Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Due to recent success with my other fic, I've decided post this new one that I've wanted to write for a while.

I hope you you'll all like what I think is a original new story that I've written up. I've been thinking about this scenario for a while now, if all the jinchuriki had actually been brought together at some point and this was the result. This story was partly inspired by my other fic, New Life, Second Chances. But anyway, I'm rambling and you should be reading.

Anyway, I hope you'll all like my new fic. Treat it with respect, 'kay? Enjoy.

Prologue

Konohagakure, the village hidden in the leaf, was one of the greatest shinobi villages in the land. Its lands were prosperous, it was the home to many elite and promising ninja, held many prestigious and powerful bloodlines, and it was recognized for its power by the other villages across the land. In many of these areas, Konoha was envied by the other villages.

Hiruzen Sarutobi was Konoha's third hokage. He was proud of his country, and he did his best to lead it. He had won many titles due to his accomplishments, and was well known for his kindness and understanding of others. During the tough times he had helped Konoha get through hell without a thought for himself, only caring for the safety of the people he had vowed to protect. The ninja were loyal to him, and the villagers adored him.

"We apologize for our behavior, Hokage-sama."

Sarutobi sighed. He loved his village and would do anything for it, but sometimes he just didn't like the people very much.

The hokage looked at the group of village residents in front of him with disdain. The men and women in the small group all smiled sheepishly at him, muttering apologies for their offense. A frequently repeated offense. The same offense many of the other villagers were guilty of. The man's eyes slowly turned towards a small body cowering in the corner of the room, far away from the villagers.

Sarutobi looked sadly at the quaking form of Naruto Uzumaki. He clenched his knees close to his body, settling his head on top of them. Cuts and bruises were all over his legs and forearms, evidence to the villagers' abuse on him. While most of the cuts and scars had healed thanks to the boy's… condition, it wasn't enough to hide the villagers' crime.

"I had never wished this for this to happen to you, Naruto. You don't deserve it." Sarutobi thought sadly as he turned back towards the villagers.

"Um… do we have your permission to leave, hokage-sama?" One villager asked uneasily.

The man shot a piercing glare towards the villager who spoke. Many of these offenders would get a much harsher punishment, just not in front of the public eye.

"Yes, you can all go home." Sarutobi sighed. "It had better not happen again."

"Yes, Hokage-sama." The group of villagers chorused.

Hiruzen sighed once more. He knew damn well it would happen again…

The villagers hurriedly shuffled out the door, but not before shooting a few final glares towards the small body that was huddled in the corner.

Once they had all left, the Sandaime got up from his chair and made his way over to Naruto. The man knelt down in front of the boy and gave him a comforting smile.

"Naruto, they're gone…" The man said soothingly.

"…Jiji-san…?"

Naruto slowly raised his head. Tears were lingering in the corner of his eyes and a large cut was slowly starting to heal on his head.

"Why do the villagers do those things to me?" The boy asked with a desperate edge to his voice. "Did… did I do something wrong?"

"No, Naruto. You have done NOTHING wrong." Sarutobi assured the boy with a comforting smile.

"I just wish the villagers could see that."

"T-Then why do they always…?"

Sarutobi sighed and placed his hand on the boy's head and rubbed it affectionately. He wished he could do more for Naruto, he really did, but his position in the village wouldn't allow him to be there for the blonde child 24/7. Even those who would've been fit to watch over him had abandoned the boy, even if they had their own reasons for doing so. What Sarutobi could do for Naruto in front of the village, and the council, was very limited.

The most he could do was comfort him when he came crying to him.

"How about we go get you some ramen?" Sarutobi offered, still wearing a smile on his face. "My treat."

"O-Okay…" Naruto mumbled, wiping the tears from his eyes. He gave his benefactor a large smile.

Hiruzen smiled back. A happy expression was better suited for the young boy.

Even as Naruto pulled the man towards the door with an excited smile, the Hokage's thoughts drifted to his harsh treatment by the villagers. What had happened to the village and various families was tragic, but how could they push all their hate onto a child? Did nobody see what was wrong with that? They all honestly thought that this sweet, smiling boy was the Kyuubi incarnate instead of its jailer.

"Minato… how disappointed you would be right now…" Sarutobi said softly, wishing Naruto didn't have to become the jinchuriki of the nine-tailed fox.

He only wished the boy had someone who could be there for him… someone else who knew the same pain he did…

X.X.X.X.X-Somewhere in Kumogakure-X.X.X.X.X

"Hey, c'mon Yugito, don't cry."

"Sniff… waaaaah…! Sniff…"

"Don't worry about them. They don't know what they're talking about."

Bee sighed as the blonde haired girl in front of him continued to bawl her eyes out. He pulled up the corners of his mouth and gave her his biggest smile.

"C'mon, don't cry, Yugito. Those tears will mess up your pretty face, y'know?"

The girl giggled through her sobs when Bee bad attempt at rapping. She wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at the older boy's attempt to cheer her up.

"Thanks Bee." Yugito smiled. She frowned when she noticed something red on his face. "You… you're bleeding!"

Her hand flew to his face, where a small trail of blood was dripping out of his nose. The boy's eyes widened and he hastily rubbed the blood off.

"D-Don't worry about somethin' like that, see. I could take them on easy 'cause I'm Killer Bee."

Yugito ignored Bee's rhyming and started to tear up again. She threw her arms around the teen's waist and cried into his shirt.

"I'm so sorry…" Yugito cried. "B-Because of me you were…!"

"Hey, hey… I told you its fine…" Bee smiled down at her as he stroked the top of her head. He sighed down at his fellow jinchuriki.

Words like "monster" and "demon" echoed in the teen's head. Bee dreamed of earning the village's admiration one day, though he wasn't sure beating them up was the best way to do it…

…But he was willing to get his hands dirty if it meant protecting those who wanted to hurt Yugito. He was old enough to take a beating, but he wouldn't let Yugito be subjected to the same kind of treatment.

X.X.X.X.X-Somewhere in Iwagakure-X.X.X.X.X

A young teen gently rubbed the cloth against the red plate he was holding. Though just by looking at him, he could pass himself off as a young adult. The boy was rather tall for his age, wearing a long black gi complimented by black gloves and boots while his short black hair was obscured by the straw hat he wore.

"Ah, good." The teen smiled as he held up the red plate he had been polishing, appreciating the sheen he was rewarded. He placed the red plate on a pile which contained other plates similar to it. "I still have a long ways to go."

Han sat at the edge of a hot spring, watching the steam rise up from it. The boy sighed in contentment as the hot moisture caressed his tanned face as he stared down into the clear, warm waters the spring contained.

The teen frowned when he noticed some of the water had turned red. Han's eyes narrowed at the body that floated inside the spring.

"Damn, one of the bodies fell into the spring." Han muttered as he got up from his seat.

He didn't bother looking at all the dead bodies that were scattered atop the rocks around the spring. All their faces were red and some of their flesh looked like it had been burned. Han growled in disdain as he picked up his red armor plates off the ground.

"Idiot humans, your blood ruined a great hot spring." The jinchuriki growled as he kicked one of the bodies beside him. "I'll never finish making my steam armor if this keeps up…"

It was the tenth squad sent to attack him this week, and for him, it was starting to get old really fast…

X.X.X.X.X-Elsewhere in Iwagakure-X.X.X.X.X

Roshi sat under a waterfall with his palms together as he tried to concentrate.

He was trying to dig deep into his mind. He tried seeing what was inside. He needed to better understand what was inside him. He hoped that if he did, he would feel welcome when he decided to return home.

"We both know that's a lie."

Roshi was not fazed by this. His eyes clenched tighter together as he tried to delve deeper into his mind.

"They'll never understand. Why don't you just accept that?"

All of Roshi's muscles tightened as he tried to gain a visual in his mind. He wanted to see the beast with his own eyes…

Suddenly, it was his vision exploded. Flames danced around in his eyesight as a red creature with four tails cried out in front of him.

"WE'VE GOT COMPANY!"

Roshi's eyes shot open. About a dozen ninja, all wearing the Iwagakure headband on their foreheads were advancing towards him. Some looked threatening, while most looked fearful.

Roshi sighed as he made a few hand signs. The temperature around him drastically increased. A small smile made its way onto the man's face.

"I was so close this time too." Roshi pouted to himself as he stood up.

The area exploded into a field of fire and lava.

X.X.X.X.X-Somewhere in Takigakure-X.X.X.X.X

"C'mon! Is that all you've got!"

Fu delivered a hard kick to the side of the downed boy's face. The boy was at least a few years older than her, but he was holding his hands up in surrender.

The group of four helped their leader off the ground and took off, shooting glares at the small girl who had kicked all of their butts.

"Yeah, that's right! You had better run!" Fu called after them, a look of mad fury etched on her face.

Fu stopped yelling when she couldn't see her bullies any longer. Even after a scuffle like that, she was relatively unscathed barring a few bruises. Her minty green hair was stained with a bit of blood too. She bent down and picked up her orange hair clip off the ground and reattached it to keep her bangs out of her eyes. Fu clenched her fists angrily by her sides.

Just because her brusies healed up quickly didn't mean she couldn't feel pain. In more ways than one too…

"I'm not a monster…" Fu mumbled angrily as she balled her hands into fists. The words of the boys who had attacked her echoed in her ears. "I'm not a demon…"

Her eyes widened. She turned took off in a sprint down the street. The boys had come back…

...But they had brought their parents and sharp objects back with them.

X.X.X.X.X-Somewhere in Kirigakure-X.X.X.X.X

Utakata stared down at the body of his dead master. The teen slowly raised his hands up as he felt the last of the Rokubi's chakra diminish.

"Is this the power you sought for yourself, master?" Utakata asked in a hollow voice. "You wanted to kill me just so you could have the power I am cursed with…?"

He was betrayed. The man who he had held in such high regard had betrayed him for the power of the demon beast inside him.

Utakata picked up his discarded tools and hurriedly left the area. There was no way his transformation had gone unnoticed. Hunter-nin would be swarming the place soon, and that was something he didn't need to deal with at the moment. Utakata's teeth clenched together as his emotions raged inside him.

Who else had experienced such betrayal…?

X.X.X.X.X-Somewhere in Sunagakure-X.X.X.X.X

"Why… why… why…?"

A young Gaara chanted these words as he rocked himself back and forth. Tears streamed down the boy's face as sand violently danced around him. Some of the sand was red, stained with the blood of the only man who had cared for him…

...No, the only man who had thought had cared for him.

"No, no. Uncle Yashamaru wouldn't try to kill me. He loved me… he loves me…!"

Gaara muttered the words desperately under his breath. He slowly, fearfully, raised his head and screamed when he saw the red sand again. His uncle's words played through his head, increasing his anguish and torture.

You're wrong… I always hated you…

Gaara continued to sob as a small line of sand rose up and carved the Kanji symbol for "Love" onto his forehead. He ignored the pain as his uncle's final words, his last wish, echoed in his mind.

Please… die…!

Gaara's screamed, unleashing all his anger, sorrow, and turmoil in one breath. The boy's consciousness faded as his shout slowly died. The boy collapsed into his sand as it danced around him.

From his position in the Kazekage's tower, Gaara's father let out a low growl when he heard the Ichibi's screeching roar.

X.X.X.X.X-In Kirigakure, the Mizukage's tower-X.X.X.X.X

Yagura gasped and sat up in his bed, cold sweat dripping down his back as he freed himself from the nightmare he had been having. The Mizukage let out a shaky sigh as he slowly calmed down, throwing the bed sheets off his body and placing his feet on the floor.

"Restless creature…" Yagura murmured as he hoisted himself out of bed.

He was already wide awake, so there was really no point in going back to sleep.

Yagura made his way over to the window and pulled up a chair, sitting down on it as he gazed towards the night sky. The moon seemed hazy since the fog blanketed the village in a veil of gray. The Yondaime Mizukage massaged his temples lightly as his head throbbed.

An occasional nightmare was common for the young kage, since the demon inside him was so fond of messing with his head. The Sanbi had a fondness for hallucinations, so the nightmares were often very creative, and felt very real. Still, Yagura had long since gotten used to these dreams. He was in full control of the demon inside him, but whenever he was asleep it gave the beast a good opportunity to toy with his mind.

However, this nightmare had been something different.

"It's not often I dream of the past." Yagura mused as he leaned back in his chair.

It wasn't even a nightmare, really. It was more of a memory. A memory that was more dreadful to him than any nightmare. It was something he didn't like to remember.

His childhood.

Because of the demon inside of him, he had been hated by the villagers. Everyone had seen him as the demon and not the crying child who was desperate for love and understanding from those around him. Only after he discovered the demon inside him, along with a couple life changing moments, drove him to become the man he was today. He decided to use the demon's powers to become strong and gain the respect he yearned for.

Slowly, but surely, Yagura became powerful. It was a long, bloodstained road, but eventually he had gained the power to become the fourth Mizukage of Kirigakure.

Of course, power yielded two fruits: Love and Fear.

During his ascension to power, there had been those who had gathered around him because of his strength, willing to support him. Many had come to look up to him. He had many allies now, but there were only a few he truly trusted. Still, those who knew him knew that he was a kind person, no matter how much he denied it. Without those people there to help him, Yagura's goal would have taken much longer to achieve.

Then again, the majority still feared him. A good many of the villagers disagreed with Yagura's harsh methods and somewhat cold demeanor towards certain issues. It was because of this that Kirigakure had earned its nickname. Yagura did not believe a benevolent ruler could be a strong one. He was not naïve enough to think that.

That mindset had forced him to get his hands dirty frequently. Those who would challenge whether or not Yagura would follow through with his drastic actions, which was very often, were always proven wrong.

Despite all this, people respected him without question. He was powerful, he was feared, he was loved, even if it was only by a few, and he was happy. Compared to how things used to be for him, Yagura was very content with his life.

...Yet, the dream had got him thinking. Many times he had wished someone had been there for him when he was younger. No one had taught him how to read, fight, or anything. Up until his late teens he always had to do everything himself.

Yagura's eyes drifted over to the papers that lay on top of his desk. Personal papers on issues that were known only to him and a few others. Things he had taken an interest in and chosen to keep an eye on. He got up and made his way over to the desk, picking up a piece of paper.

He blamed his paranoia for this, but he had kept tabs on certain people in the other villages recently…

The paper was a list. A list containing nine names, his included. Yagura silently stared down at the paper, slowly scanning over each name.

"I wonder…" The Mizukage murmured, staring at the names.

Nine hosts, nine Demons.

He wondered if they had experienced the same pain he had.

"I wonder if I can help them." Yagura muttered quietly as he was hit with a sudden impulse.

He wanted to meet the other containers. He wanted to be there for those who were like him.

A/N: And that's the prologue for you. I don't expect to get a lot of feedback since it's the teaser chapter, but still.

Personally, I really liked how it turned out even for a prologue. I've already got plans for this story, and it'll be my attempt to write something that's not completely based off the canon storyline. I'm trying to make this new story a completely original one.

This chapter served to introduce all nine of the main characters who will eventually meet up in the next couple of chapters. I'll be tweaking scenarios a bit to suit my needs, and I'll have info on the containers in the next chapter. Like their ages, personality and whatnot so you can get an idea of what their characters will be like.

I've got confidence in this fic, but it's a side project. My main focus is still NLSC, but I'll update this story when I'm not working on it. But hey, if this story gets enough support I may start updating it as quickly as my other one.

Anyway, tell me what you thought and I'd appreciate it if you guys would review. The next chapter will be up will be up eventually. Until next time.

Kiiam