Authors Note: While trying to force myself to come up with a new chapter for Soul Shinobi, this idea popped up in my head and would not go away or let me do anything else until I wrote it down. This is a minor crossover with "The Count of Monte Cristo", in that the theme and some plot elements are the same. However, since there is no crossover section for "The Count of Monte Cristo" (or if there is one then I'm sure that no one would ever bother looking for it), I'm putting this in the normal Naruto section.

I'm also adjusting the ages in this one. While normally the character graduate from the academy at 12-13 years of age, here it will be around 15-16 years old. It fits the theme of the story better, as well as allows for a more badass Naruto that's believably kickass earlier in the story. Most of the events that happen in the original storyline will still occur, but everyone will be older.

Please, let me know what you guys think about the story. Since I only started this to get it out of my head, I have no plans to continue it really (for a while anyways, I never abandon any story although I may rewrite one), but if enough people want me to continue this than I may give it a higher priority than some of my other stories.

I don't own Naruto or the "Count of Monte Cristo".

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Demon/Summon Speech"

'Demon/Summon Thoughts'

Jutsu/Skills

Chapter 1: Prison

Startling blue eyes opened, their owner awakening to hear the constant dripping noise that has been his companion for the past ten years. The eyes looked back and forth, accustomed to the dim lighting that at times approached near darkness, and once more verified that nothing has changed. The cell he was in was as cold and damp as it has always been.

The owner of the eyes stood up from his sleeping area, that was little more than a cold stone bench with a small amount of old hay covering it, along with an old and tattered blanket. He then approached the single, tiny window that his cell had, gazing upon the small patch of blue sky that was visible. The light now illuminated him, revealing blond, spiky hair that fell to the small of his back. His skin, once lightly tanned to the point where most would call sun kissed, was now a pale, but still healthy, color. The light revealed that the figure was a boy, about twelve years old and tall for his age, who was wearing loose clothing that while old and faded was still serviceable. The shirt and pants were a light tan, although they may have started a different color, and they were covered with dirt and old stains. On each wrist he had a manacle fastened on him, with a slightly glowing seal where the joint was located. The most distinctive features about the boy however were the six lines on his face, three on each cheek, reminiscent of whisker marks.

As he stood there, watching the small patch of blue sky, he began to wonder about the odd feeling that he had when he woke up. Something was going to happen today, which was odd because nothing unexpected ever happened since he was locked up. Not since six and a half years ago. Still, the feeling wouldn't go away. Something was going to happen today, and the fact that he had no idea as to what that was gave him pause.

Based on his track record, surprises were almost never good.

Hiruzen Sarutobi stopped at the entrance to the building he was about to enter along with his six guards and gave it a good look. Here, this place, was a reminder of the failures of the shinobi world, but most importantly, of his greatest failure. He gave a sad sigh, a grimace prominent upon his features, and continued into the building while lost in thought.

A place where the worst shinobi across the Elemental Nations were sent to. Known to not care about the circumstances of the prisoner's imprisonment, it's a place famous for never having allowed anyone to escape. It's said that there are only two ways out of the prison, death or a request for release from the imprisoning village.

A guard came up to Hiruzen's party and stopped them. "My lord Hokage, we received word of your coming and request and have made arrangements. You will be allowed to bring up to two guards with you while you visit the prisoner in question, the rest will remain here. I will wait for you to choose them before I lead you to the cell in question."

Hiruzen nodded in thought and quickly chose the two who would follow him. "Tiger, Dog, with me." Calling out to those two masked men, one having short brown hair and another having silver hair that seemed to defy gravity, caused them to flank them on either side. With that the guard led them to the purpose of his trip.

Naruto Uzumaki.

Even now, just the thought of his name filled him with shame. Shame for his greatest failure, and how he failed his successor's last request. It filled him with shame for his village, Konohagakure, at how they treated the boy and how they wronged him.

Seven years ago, shortly after Naruto had turned five, there was a murder in the slums of Konoha. Normally that wouldn't be too strange, and nothing that would specifically cause the Hokage much trouble. Odds were that the murder would never have even been brought to his attention. Except that the evidence pointed to the murderer being Naruto Uzumaki.

Never mind that it was an obvious frame. There was no way that a five year old who had no training whatsoever could kill a grown man who it was later discovered had worked as an enforcer for a local yakuza gang. And never mind that this happened suspiciously shortly after it was announced that Naruto would be joining the NinjaAcademy when he turned six. There was evidence that pointed to Naruto being the murderer and that was enough for the civilian side of the Council. With barely a trial, one that was obviously a sham, he was convicted of the murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in the highest security prison.

Hiruzen still remembered how Naruto had pleaded his innocence and begged for his "Jiji" to help him and not let them take him away. And then the look of betrayal on his face as Hiruzen stood by and did nothing. He had moved to a window and seen his face as he was led to the secure carriage to be transported to the prison. His eyes that were once so full of life had been dead.

Thinking about his failure back then caused Hiruzen to draw a slightly shuddering breath as he calmed his emotions. Starting today he would be able to begin making amends. Starting today he would try to fix what he had allowed to happen. He looked to his right as the masked silver haired man, knowing that similar thoughts were running through his head.

The only slightly good thing about the result was that it denied Danzo Shimura a chance to turn him into an emotionless killer. After the sentence was passed, Danzo had proposed an alternative, to allow him to take the young jinchuriki under his wing and mold him into a weapon that would only do what was commanded of him by the council. With that, Hiruzen knew who had engineered the entire thing. However Danzo had underestimated the civilian's hatred for the boy, and they had denied his request.

Now however, Hiruzen could make things right.

Thanks to circumstances, he would now be able to free Naruto Uzumaki.

As Naruto was sitting in his cell, staring out of his window, he heard a noise that he hadn't heard since the day he arrived, the sound of the door to his cell opening. He didn't bother to turn around and kept staring out the window, sensing instead who was behind him. He had long sensed the arrivals to the prison, and was now sensing four signatures behind him, one familiar one belonging to a guard, and three new ones that he didn't recognize. All that he know was that the once in the center had a massive amount of chakra.

Naruto kept quiet and waited for the guard to speak. He knew that the guard would announce what his purpose was. The few times that he had heard the doors to the other cells open, they had always done so.

Sure enough, after a moment the guard spoke. "Naruto Uzumaki, you have visitors." Finally, curiosity got the better of him and he moved his calm, uncaring gaze to the door, where it immediately became glacial.

Standing up, since he refused to sit and be in a position of weakness before his 'guests'; he turned to fully face the door.

"So, to what do I owe this… pleasure, Sarutobi-san?"

Hiruzen was standing behind the prison guard, waiting as he unlocked the door to the cell. He was surprisingly nervous. For the first time in over seven years since Naruto was imprisoned, he was about to see his self-proclaimed grandson. The same grandson he had failed. When the guard opened the door, Hiruzen followed him in, and found himself staring at the figure within.

Gone was the hyperactive little boy who would play pranks for fun. Whose eyes were full of mischief and life. In his place was a calm, quiet, and collected youth, who was gazing out of a tiny window as if he was watching the most interesting thing in the world. He didn't even turn to look at who had entered his cell. Without moving his eyes away from the child, he took in the rest of the cell and realized that the small patch of sky probably was the most interesting thing in his world.

Guilt struck his heart again as he realized this.

He looked carefully over Naruto. His hair had grown out since he had last seen him, now it was reaching to the small of his back. His skin was paler than before, instead of looking like someone who spent his time outdoors, Naruto now had the complexion of an aristocrat. He had grown in height as well, being fairly tall for his age. But the most noticeable change was that he no longer appeared malnourished.

Apparently he was better fed in prison than in his home village. This thought brought another stab to Hiruzen's heart.

He then saw the clothing that the boy wore, wondering what the boy would have chosen for himself if he was able to. The cloths were filthy, but that was to be expected considering that the prison would not have provided him with multiple pieces of clothing or bothered washing them. Prisoners would use the same pieces of clothing for as long as the stitches held together. His eyes then fell on the manacles on his wrists.

Those manacles were equipped with special seals that would prevent a prisoner from utilizing his chakra. They were very durable, so that unless a chakra powered attack or strength was used, they couldn't be destroyed. Considering that they stopped the prisoners from using chakra, this meant that they never came off. The only way to remove them was to use a special key that had a seal imprinted on the end. Pressing the seal to the manacle where the joint was located would cause them to fall apart. Again, since prisoners had no access to the key, there was no chance for a prison break.

After a moment, the guard spoke. "Naruto Uzumaki, you have visitors." Saying that, he then stepped out into the hallway to at least give them the illusion of privacy. With this, Naruto finally turned his head to see who had entered his cell. And with that, his calm and cool gaze turned icy cold.

"So, to what do I owe this… pleasure, Sarutobi-san?"

Such eyes should never have been on that face, so much like his father's yet with a hint of his mother's. The coldness in his gaze and voice should never have had a chance to take root in the once bright child, who had seemed so like the sun. Beside him he heard Dog's breath catch ever so slightly, and he knew that similar thoughts were running through his head. On his other side however, a different reaction occurred.

"That's Hokage-sama to you! Show some respect!" Tiger demanded.

A cold chuckle came from Naruto. "Or what? I'll go to prison?" he asked sarcastically. "Or maybe they'll add a few months to my life sentence?"

Tiger flinched slightly, recognizing that the blonde had a point. How do you punish someone who was already being punished? Hiruzen just turned to Naruto and tried to start a conversation with him.

"How have you been Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto just looked him in the eye, a spark of anger showing in his gaze. "I've been in prison for more than half my life for something I didn't do, how do you think I'm doing?"

Hiruzen winced, recognizing that he hadn't picked the best way to start the conversation. Odd that, usually he had far more tact, and was far more savvy in these types of talks. It must have been the memories and emotions that seeing the boy brought up that caused him to be off his game. Still, he was here for a purpose, so he had to carry on.

"Yes, about that," he began. "We have a problem that I managed to use to your advantage."

Naruto kept his cold gaze upon him, although now there was a hint of curiosity in his eyes. "Go on…"

"I'm not sure if you've heard, but a few years ago there was a massacre at the Uchiha compound. Itachi Uchiha killed all of his clansmen, leaving only his younger brother, Sasuke, alive. He then escaped the village and has since been marked as a missing-nin. Sasuke is now the only bearer of the sharingan bloodline… do you know what that is?"

"Yes, yes, move on." Naruto said impatiently.

"Yes… as I was saying, Sasuke is now the only bearer of the sharingan bloodline within the village. As such the Council, especially the civilian side, is anxious to make sure that the clan and bloodline survive." He continued.

Naruto's eyes narrowed further as he heard what Hiruzen was saying. An idea as to what the aged Hokage wanted began to float through his mind, but he decided to wait and let the old man fill in the blanks on his own.

"That being said, he is getting close to graduating, but we have a problem. By now, we can pretty much tell who will be successful as a ninja, and who will not. That being said, we have already begun to put together the teams of Genin for his class when they graduate. There are several clan heirs in that class, but after pairing them up according to their skills, we discovered that we are short of people for Sasuke's team. We could put two civilians on his team, but the fact of the matter is that there is only one civilian born who even has a chance as a ninja, one Sakura Haruno. All of the others will most likely die or worse, get him killed."

"Not only that, but the next time that the Chunin Exams return to our village would be within six months after his graduation. Seeing as there have been… mishaps… that have occurred during the exams, we want him to be able to take the exams in Konoha, to reduce the risk of other villages taking advantage to either get rid of the Sharingan permanently, or, god forbid, try to steal it for their own village. After that exam we would have to wait another two and a half years for it to return to our village. "

"And how does this concern me?" asked Naruto coldly. Hearing this gave Hiruzen pause. Had Naruto truly changed so much that hearing of another's possible demise or worse would not draw any concern from him? Had his mistake those years ago truly extinguished the Will of Fire that had burned so brightly within him? He continued.

"After a talk with the Council, I managed to convince them that you, having more potential than anyone else, are the only viable option to being Sasuke's teammate. We would give you specialized training to get you caught up with your would-be classmates for the next three years. Then you would take the graduation exam, and if you pass you would be placed on Sasuke's team until he becomes a Chunin. In return for this, your record would be wiped clean." Hiruzen gave a small grin at this.

This had been one of the few times that Danzo had supported him. Danzo knew what Hiruzen was attempting to do, and agreed with him. Danzo could have tried to place one of his own men in the young Uchiha's team, but this plan would allow them to get their jinchuriki back. Seeing as the original plan to get a hold of the boy had failed spectacularly and lost the village a potential weapon, in his eyes at least, he would have gone along with any plan to get him back, even if he couldn't mold him as he saw fit. Say whatever you want about the man, his first concern was the village and its protection, even if his ideals about the village were off.

Naruto bowed his head, allowing his hair to shadow his face. His shoulders began to shake ever so slightly. Hiruzen gave a small smile at seeing this, at seeing the boy before him trying to hold back his tears of happiness at finally gaining freedom. His smile quickly went away however when he heard Naruto starting to chuckle, which then became full out laughter.

"BWAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto let out, unable to hold it back any longer. He held his sides as if to prevent an injury from laughing so hard. This disturbed Hiruzen greatly, along with his two ANBU. This was not the reaction that they were expecting from him, had his time here unhinged him somehow?

After finally calming down and wiping tears of laughter from his eyes, Naruto looked at Hiruzen with amusement, yet also containing the same coldness in his gaze from before.

"That's the most I've laughed in years, and for that I thank you. As to your request… no." Naruto calmly stated.

Hiruzen was aghast. "No? What do you mean no Naruto? This will get you out of this cell and gain you your freedom! Why would you throw that away?"

Naruto gave him a look as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. "I refused for several reasons, the first being that I simply refuse to do anything any longer that may help that damned village. It made my life hell, and at the first opportunity they had they locked me up like an animal! And don't think that I've forgotten the occasional beatings I got from drunken villagers when the ANBU and Military Police in the area were 'conveniently' distracted. I have no reason whatsoever to want to help that village at all. If it was burning I wouldn't piss on it to risk putting it out!"

Hiruzen was shocked at the words that were coming out of Naruto's mouth. Had such hatred truly taken root in him? He tried to reason with Naruto. "I know that it can be hard, but if you just have patience they will one day come to accept you. You can show them that they were wrong to treat you that way. Please forgive them for now, and give them another chance!"

"I shouldn't need to be patient or forgive them in the first place! I did nothing for them to do any of this to me, and yet they did everything they could to hurt me and treat me as less than human! They have never shown me a single reason in my entire life as to why I should even want them to accept me, so why should I?"

At this the elderly Hokage could only gape at the blonde. He truly had no words that he could use to contradict what Naruto was saying, for it was all the truth. Saying that everyone had good in them, or deserved a second chance was a fine ideal, but the truth is that everyone has an instinct to survive. You don't make peace with the tiger that is trying to eat you; you kill it to save yourself. Perhaps if the villagers had stopped their treatment of the boy, even if they did nothing positive for him, then he might have been able to forgive them or try for their acknowledgment. But as long as they kept up their hatred for him, then he could only see it as an attack.

And there is only one way to deal with an attack.

Naruto continued. "The second reason I refused is that what you just told me was a lie."

At this, Hiruzen narrowed his eyes at Naruto. "I can assure you Naruto that I am not lying. I even have the paperwork to prove it." Hearing this Naruto just waved his hand at him.

"You may not be lying, but just the same what you just told me is a lie. I will not gain my freedom with this plan. The fact of the matter is that the moment that Sasuke becomes a Chunin I will end up right back here." Naruto said with certainty. The Hokage looked at Naruto dead in the eyes and saw that Naruto truly believed what he was saying, and that it was not a guess.

"Explain." Was all Hiruzen said.

Naruto gave a snort. "It's simple really. As soon as I'm no longer needed, I will be framed for yet another murder, or perhaps treason or some other crime. Then they will simply have me locked up again after another 'trial'. And before you say that as a shinobi I would be tried by the Shinobi Council, they will simply drag it over to their side by saying that the murder was of a civilian, either that or spend the time until Sasuke becomes a Chunin to grab the power to try me for themselves, probably both however just to make sure."

"I won't let that happen Naruto; I won't let them do that to you." Hiruzen stated.

Naruto gave off a hollow laugh. "You mean like you didn't let them seven years ago?" Hearing this caused the elderly Hokage's face to tighten. "Face it; you are just a puppet of the Council. You'd rather allow them to have their way with me than force them to back down. You are supposed to be the Hokage! Ninja villages are not democracies, but dictatorships! The Council only has as much power as you allow them to have and you've done nothing to stop them!" Naruto sneered at Hiruzen.

"I can't just remove them Naruto. There are laws that-" he began before being interrupted.

"Laws that they put in place! They created the laws to give them more power and you allowed it to happen! It was understandable after they lost the Yondaime since they needed the power to keep everything under control, but once they decided to keep that power even after you were reinstated you should have charged them with usurpation of power from the Hokage! Now the civilians are acting more like ninjas than you!"

"Since when do ninja's allow laws to stop them? Have laws ever once stopped you from ordering the execution of a foreign diplomat? Once you realized what was happening you should have started ordering their assassinations! You could have planted evidence that their allies did it to get rid of them as well, or placed the blame on foreign competitors! Eventually only the ones smart enough to see the writing on the wall and those with strong self-preservation instincts would be left, allowing you to do as you please. Instead you allowed them to get away with doing it to me!"

Hiruzen gaped at Naruto, at hearing such an assessment coming from the once naïve child. Since when did he change so to be able to say such things? He could feel that the other two with him were just as dumfounded. What disturbed him the most however was how accurate he was, and how callous. He could see everything occurring just as he said, as well as how he could accomplish Naruto's recommended plan of action.

Naruto took a few breaths to calm himself down. After he had controlled himself, he continued. "And the final reason for my refusal is simply the fact that I should have no need to do this in the first place. I'll say it again, shinobi villages are dictatorships. You should be able to override anything they tell you and set me free without any compromise. Instead you allowed me to rot away here in this place."

The Hokage and his two guards were silent and still at this.

"I will tell you once again, I will NOT assist the Leaf in any way, especially when in the end I gain nothing from it. I want nothing to do with that village; it could burn for all I care. It's done enough to me; it has no right to try or ask anything more." Naruto said bitterly. He then turned his back to his visitors. "Unless you have anything else, we're done here."

Hiruzen took in a deep breath, tears threatening to spill from his eyes. However he reigned himself in; He hadn't been a shinobi for most of his life for nothing. With his emotions under control, he then said to Naruto, "… For what it's worth, I'm sorry." And with that, he turned to the guard and indicated that he was ready to leave. He was then escorted to his party, where everyone prepared to leave. It was only after he had left the prison that he allowed a tear to fall from his eyes. He said nothing, but in his mind he kept apologizing over and over to his successor and his family, the man who had sacrificed everything for Konoha, yet who's only child was being punished for that sacrifice.

Behind him, he knew that another member of the party was doing the same, and he also knew that after they arrived at Konoha he would be in front of the Memorial Stone for Fallen Heroes for hours, if not days. Honestly, he did not blame him. There have been many failures, and much to apologize for. All of Konoha was in a debt so deep that they may never be able to repay it. And the sad part was that most didn't even know it.

Naruto stood still in his cell after the Hokage left, staring out of his tiny window. Despite how calm and coldly he had acted, in truth his emotions were a raging inferno. He know that the old man cared for him, and a part of him still longed to be comforted by his 'Jiji'. However the sight of him also reminded him of the actions of the villagers and the Civilian Council, and that brought him to a broiling rage. It was only his training that allowed him to retain a cool head, and turn his fury into ice. Still, his emotions were running rampant and he needed some time to cool off.

After a half hour had passed and he was able to calm himself, he heard a light scratching noise coming from the wall of his cell. With a small grin, he turned the wall and went to a specific stone that was half hidden behind his sleeping area where he proceeded to knock three six times in a specific pattern. After a moment the stone began to slide out from the wall, revealing a hole that was currently occupied by and old man.

"Hey Brat, you didn't come to see me today so I came to see why." Said the old-timer. He then came out of the hole and stood up next to Naruto. The man had long flowing white hair that went down to his waist, along with a beard of the same color and length. His cloths were the same faded clothing that Naruto wore, although they seemed to be of better quality, even as filthy as they were. His skin was a pale as Naruto's, although his eyes were an unusual purple.

What Naruto usually teased him about however was his height. Despite Naruto being tall for his age, he was still a twelve year old child. Yet he matched the height of his elder, a fact that he had no problem pointing out, much to the man's displeasure. He insisted that it was only due to his advanced age, that as a younger man he was taller than most and made for an imposing figure. Seeing as the man claimed to be over one hundred, Naruto could believe him, even if he never stopped teasing him about it.

Six and a half years ago, Naruto had woken up in the middle of the night hearing a scratching sound coming from the wall near his head. Thinking that it was rats, he proceeded to ignore it and promptly went back to sleep. His theory was proven wrong however when not only did the noise continue for the next nine days, but got progressively louder. Finally, on the ninth night the stone began to shift and was moved aside to reveal an old man. As it turned out, the man had tried to dig his way to freedom, only to realize when he entered Naruto's cell that there was a small genjutsu placed on the ground to turn around anyone trying to dig. This put an end to that escape plan, although it began their friendship.

"That's because I had visitors today Geezer." Naruto replied to him. Ever since their first meeting, when Naruto had introduced himself the old man had refused to reveal his own name. This caused Naruto to name him Geezer, citing that he couldn't give his name because he was too senile to remember it. In return Geezer would only refer to him as Brat.

Geezer was intrigued by the news Naruto presented to him. "Oh? Who was it that came to visit you?" he asked.

At this Naruto glowered. "It was the old man Hokage. He wanted for me to basically be a body guard for the surviving Uchiha when he becomes a Genin in exchange for my freedom. I told him off though, and even explained why. He left after that."

Geezer said nothing, knowing how much this would have affected Naruto. He too, knew why the offer would have been useless for Naruto. He didn't even bother to mention that he could have used this to get out of the prison before making a run for it, knowing that when Naruto said that he would do something, he kept his word. That and no doubt that someone would have placed a means for keeping track of him before he had a chance to run.

Naruto shook his head as if to clear it of his current thoughts. He turned to the old man and asked, "So, what are you going to teach me today Geezer?"

For the past six and a half years, the elder of the two had been teaching Naruto everything that he felt he should know. Reading and vocabulary, calligraphy, math and the sciences, history, politics, strategy and leadership, accounting, critical thinking, and so much more. The training also didn't stop with just the mental arts. He also made sure to train Naruto's body with a strong physical workout, and in his form of taijutsu and even kenjutsu using two long spokes taken from the back of a wooden chair that the old man was allowed to have in his cell.

Geezer even trained Naruto in ninjutsu and different ways to use chakra. Despite the manacles preventing the use of chakra, they did not prevent prisoners from sensing their chakra. All the manacles did was make it so that when a prisoner tried to control their chakra, it became like trying to control air with their bare hands. They could feel it, but could not manipulate it in any way. So Naruto spent long periods of time meditating on his chakra, getting to know it and how it flowed through his network. Geezer assured him that even if he couldn't use his chakra, should he ever manage to leave the prison this would allow him to grasp control of his chakra in a much shorter timeframe, as well as give him more control as soon as he started using it.

Still, this meant that Naruto could be trained in hand signs, as well as sensing. The purpose of hand signs is to make chakra flow through the user's chakra network in his hands in a specific manner, acting like a three dimensional seal instead of one on paper. This causes the chakra to react in different ways. However, since everyone's chakra networks are placed slightly different from one another's, slight adjustments are needed to get the seals to work correctly. This is usually done through practice and repetition until the slight adjustments are figured out. Since that was not possible for them due to the restraints, an alternative method had to be found. By paying close attention to Naruto's chakra, Geezer was able to determine the exact placement needed for Naruto to use them correctly, even without using chakra. After that it was just a matter of practice to memorize the placement, and then to quicken the speed that he could use them at.

His sensing abilities also rose greatly. Spending so much time meditating on his chakra, he became finely attuned to it, eventually being able to detect it in others. Under Geezer's supervision, he began to be able to differentiate different chakra signatures, and then worked on increasing the range at which he could detect chakra. The old man also had him keep track of other chakra signature in the middle of battle, insisting that the ability to keep track of where everyone was around him at all times and what they were doing would save his life.

The old man also shared with him a special secret. During his many years locked up Geezer had made a discovery. While the manacles prevent prisoners from manipulating chakra, it does not prevent them from manipulating their tenketsu or chakra pathways. Of course, this is mostly useless, since just opening a tenketsu without manipulating the chakra being released just causes it to vent out uselessly. Even the Hakkesho Kaiten jutsu of the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist requires the user to force the vented chakra to rotate along with their body.

However, this also led him to consider something else. All tenketsu are located in the skin to release chakra outwards. This has been verified by the Hyuga, who confirmed that all of the chakra coils of a person's chakra network lead to a tenketsu. If that is the case however, then how does someone reinforce their bodies with chakra? It's a well-known technique to boost speed and strength by sending chakra to the muscles of the body to boost performance, but with the coils all leading outwards, how does the chakra get there?

After meditating for years on this, Geezer had made a discovery. When sending chakra to a part of the body, the chakra network extends 'temporary coils' to the location desired. From there chakra is released for the desired results. Since the manacles only prevent chakra from being manipulated, not the network, he had felt that this would allow him the strength needed to be able to escape. Unfortunately for him, while he was successful, lack of control over his chakra caused him to overload the muscle in question causing him to harm himself instead of boosting himself. Luckily for him he had only tried to reinforce his pinky first, so no one was the wiser until he had healed from the damage he had caused.

This did cause him to lead to another idea however. When sending chakra to parts of the body, there is always waste involved. When sending chakra to the biceps for example, most of the biceps, the thickest part to be exact, receives the chakra, but there is still a lot of the muscle that does not. He theorized that if one were able to make temporary chakra coils that lead to every individual cell of the body, then the power increase would be unrivaled.

After many experiments, he eventually managed to do so, although he never allowed the chakra to flow since he couldn't control it to prevent harm to himself. Still, he was able to pass this technique onto Naruto, who also understood the risks and dangers of the technique.

The final thing that Geezer taught Naruto was sealing. Explaining theory after theory, having Naruto draw designs and seals in the dirt for practice, and explaining what the effects would have been for each success or failure, Naruto learned much about sealing. He also learned just how much seals had affected his life, after Geezer had sensed the seal on his stomach as well as the foreign chakra within him. Geezer had then explained why he was treated the way he was, as well as about the Biju and Jinchuriki in general.

In short, Geezer had taught Naruto everything that would have made him a successful shinobi, as well as a leader of men, had he not been locked up. Then again, without being locked up he wouldn't have been nearly as well educated as he was. He probably would have been a weak idiot due to the stunting of the bigots of the village.

Geezer considered Naruto's request for training. "I guess today would be a good day to train more in swordsmanship." He acknowledged. "You're still having some trouble getting the movement right on that last maneuver I taught you, so we can polish that up some more." Saying that, he led the blonde through the tunnel to his own cell, which was at least eight times the size of Naruto's.

Once they were both in the cell, with their senses alert to keep track of the guards, Geezer walked over to the wooden chair in his cell and dismantled it. He took the two spokes that made up the back and rear legs of the chair and handed one to Naruto. Taking a stance, he asked, "Shall we begin?"

With a grin, Naruto lunged forward to begin the spar.

-Two Years Later-

Naruto was kneeling at Geezer's bedside, tears running down his face. For the past month, Geezer's health had begun to decline. The prison doctors had all taken a look at him, but all agreed that there was nothing that could be done, and that it was his time. This did nothing to comfort the now fourteen year old. He was losing his greatest friend and teacher, a man who was like a grandfather to him. This man had done more for him than anyone else in his life, and there was nothing he could do to save him.

This was most likely his last night alive. Even now, Geezer's breathing was becoming more and more labored. A sob escaped Naruto's lips as he thought about losing him.

"Hey now, none of that Brat." Geezer admonished Naruto weakly. "I'd rather pass on with a happy vision in my eyes you know."

"Liar." Naruto retorted though his grief. "You'd rather pass on in bed with a beautiful woman you old pervert."

Geezer just chuckled. "Ah well, you can't have everything you want in life I suppose." This brought a weak laugh from Naruto.

Sadness then filled the old man's eyes. "Looks like we won't be able to leave here together after all. The worst part is that I hear that there's going to be a new warden soon. He apparently has a technique that will burn a prisoner to ash if they go too far from him. You need to escape before then" he pleaded. Naruto agreed and made an oath to the old man. This settled him down, before he took a close look at the youth.

"Brat, listen well to what I have to tell you, this is important." Geezer said with a rare seriousness in his voice. Naruto sat up strait, knowing that this was most likely the last words that he would be hearing from him.

"First, I never told you why I was locked up here, did I?" he asked. When Naruto shook his head, he continued. "You see, I was once part of a powerful and influential clan. We had great wealth and many powerful techniques at our disposal. Unfortunately, this caused our rivals to be jealous of us, so they banded together and set out to destroy us."

Naruto became confused. Was Geezer part of one of the few wandering clans that were still out there? Most clans joined a village for protection after Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha formed Konoha, but there were still a few out there that remained true to the old ways.

"We got word of this alliance, and decided to take steps to make sure that our legacy was protected. We lived on an island, but we knew that if they managed to defeat us that they would plunder the entire island looking for our treasure and knowledge, so we used that against them. Everything was gathered together, and since I was the previous Clan Head, I sealed them up and hid them on a different island! Last I heard there's still the occasional treasure hunter searching our ruins for our lost relics!" At this Geezer chuckled weakly, which turned into a hacking cough.

After his cough died down, he continued his story. "While I was hiding our legacy, my son and the current Clan Head was organizing our defenses. When I came back, I had just enough time to get to my position before the enemy appeared. We fought for three days before we were overcome, and even though we were outnumbered by one hundred to one, we cut their army down to a tenth of its original size." His story was interrupted by another coughing fit.

Geezer looked up at Naruto with a fierce look in his eyes, and asked him, "Do you know why I'm telling you this story?" When Naruto shook his head, he barked out at him, "Think boy, where have you heard this story before in your lessens?"

At this Naruto cast his mind back to his studies, trying to piece together what his teacher was trying to show him. However the only ninjas he could recall that had anything to do with islands were Kiri and…

Suddenly Naruto's eyes opened wide and he started down at his mentor. Seeing Naruto's revelation he chuckled weakly and nodded. "Yes… I suppose I should finally introduce myself. My name is Saito Uzumaki, the Nidaime Uzukage of Uzushiogakure."

Naruto's eyes watered at the revelation, with multiple emotions running through him. The most dominate ones were happiness that he wasn't the only Uzumaki left and that he had a chance to know another, grief that he was going to lose his only known kinsman, and betrayal for not being told beforehand. Seeing these emotions in his eyes, Saito quickly addresses the last one.

"You must understand, during the battle I was captured. Once they failed to find our legacy, they tried to get its location out of me. When they failed they locked me up here until I was willing to reveal it. How was I supposed to react, when the cell I just happened to burrow into belonged to an Uzumaki, and a blonde one at that? At first I thought that you were another attempt to get the location of our relics from me. That's why I never told you who I was. But now I'm dying, and you are my last living relative."

Naruto calmed down slightly after hearing this. The feeling of betrayal wasn't completely gone, but he could understand his point of view. It was also pointless to hold it against a dying man. Better to let it go and see him off with a smile than regret it for the rest of his life.

Seeing that Naruto was controlling himself, Saito continued. "Before I pass, I need to share some things with you. The first is what I suspect your lineage is." This made Naruto's eyes grow wide. "Do you remember who the wife of Hashirama Senju was?"

Naruto was shocked. "Her name was Mito Uzumaki. Are you telling me that I'm-" A burst of laughter interrupted him.

"BWAHAHAH! No, you are not a descendent of the Shodai. You would be Naruto Senju if you were. The reason I brought her up is that she was the first Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi." Seeing that Naruto was going to interrupt, he raised his voice to override him. "Listen and let me finish. It's well known that during the battle between Madara and Hashirama at the Valley of the End that Madara summoned the Kyuubi to help him in battle. What do you think happened to it afterwards? It was never seen again until the night it was sealed in you."

"The reason is that it was sealed into my sister Mito. And yes, I was the brother-in-law to the Shodaime Hokage. Years later however, Mito was getting on in age and the sealing of the Kyuubi in her with her being an adult cut back on her lifespan. When she died however the Kyuubi would have been released. That being the case, my son sent his daughter, Kushina Uzumaki, to Konoha to take up the mantle of Jinchuriki in place of her great aunt."

"Now, after the fall of Uzushio there might have been another survivor that made it's way to Konoha, but I doubt it. This leads me to believe that you are her son, and my great-grandson."

Naruto gaped at this. Upon learning that Saito was an Uzumaki, he had thought that they were simply kinsman. Here he was however saying that Naruto was his direct descendant. He really was his Jiji, and this made him lean forward and grasp the old man in a hug, taking care not to injure him in his fragile condition. An old worry that he had ever since he learned about the Uzumaki clan however made it's way to the front of his mind.

"But, how do you know that I'm even a true Uzumaki? I mean, you said that the clan was famous for its red hair, but I'm blonde. How do you know that they didn't just give me that surname in honor of the clan?"

"Because I've spent enough time around you, Brat, to get a firm feel of your chakra. You are an Uzumaki through and through." Saito said with a smile, comforting Naruto. "The other part of your lineage is just a speculation of mine, since Kushina was still young and single when our village was destroyed. I've been lucky enough to be able to get the occasional International Bingo Book from the guards, as well as news from the outside world. This led me to figure out some things."

"One of the things that interested me was the Yondaime Hokage, who became the youngest Kage out of all the villages. I heard a lot about his character, and it impressed me. From what I heard, he was never the type to order others to do what he would not. He was also a bit of an idealist, something I attributed to his youth. And then there is his appearance…"

Naruto quickly connected the dots. "Are you telling me that Minato Namikaze is my father?!" he half shouted.

"Compare yourself to one of his old pictures and tell me that you're not a clone of his with whisker marks." Saito deadpanned. "You have something of your mother in the shape of your face and eyes, but everything else is your father. Now before you go off the deep end about how could he do this to you, ask yourself this. Could you ask another to give up their own child to do what happened to you if you had one yourself? Not only that, but would you condemn another to the fate that you suffered through?"

This brought Naruto out of the rage that he was beginning to go through. Truly, his life had been hell in the village. Did he want someone else to take his place? Would he have trusted someone else to hold the power he had contained within him? It was well known that Jinchuriki gained powerful abilities for use in battle, along with greatly increased chakra reserves and stamina. Most Jinchuriki were known as some of the most dangerous people alive.

Once Naruto had again gained control over himself, Saito decided to continue. "The other thing that I need to tell you has to do with the fall of Uzushio itself." He began. "Don't you think that it's strange that even though we knew of the enemies' armies coming before-hand, we had no assistance from our allies and we fell alone?"

Naruto's breath caught. "Are you saying that Ji-… that the Sandaime left Uzushio to die?" he asked with fresh betrayal in his voice.

"No, not Hiruzen. He always had a soft spot for our village, and was a trustworthy ally. However, there was another that I never trusted and who saw our power as a threat, despite our alliance. A man named Shimura Danzo. I found out after I arrived here that not only did the Hokage never receive our initial requests for assistance, he apparently received false intel that moved Konoha's forces in a direction that made it unlikely that they would be able to help."

"Still, we held out for days, and might have been able to hold out long enough for help to arrive. We were betrayed however. The enemy sent saboteurs into the village through secret passages that we had setup for emergency escapes. The only ones who knew about the passages were us and Konoha. The most damning evidence is that during the final fight I saw masked ANBU that had the 'Ne' (Root) symbol on their masks trying to loot the village and occasionally helping the invaders. I heard rumors of that group and heard that they were Danzo's private army."

Naruto began growling when he heard this. He remembered that man from his trial, his name being called out before he began speaking. He had wanted to turn Naruto into a mindless weapon, although he didn't understand why at the time. Sharing this with Saito, the old man nodded.

"Yes, that seems like something he would do. In fact he was probably the one who set you up in the first place, trying to set circumstances to that he could take you for himself."

Rage poured through Naruto. That man was the cause of all of his problems. Everything he had been through was because of him! If he hadn't betrayed Uzushio, then he might have had relatives to take care of him. If it wasn't for him then he wouldn't be locked up the way he was. A smack to the back of his head brought him back to reality.

"Don't lose yourself to your rage Brat! What have I been teaching you all of this time? Always maintain control. The more your heart burns, the colder your mind must become! The two must swirl together like a whirlpool to allow you to concentrate on what's important! That provides strength when you need it. Remember, it's the Spiral of Focus that made us great, and will keep you alive."

Naruto nodded sheepishly, ashamed that he had lost his head. The rage was still within him, but now he had control over himself once more.

"We Uzumakis, even in our rages, as great and fearsome as they were, were always in control, always focused. That's part of what made us so feared. Besides, I didn't tell you about Danzo for you to avenge us. As nice as that might be, that shouldn't be what you should live for. Our clan always desired the happiness of our loved ones over anything else, and that should be your focus too. I only wanted to warn you so that you could be careful about him. There is nothing that that man won't do to ensure that Konoha reigns supreme."

Another coughing fit took over Saito at this point. It was only a few minutes later that he had recovered enough to continue.

"The last thing that I wanted to tell you is the location of your inheritance. When you find a way out of here, go to Uzushio. The southern wall was luckily still intact when I was taken away. Head to the point on the wall that was due south of the Uzukage's Tower. There, about three feet high off the ground, is a small hole drilled through the wall at an angle. If you look through it, you will see a specific island by itself. Head to that island."

"When you get to the island, search the eastern shore for the deepest cave at sea level going into the island. At the back of the cave, dive down and you will find a tunnel. It is long, but you can make it through. At the end of the tunnel is an underground chamber, with a seal on one wall. Place a bleeding hand on the seal and push chakra through the blood and into the seal. That should get you our treasure and all of our scrolls. Promise me, that you will uphold our legacy, and bring honor to our name once again."

Naruto solemnly promised to uphold the legacy of the Uzumaki, and raise up the name once more among the nations. With that, the two fell back to light conversation about family, and the good times they had with each other. Finally, when the sun began to reach the horizon, the last remnant of Uzushio passed away from the world with his only remaining family by his side.

A few hours later, Naruto was in the middle of his vigil when he sensed that two guards were coming to check up on Saito. He quickly got up and went over to the tunnel, closing it behind him. Instead of going back to his cell though, he decided to wait for them to leave. If he lucked out, then they would wait until tomorrow to move Saito and give him more time to morn and for his vigil.

After checking on him, one of them left to get everything needed for the burial. When Naruto sensed that the guard had returned, he pressed his ears to the stone covering the tunnel to listen to their conversation.

"… mean you forgot? You idiot, you really want to disrespect the dead like that? Let's go get them together before you forget something again." With that, both guards left the cell.

Taking advantage of this, Naruto went back into Saito's room. They had placed his body into a burial shroud, hiding him from view. Undoing the stitches holding it closed and opening the shroud, Naruto took one last look at his last family member.

"Looks like you're getting out of here before I am, you old Geez-" Naruto stopped speaking suddenly, a thought running through his head. Looking down at the body, he changed what he was going to say.

"You know Geezer, on second thought; I may be leaving here before you after all." With that, Naruto opened up the shroud fully, keeping close track on the progress of the guards that would be returning shortly. He planned to be the 'body' that the guards were going to bury tonight. He could hold his breath for a while thanks to his training, so he would wait until the guards left, and then dig his way out to freedom.

Removing the body from the shroud, Naruto picked it up and carried it over to the tunnel. On his way however, his foot kicked something small. Looking down, he saw the key to the manacles laying there on the ground. For one breathless moment, Naruto stood as still as a statue, not believing it was real. Soon enough however, he swooped down and picked it up.

"Fuck my luck." He said to himself. Maybe karma was finally starting to make up for all the shit he had to go through in his life? Regardless, he quickly pressed the key to his manacles, feeling the key automatically draw chakra from him to disable the cuffs. Within moments he was free and feeling better than he had in years.

Dropping the key back on the ground, he slapped the cuffs on the body and moved it into his cell. Placing Saito on his bed, he covered it with his blankets to hide the hair and make it look like he was asleep. Sensing that the guards were returning, he quickly made his way back to the other cell, sealing the tunnel on both sides behind him. He slid into the shroud and quickly started tying it back up again, finishing and laying back just in time for the guards to return.

"Alright Hiro, just because you forgot it earlier you can carry it and the old man by the feet. I'll take him by the hea- is that the key you moron?!." Shouted the first guard from before. "You fucking dumbass, if someone had found that we both would have lost our jobs! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

The now identified Hiro quickly moved over and picked the key back up and put it away. He started to apologize, but the first guard just interrupted him.

"Just pickup the body already." He snapped.

Grumbling but not refusing, Hiro picked up Naruto by the feet while the other guard did the same by the shoulders. Hiro grunted as he lifted. "The old man seems heavier than before."

"Shut up and stop complaining idiot. I just want to get this over with." Without another word, the two carried Naruto through the halls of the prison. Oddly, Naruto felt them going up instead of down to the gate.

Eventually, he felt the air change, and started hearing the sound of waves as the water around the prison lapped at the cliffs below. 'Strange,' he thought to himself. 'Why are we on the roof?'

"Here's fine." Said the first guard. "Put it on him."

With that, Naruto felt something being secured around his ankles. 'What the hell is going on?!' he screamed inside his head. Suddenly, the guards picked him up again.

"On three." The first guard ordered. Suddenly they began swinging him back and forth. Naruto stiffened in shock as he realized what was going on. The prisoners weren't buried in a graveyard, they were given a water burial! There was a weight fastened to his ankle to make sure that he sank!

During his moment of hesitation, the two guards finished their count and flung him over the side of the prison and into the waters below. Stifling a scream, Naruto began opening the shroud from the inside, knowing that if it tangled up too much around him in the water it would be his end.

Quickly, far too quickly for his tastes, Naruto hit the water and began sinking. The nearby whirlpools were buffeting his body left and right, only the weights attached to his legs giving him a sense of down. Still, he knew that if he wanted to survive he had to remove them, so he quickly undid the ropes securing them to his ankles and let the currents carry him away.

Apparently, his luck was still holding, since the edge of the closest whirlpool picked him up and flung him away from the prison, rather than suck him into the depths. Battered and tired from the entire ordeal, Naruto nevertheless swam for shore, determined to get as far away as possible before his escape became known.

He was determined to bring back his clan's former glory, and would not let anything stand in his way.

Author's Notes: This is what was stuck in my head for the past few weeks, and wouldn't let me do anything else until I wrote it down. So what do you guys think? Is it good, bad, or are you unsure? Do you guys want me to continue it? Do you want me to go into more detail into his time in prison? Leave some reviews and let me know.

As a side note, the chapters may or may not be as long as this one was. I make no guarantee on chapter size, so don't use this as a reference.