him. It filled his heart with warmth and hope…this was a man he would die for. This was a man who believed in him and would help his dreams become reality.

"And your mask?" Madara continued, noticing he had returned uncovered. "Has the Leaf Village discovered your identity?"

Tobi dropped his head in shame. "Master…I have failed to killed the Fourth Hokage. I was simply too exhausted after sealing the Kyuubi within the void…after I left Kushina's subconscious, the Fourth attacked me and destroyed my mask. Only he and Kushina saw my face. Master…I'm so sorry…"

Madara shook his head and promptly dismissed his apology. With great apparent effort, he managed to stand up from his throne. "Rise, my apprentice," he stated, slowly walking over to him. "You have not failed me. Killing the Fourth Hokage was never an important matter in the first place. Your mission was a success. You have done the Uchiha proud, my boy."

Tobi nodded, resisting the urge to wipe away the tear of gratitude and relief that managed to escape one of his eyes. Left alone, it mixed in with the blood that was still smeared on his face. Madara wasn't disappointed in him after all. The ancient man, his sensei, slowly walked over to him until he was standing up in front of him. Madara's white hair was so long that it nearly touched the floor. This man was old and close to death's door; it was imperative that Tobi succeeded in this mission. Madara didn't have much time left, after all.

"Do you have enough chakra left to cast me into the void?" Madara asked him, gently placing his withered hand on Tobi's shoulder. "I wish to confront the Kyuubi now, while I still have the energy. I want you to wait five minutes once I'm inside, and then cast me back."

Tobi nodded vigorously as he stood to his feet. This was it! This was the moment they had been planning for years now. Using most of his remaining energy, his pushed his chakra into his eyes to form the Mangekyou once again, this time aiming his visual jutsu at his sensei.

"Good luck, sensei. Kamui!"

Just like before with the Kyuubi, a small dark ball appeared above Madara, although this ball was no larger than his fist. Within a handful of seconds, Madara's imaged wavered until he was sucked into the same void that Tobi had imprisoned the Kyuubi in.

As soon as his sensei disappeared, Tobi fell once more to the ground, exhausted once again. He groaned and clutched at his eyes as blood continued to drip from them. The pain was excruciating; even though he had only been training with the Mangekyou for little more than a year, it had taken a toll on him. He could barely see ten feet in front of him now, even with a new Sharingan transplanted into the other side of his face. It was amazing how quickly his vision was deteriorating using these cursed eyes. It was like he was given the powers of a god…but he could only use it for a year of his life before he was left blind. Unlike Madara-sensei, he didn't have a brother whose eyes he could steal to gain the Eternal Mangekyou. Tobi would have to rely on the storage of Sharingan that Madara had collected over the years.

Five minutes passed, and Tobi had regained enough chakra to summon his sensei back. He felt nervous as he gathered his chakra once more; he felt as if Fate itself was watching him in this moment. Right now, he had Madara Uchiha and the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed away indefinitely inside of a different dimension. They would never be able to escape; Tobi's Mangekyou had unlocked Kamui first, a technique that Madara himself had never mastered. Tobi had been able to use his Mangekyou to manipulate time and space in a way so profound that he was able to leave this dimension and enter other ones entirely…if he did nothing now, Madara Uchiha and the Tailed Beast would be sealed away for eternity. But if he summoned his sensei, then the future of the world would change forever.

The choice was easy. This world was no longer his own. A world without Rin…that was a world he didn't want to be a part of. Madara would change that. Madara would change everything!

"Kamui!"

Another black sphere appeared in front of him as he focused his mind and summoned Madara. Sure enough, a man fell out of the sphere and landed in front of him. When Tobi looked up at him, he worried for a moment that something had gone terribly wrong…this man…

His black hair was so long that it nearly reached the floor. His red and ancient Uchiha armor was the same as Madara's…but the man who donned it looked to be no older than 30 years old. As his eyes met the man's face, he had no doubt anymore. This man was Madara Uchiha…but how had he become so young?

"Hahaha…what's the matter, Tobi?" Madara jovially asked him, his voice nearly the same as before, though not as gravely. "It's still me! I've tamed the Nine-Tails, and absorbed enough of its energy and life force that my own has been returned. I stand before you, Madara Uchiha, at last."

Tobi fell to his knees once again, though this time it was voluntary. He bowed before his revived sensei, the man who's Sharingan was so powerful that it could tame even the Nine-Tails. "Master," he humbly prostrated himself, almost giddy with excitement. He had wondered how Madara would attack and destroy the Leaf Village like he had claimed, but now he understood. He was glad that he had fully put his faith in Madara, trusting him the entire way. Who was he to question the ways of someone like Madara in the first place? For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are Madara's ways higher than his own, and Madara's thoughts higher than his own.

"Do not kneel before me any longer, my pupil," Madara calmly stated, his voice deep and full of emotion. "At this point, you are no longer my student. You are my peer, my partner in trying to right the wrongs of this world. I will never forget your contributions to my plan, Tobi. When I remake the world, I will ensure you and your love are a part of it as we originally agreed upon. I will never go back on my word, after all."

This time his tears freely fell down from his face. Tobi couldn't help but be overjoyed that his sensei continued to honor his words and their promise. Madara would create a new world, a world with Rin, a world without war, a world where Tobi would be reborn.

"Good luck, Madara," Tobi stated, already knowing what Madara was planning. "I'm sure the Hidden Village of the Leaf will fall before your renewed might and the Nine-Tails. I wish I could join you…but my chakra…"

Madara actually smiled at him actually placed a fatherly hand on his head. "Don't worry, Tobi," he said, his voice genuine like his grin. "I'll come back for you when I've finished destroying the corruption of the Leaf Village. And when I do, we will start the next phase of our plan. We will capture the remaining Tailed Beasts and execute the Moon's Eye plan. Your work, your pain, and your servitude will pay off, my friend."

Friend? Was this really how Madara viewed him now? As a friend and a peer? Tobi refrained from crying and further embarrassing himself before his sensei; it was all he could do. Madara lifted his hand off of his shoulder and began to walk toward the exit of their hideout. Before he left into the night, he turned around and looked at Tpno, his eyes transformed into the legendary Eternal Mangekyou.

"Tobi …" he stated, the grin from before still lingering on his face. "You and I will end the war that plagues this world. We will achieve true peace! We will eradicate evil once and for all! I will become the God of our new world, and I will reward you for your great service."

With that, Madara disappeared from view, and Fate began to spin into motion, issuing about a revolutionary change in the ninja world.

Konoha – Third Hokage

He had truly hoped that he would never have to don this armor again in his lifetime.

Hiruzen Sarutobi finished strapping the last gauntlet to his wrist just as a ninja entered into his office, sweating from exhaustion.

"Lord Third!" the ninja panted out, bent over and breathing heavily. "The Nine-Tailed Fox has appeared within the village! Its destroying everything, and the Fourth Hokage is nowhere to be seen!"

Hiruzen solemnly nodded. He had sensed the evil presence within the village even before the first explosion had erupted, and he knew that something terrible was about to happen. He turned to look at the messenger ninja for the first time, strapping his headband onto his head at last.

"I understand. Tell the Head Ninja to rally the Jonin and Anbu and begin attacking the Kyuubi. The Chunin and Genin are to begin evacuating and protecting the civilians at once! I will head straight to battle. Go at once!"

The ninja promptly saluted him before he sped away. "Yes sir!"

With a sigh, Hiruzen ran forward and jumped out of his office window and onto a nearby roof, looking around to get a better view of the village. He didn't even need to see the Kyuubi before he began heading toward it's direction; the sheer evil presence of its chakra was so powerful that any ninja would be able to find the source with their eyes closed.

As soon as he approached the great beast, the Kyuubi actually turned its head toward him, as if sensing his presence. What was even worse…my god, could it be? Was there a person standing on top of the Kyuubi's head?

"Summoning Jutsu: Come Forth, Great Monkey King Enma!"

Not taking any risks, Hiruzen bit his thumb and summoned forth his greatest ally and weapon, Enma. Appearing through a small cloud of smoke, Enma's eyes widened when he saw the great demon ravaging the village in front of them.

"Good lord, it's the Nine-Tails!" he exclaimed, turning back to look at Hiruzen. "What is the hell is going on, Sarutobi?"

"The Kyuubi has appeared within the village, and it looks like there's someone who summoned it!" Hiruzen quickly explained, pointing back to the giant fox. "Look! There, on top of the beast's head, you can see someone standing!"

Sure enough, with a closer look, Enma was able to spot the humanoid shape of a person standing on top of the fox that was destroying everything within reach. Several of the shinobi who happened to be around the area tried to jump and attack the great beast; any that went past the notice of the Kyuubi, the person on top would incinerate with incredible fire jutsu. What vicious chakra! Even from here, with the full force of the Kyuubi permeating the entire village with and evil aura, Hiruzen and Enma could sense the presence of that man's chakra, even more sinister than the Kyuubi's.

"Let's not waste any time, Enma!" Hiruzen shouted out to his companion. "Transform and help me push the fox out of village!"

"Right! Here I go Sarutobi!"

In another blast of smoke, Enma transformed in the famed black diamond staff and flew toward Hiruzen who caught it out of the air and spun it around to face the Nine-Tails. "Here we go!" he shouted while pushing his chakra into the staff. Instantly, the staff expanded outwards at an incredible rate, shooting forth hundreds of yards in a second all while expanding as it went. By the time it reached the Kyuubi, the end of the staff was larger than a house. It slammed into the beast with so much force that it actually managed to push it back, sending it flying backwards and outside of the villages perimeter.

A massive cheer arose from the shinobi who had been in the area to see this incredible feat. Seconds later, Shikaku, the Head Ninja under the Fourth Hokage, landed next to Hiruzen. All around them, Jonin and Anbu ninja sped toward the Kyuubi, arriving not a moment too late.

"Lord Third!" Shikaku called out to him as we ran up to him. "I've briefed the high-level ninja. They're to keep fighting the Kyuubi and keep it out of the village now…but the Fourth Hokage is nowhere to be found!"

Damn it all, where are you Minato! He knew that Minato was supposed to be guarding Kushina while she gave birth and the seal on the Kyuubi was weak. Obviously, he had failed…the Kyuubi had been summoned here, which meant that Minato wasn't able to successfully protect Kushina and keep the Nine-Tails sealed away. Was it possible…was the man on top of the Kyuubi now responsible for stealing the Nine-Tails and setting it lose in the village? Had he killed the Fourth Hokage as well? Who was capable of such a feat?

Hiruzen followed the lead of the ninja around him and charged forward, passing over the village wall to attack the Kyuubi. Whoever this man was who had summoned the Kyuubi, Hiruzen would find out once and for all and put an end to all this! Slamming Enma into the ground, Hiruzen pushed chakra once again into the staff, this time extending himself into the air at rapid speeds, flying high above even the Kyuubi. Once he was high enough, he retracted his staff back to normal size and began his descent, heading toward the Kyuubi's head. At this angle, he might be able to use the staff to break the Nine-Tail's skull…if the worse came to pass, then he always had the forbidden sealing technique, the Reaper Death Seal, that he could use to-

Before he could get close to the fox, the man who had summoned it appeared in the air beneath him, reaching out his sword in an attempt to impale Hiruzen. Just in time, Hiruzen managed to spin Enma around and block the blade, though they were now locked in mid-air. His eyes widened dramatically when he was finally able to see the face of Konoha's attacker up close. Impossible…this was none other than Madara Uchiha!

Hiruzen immediately averted his eyes away from Madara's Sharingan, knowing that looking into them would mean certain death. Taking advantage of his surprise, Madara spun in the air and kicked Hiruzen away, the sheer strength of the blow cracking several of his ribs and sending him flying off to the side.

"Ah!" Hiruzen cried out in pain as a Konoha ninja interrupted his descent, catching him before he collided with the forest canopy. It's Madara Uchiha. he…didn't know how, but Madara is somehow alive and summoned the Kyuubi to attack the village. What was worse, none of the attacks the Konoha ninja were throwing at the demon were doing absolutely anything to stop it. Slowly but surely it moved forward, getting close again to the village walls. There was no other option…he would have to use the Reaper Death Seal and seal away the Nine-Tails within himself before it could reach-

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Before the Kyuubi could scale the wall, a massive cloud of smoke erupted directly above it, and none other than Gamabunta, the Fourth Hokage's giant toad summon, fell from the sky and landed directly on top of the Nine-Tails. Standing on top of Gamabunta…it was the Fourth Hokage! Thank goodness, he was alive after all!

However, just as quickly as their savior appeared, soon both the Fourth and the Nine-Tails disappeared in a massive flash of yellow light. That was Hiraishin…the Flying Thunder God Jutsu! Several of the ninja around the scene let off a premature round of cheers, thinking the beast to have been slain. Hiruzen knew better…where in the world had the Fourth taken them?

Not even several seconds after the Nine-Tails and the Fourth vanished, a large explosion went off miles away from the village, causing Hiruzen and the other shinobi to turn in surprise.

"Over there!" Hiruzen called out, jumping next to the Head Ninja once again. "Shikaku, assemble a squad of the best Anbu who are prepared to give up everything to follow me after the Fourth Hokage. I think I know what's he's planning to do…and I must stop him! Everyone else is to protect the village in case we fail!"

Later

By the time they arrived at the scene, it was too late. The Fourth Hokage had set up some sort of barrier that prevented anything from coming in or leaving. No one else but the Fourth could possibly pull off sealing jutsu of this level by himself, not even Jiraiya! Hiruzen and the Anbu who had caught up with him sprinted around the perimeter of the chakra barrier until they managed to see through a clearing at what was transpiring within.

The Kyuubi was bound in chains by none other than Kushina Uzumaki, and standing to her right was Minato Namikaze, bringing up his hands to form multiple seals.

"Those hand-signs!" Hiruzen found himself saying aloud when Minato finished at last, confirming his fears. The Fourth plans of sacrificing himself for the village; he plans on sealing the beast within him!

The Kyuubi suddenly began to roar beneath the bladed chains holding him down, and chakra began to visibly separate from him and fly toward Minato. Within seconds, the Nine-Tails actually began to visibly shrink in size, until Minato fell over from exhaustion.

"What…I don't understand," Hiruzen said, looking onward with the other Anbu. "He should've sealed the demon away with that technique! Did he not have enough-"

"Lord Third!" one of the Anbu interrupted him, pointing forward past Minato. "Look at the center, in front of Fourth Hokage! It's a child!"

Sure enough, in front of both Kushina and Minato, Hiruzen could just barely make out the details of a baby lying within a strange sort of ritualistic shrine, crying out in fear. From here, he could easily see the bright blonde hair that adorned the boys head, mirroring the color of the Fourth's…my God, that was his newborn son! He was planning on sealing the rest of the Kyuubi within his own son!

"Minato, you fool!" Hiruzen cried out, yearning with all of his heart that the Fourth would turn around and hear him over the roaring of the Kyuubi. "Don't do this! Let me take the place of the child! Seal the Kyuubi within me instead!"

Either not hearing him or ignoring him, Minato walked forward to the altar before forming more complex seals. No, Minato, please don't…not within your own-

"Death Reaper Seal!"

Later

Walking up to the altar with tears in his eyes, Hiruzen looked down at the child who was still crying out in fear. Naruto…that was the name Minato had chosen for him. Looking around at the battleground, Hiruzen saw the dead bodies of Kushina and Minato, as well as scorch marks all over the place…but where was Madara Uchiha? Had that man managed to escape somehow? How was he even alive in the first place, and why did-

Hiruzen's thoughts came to a pause when he noticed that the baby Naruto suddenly stopped crying. He walked over to the shrine to take a quick look at the seal that now adorned the baby's stomach, kneeling down next to him and tracing a finger over the vast complexities of the seal. That's strange…the seal itself looks different from how Jiraiya described what it should look like. Had Minato made an error?

Suddenly, he froze when he felt the presence of a powerful chakra, more sinster than the Kyuubi's itself, emitting from the baby. His heart nearly stopped as he slowly looked up to Naruto's eyes. They glowed a bright crimson red, with three tomoe in each iris. There was no doubt; this was the Sharingan. But just as quickly as it had appeared, the baby blinked and his eyes returned back to a clear blue. The Third Hokage slowly and fearfully looked down to the seal on Naruto's stomach, coming to the terrible realization that something more powerful than the Kyuubi had just been sealed away within the boy's stomach.

Madara Uchiha.

End

Thanks for giving this story a try. While it's true that I started this story before Naruto was finished, I decided to come back and revamp the first chapter, to make it fit more with the original universe as well as the future of the plot.

Here are the key differences between my story and the Naruto Universe; if they are too extreme for your then you'll know at this point that this story is not for you.

-Madara Uchiha is sealed within Naruto. Reason: Main premise of this story, Sinister Chakra

-Realistic power development. This is not a "Naruto is as strong as Orochimaru by chapter 2 story". It will, however, feature a smart, realistic and powerful Naruto who grows throughout the story.

-Hinata was born a Senju, not a Hyuga. Reason: The main hero, Naruto will be an Uchiha in this fic, so I originally thought it might be interesting to have his best friend be born a Senju. More reasons will be revealed.

-Yahiko has the Rinnegan, not Nagato. This is intentional. Please don't review to tell me that I made a mistake. Reason: To give the Akatsuki a new and unique twist now that it has different leadership.

-One or two minor original characters / age differences

-Naruto is adopted by the Uchiha and becomes a powerful, smart and realistic protagonist

Hope you give this story a chance and enjoy it! Leave a review if you want to help me better develop the story.

I also create video game remixes on youtube. Feel free to check out my profile for a link!

-williams5505