Welcome readers, to my first story. I figured that the first one I'd post should be a pure Naruto story, since it is my favorite anime. So... I guess here we are.

A few things right off the bat. This story is based upon the Blood Prison movie, one of my personal favorites. But because the timeline is very hard to pin down I decided to set it after Naruto defeats Pain, but before the Kage Summit. Naruto knows Sage mode but doesn't have control over the Kyuubi. Sasuke is still a bad guy. And the five great villages are still on the brink of war. Consider the events of the movies as a brief seize fire to deal with a bigger threat!

With that out of the way, Naruto will be slightly OOC. I hope you guys agree that it's justified given the plot. Either way I dislike writing him as a dense idiot. I know some people love him that way. Others hate it.

Anyway, the disclaimer now. And here we go. (I don't own any part of Naruto, nor any of the movies that go along with it. I own only the plot of this story.) Thank you.

Now on to the story.

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Chapter 1 - Freedom

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The cell was tiny. Just eight feet square, dark save for a single bar of golden light. A single window no larger than his head gave off the scant amount of illumination almost reluctantly. The sky outside was a uniform grey. Hōzuki castle, prison to the most ruthless murderers and criminals, was readying its self for another freezing winter day.

And inside his cell Naruto was also cold… so very cold.

Naruto felt the urge to shiver, but kept still. He had things to do and moving would only delay him. He'd been here six days… and before that three… and before that a whole week. And each time he was stuck in here it seemed just a little bit colder, the dull stone walls leeching the heat from his body. Then again winter was on its way. Oh how he hated it, hated this cold room, this soulless prison…

It had started four months ago. Four entire months. Four months in which he pondered why. Why had his relatively okay life back in Konoha gone to hell? He remembered it clearly. The look on Tsunade's face as she essentially sent him to prison for something that he couldn't possibly have done. The pathetic useless words Sakura had said in his defense. The way Yamato trapped him without even letting him explain himself.

Then he was sent off to this place.

At first he thought it was a mistake. No.. it had to be a mistake! He'd never been to Kumo. He couldn't find the damn village on an unmarked map! He didn't know what that Raikage looked like! And he was being accused of attacking a Kage and killing three Jonin?

That was fucking impossible! He hadn't even left the village since his Sage training! He'd stayed in Konoha to help rebuild after Pein was defeated! How could they accuse him and imprison him for something he simply couldn't have done!?"

It had to be a mistake.

It had to…

Had to be.

But he'd started to wonder. Four months?

Could it be that Tsunade meant for him to be here for some reason? He didn't understand it. He was a reasonable person he thought and when it came to certain things he was very patient too. But what reason could Tsunade have for leaving him to rot in this hell hole?!

FOUR MONTHS!

A week he could understand fine, maybe even a couple weeks if you pushed it. What if there was some reason why she needed him, something that he couldn't understand. Maybe he was supposed to be unknowing? It could have been that he was here for a mission that he couldn't be completed except for someone on the inside of the prison. That would have made sense. Save for the fact that he was the last person to be sent unknowing on an infiltration mission.

But either way he waited and waited, thinking that some agent inside the prison would approach him with a mission. It never happened. Other than someone showing up at his solitary confinement window and suggesting he attack the prison warden he had no contact with any possible friendly agents. He did attack the warden though…

Of course he didn't stand a chance in hell fighting a Jonin level ninja unarmed. Not to mention a chakra restraint seal. Just like he'd expected he was given his just rewards. As in another five days in solitary. But! He wasn't called the most #1 unpredictable knucklehead ninja for nothing. He had learned a few things in the last four months.

Fact number one. Someone was after him.

As evidenced by the attempted kidnapping his first day here, he'd known someone was trying to have him killed. Or something else just as unpleasant. He didn't know who at first, but now after being here a while he knew it was Lord Mui. The asshole warden himself. What did he want from him though? Well he'd get to that later.

Fact number two. Sage mode apparently worked despite the seal he wore.

He didn't know why. Yet when he meditated to pass the time in solitary, only three weeks into his imprisonment, nature chakra flowed into him without a hint of pain. He learned not long afterwards that the seal which the warden placed on him didn't do shit about Sage chakra. Which was good. But not that good. The plus side was he could now use Ninjutsu. The down side was that the seal still burned the ever loving crap out of him if he got too far away from the castle… And this led to his third discovery.

Fact number three. He had an ally.

Her name was Ryūzetsu and at first glance she looked like a guy. A rather effeminate guy to be sure, but after Haku he had a hard time figuring a person's sex when they were borderline… so to speak. Anyway he met her pretty early. She was there when he was getting his first examination by the head of security. And he saw her periodically afterwards. However he only really discovered who she was after his second failed escape attempt. This was also when he'd discovered she was a hot chick disguised as a guy.

Once he learned about Sage chakra being immune to the seal's effects he made a second attempt at escaping. He was more successful and at the same time not. He'd managed to get out of the castle well enough and even got to the edge of the high cliffs. But that was when he'd started burning. He'd fallen into the water below… only to be saved by Ryūzetsu. It had been embarrassing to say the least.

But that was behind him. Now he knew why he was here at least. Ryūzetsu had explained that she was an ANBU from Kusa, sent here to destroy the Box of Paradise. Also known as the Box of Ultimate Bliss. Supposedly it was an ancient artifact that could grant any one wish. Once provided with enough chakra and a human sacrifice that is.

He'd been framed by someone in Kusa's Seed faction in order to use the Kyuubi's chakra to power the Box of Paradise. That pissed him off of course, but in reality there was little he could do. Ryūzetsu told him right away that her two teammates who'd been sent on this mission with her were dead. Both had been discovered by the Seed faction before they could infiltrate. That meant it was just the two of them to get the job done.

So far it hadn't been working too well. After they'd returned to the prison after his near drowning in the harsh waters he'd almost been kidnapped again. However this time he was ready. Instead of letting a Shadow clone be the bait he'd used his Sage mode to beat his would be kidnapper into unconsciousness. Then Ryūzetsu brought him to the same cliff he'd jumped off before.

And well… Mui's agent went the same way as he had before him. Save that this time Ryūzetsu didn't jump in after him.

Once that was done with the two of them proceeded to plan out their next move. He was certain he could destroy the box if given the chance and Ryuzetsu… after hearing which of the Biju he held… was willing to give him a shot. Provided she was allowed to kill lord Mui.

He'd questioned her as to why she hated the guy so much. And after she told him? Well suffice to say he was more than willing to let her do her thing. Anyone who would sacrifice his own son and not even mourn their death was a scumbag in his opinion. The bastard deserved everything he got.

The plan they came up with was pretty simple, but dependent upon him by its very nature. The thing was… they had severe restrictions. Ryuzetsu was Jonin level, but because of the seal she couldn't use more than a Genin level jutsu without being burned alive. It didn't help at all that she was a Ninjutsu specialist. He was under the same limit as long as he was using normal chakra. So the first order of business was training. Or more specifically he was training to bring his mastery of Sage mode to a whole new level.

Before he was imprisoned Sage mode lasted only about five minutes, which was pathetic. Unless he used one of his big jutsu he couldn't beat a Jonin in such a tiny amount of time. So again… training…

After a month of getting in as many fights as possible and being put in solitary he could stay in Sage mode for fifteen minutes. Once he'd been doing it for six weeks he could make a shadow clone without burning up at all. His training sped up after that. Two months into his imprisonment he could make six clones and stay in Sage mode for nearly two hours.

It was then that he made a discovery... something that revolutionized how he saw nature energy and used Sage chakra. Before then he'd always thought that Nature energy balanced with his own chakra evenly… and he was right. As a human using nature energy his body would naturally strike a balance between nature energy and his own chakra. However this view was limited.

Once he reached a level where he could go into Sage mode within seconds… he found that he'd breached a hidden barrier inside himself. He started absorbing more nature energy than he had chakra… and yet it was still mixing without causing damage. It was just 1.5-1 instead of 1-1. This opened up a whole new world to him.

At the nine week mark he'd gone into sage mode yet again, intending to absorb enough nature energy to create a 3-1 balance.

And like a blind man being able to see for the first time in his life he was able to see. Everything was there. All he had to do was flare his chakra and he could feel everything. Like the Byakugan and the Sharingan put together… he knew everything that happened around him. With his eyes closed and three rooms separating them, he could "see" what a prison guard was doing as if he were right there. It was fucking amazing.

He remembered Ryūzetsu's expression when he'd got her alone to tell her. She hadn't believed him at first… until he went into Sage mode and told her where the Box of Paradise was in exacting detail… despite the fact that he'd never been there and that it was a hundred feet underground. Suffice to say she told him to continue his training to see how far he could take this. After all… Mui wasn't going anywhere and he was safe as long as he remained in solitary.

That was two months ago.

…

Naruto smiled as he was drawn out of his contemplation by the footsteps of the guards coming to get him. His eyes cracked open, taking in his surroundings. However they were no longer blue. Instead of their usual sapphire they were a deep glowing liquid gold. No toad like bar replaced the pupil and no orange pigment surrounded his eyes. Instead his pupil was simply gone… and around the orbs of molten gold his skin had darkened as if brushed with coal.

He glanced to the side. It was like looking at a three dimensional schematic of the entire castle. He could see every person, animal, even insect. He could see the prisoners in their cells, the guards going about their duties, and even Lord Mui pacing his office.

This was what balancing your chakra 10 to 1 with nature energy was like. He became one with nature to such an extent that he was a part of it.

Naruto took note of Ryuzetsu getting into position. It wouldn't be long now.

Their plan went like this. 1.) He gets himself put into solitary. 2.) When he is released he lets the guard take a shadow clone instead of him. 3.) He meets up with Ryuzetsu outside Mui's office. 4.) They take down Mui. 5.) And finally they head down to the Box of Paradise and destroy it.

Pretty damn simple if he did say so himself. He couldn't help but grin as he thought about the two of them leaving this place at last. He could almost see Ryūzetsu standing with him, looking at this place from the outside. That would be a good feeling. Now if only he could get himself to stop wondering what Ryūzetsu looked like under those drab clothes.

Curse Jiraiya for poisoning his mind with such perversion! Even from beyond the grave his sensei mocked him!

Naruto sighed and made a henge over himself to hide his altered eyes. The guards were Shinobi, but they were poorly trained and unaccustomed to actual resistance from prisoners. They had yet to notice his henge before. They wouldn't notice now.

A loud creaking filled his cell as the tiny metal door opened, the guard sticking his head into the room. "Come on out Uzumaki…"

Naruto didn't smile as he might have before. He merely nodded and crawled out of the cell. The guard grunted and pulled the door closed, unaware of the fact that Naruto was making a shadow clone behind his back… or that the original was giving him the middle finger.

He turned around. "Okay kid… I'm taking you up to the yard and damn it. Don't start any fights this time! I swear you've done more solitary than anyone in this prison and you haven't been here a year yet!"

The clone shrugged.

"You know what? I don't care. Why do I even bother? If you like solitary more than a normal cell… that's your problem. Let's go kid."

The clone nodded and followed after the guard.

Meanwhile the original was hiding in the shadows far above them, watching as the two figures disappeared from normal sight. Although he was still aware of exactly where they were. He smirked and turned his attention outwards, closing his eyes so that he wouldn't have the warring perspectives to work with.

He focused off to his left, searching for Ryūzetsu's chakra signature. He found it easy enough. She was waiting for him, three floors down from Mui's office. Originally they'd planned for him to take out the Box of Paradise by himself while she distracted Mui in the prison yard… but with the massive power boost from his special Sage mode she didn't feel the need to bait Mui.

Drawing on his chakra Naruto took off along the ceiling towards her position. It took him about ten minutes, avoiding guards and other inmates to reach the prison's main administration building. There he paused. He could sense something at the edges of his awareness. A massive chakra signature that he didn't recognize.

"I'll worry about it later." Naruto started forward again darting out into the open between buildings, then into the cover of the larger structure. He glanced around. Then he realized what he was doing and shook his head. He didn't know why he was being so cautious. He knew there was no one around. Why was he checking for pursuit? Maybe it was just reflex after years training without this sixth sense?

Naruto put it out of his mind. Then he dashed into the administration building's main lobby and took a quick left. He darted through the room beyond and up the stairs on the right. His eyes locked onto Ryūzetsu's signature green bandana and he came to a halt.

"Took you long enough."

"The guard wanted to chat."

"Fine." She gave him a long thoughtful stare, her bright blue eyes seeming to hold some unknown emotion. Then she shook her head, seeming to turn her thoughts to the task at hand. "Let's take Mui out and then head for the box. Remember what we discussed?"

Naruto nodded. "We take him down together, but you get the final blow. I know. I get it. Let's finish this already. I want to get the fuck out of here so I can prove my innocence and go home."

"Fine with me." Ryūzetsu's lips quirked upwards in a rare smile. "Good luck Naruto."

"You to Ryū-chan"

Her cheeks tinged pink. "I keep telling you not to call me that."

"And I told you I'm going to keep calling you that no matter what you say." He grinned. "Come on… Times a wastin."

Ryūzetsu grunted and they turned their attention upwards. This fight needed to be fast. Both of them were still marked by Mui's seal. And while Naruto could easily take him down now… if Mui got the chance they'd both be smoking piles of ash. Naruto glanced at her again, his worry for her coming to the forefront of his mind again. "We have to hit him hard and fast you know."

"I know…" She snarled, not wanting to voice her thoughts to her blond partner. "We're both dead if he uses his jutsu even once. If we give him the time to make even a single handseal he can kill both of us by activating these fucking seals…"

"Let's go."

She nodded and they both started running up the stairs, keeping their steps silent. The two of them ascended the three floors to Mui's office, eventually stopping at his door. Naruto flared his chakra, focusing his attention on the warden within.

No reaction… good. Mui didn't seem to have heard them. Naruto was once again thankful that normal Shinobi couldn't sense Sage chakra being used. His eyes slid to the side and he nodded fractionally to Ryūzetsu, giving her the all clear.

"He's doing paperwork," Naruto mouthed at her, receiving a nod in return.

Ryūzetsu held up a hand with three fingers.

3…

2…

1…

Naruto drew on his sage chakra and launched a punch at the door.

It exploded into kindling, showering the room beyond with shards of wood and wrought iron. Inside Mui was thrown back by the concussive wave of air that followed the blow. He crashed into the bookshelf behind him. His face, chest, and arms were skewered by several large spears of wood… but he paid them no mind. Instead he turned his attention to whoever his attackers were.

Ryūzetsu was suddenly on his desk, kunai flying straight at his face. Mui jerked his head to the side at the last second and drew his own blade. Then, before he had a chance to react appropriately to Ryūzetsu, Naruto's fist was in his gut.

Mui spat blood and both attackers registered the sound of bones snapping.

"Naruto! Damn it! He's mine!"

The blond ninja didn't respond. Something was wrong and even as Mui flew backwards into the far wall he realized what it was. Mui's chakra signature was different from this man's… this wasn't Mui. Ryūzetsu bolted past him, intent on finishing him off. The imposter however… didn't need to be finished off.

He was already dead.

Ryūzetsu's kunai sank deep into pale flesh, a roar of fury tearing itself from her lips. Mui was no longer Mui. The man who'd disguised himself as the warden was much shorter, bald, and… "That bastard! He tricked us!"

Naruto looked down at the man he'd just killed, feeling a little queasy. Sensing someone's death through the flow of nature wasn't exactly a pleasant experience. He forced the feeling down and took a deep breath. "Sorry Ryū-chan. I only recognized his chakra signature was different when I hit him. The guy's chakra signature was too close to tell them apart. He must have been an expert at disguise."

She shouted and threw a fist into the wall, furious at being decived. "Shit! He must have had a body double all this time!"

Without taking his eyes off the fallen man he put an arm around her shoulder's trying to calm her down. "Easy there Ryū-chan. The guy was using some kind of advanced transformation jutsu. I'll locate the real Mui right away."

A voice from behind froze the blood in their veins.

"There's no need for that boy. It's all over."

Naruto whirled around, Rasengan already spinning on his palm…

Then his entire body spontaneously combusted. He saw four figures standing there even as his agonized cry was cut short by a hand snapping into the side of his neck. He felt to the floor, everything from his neck down suddenly numb. The wall and the corpse sagging against it were all he could see. He couldn't move! He couldn't get up and fight!

Behind and above him heard Ryūzetsu shout in pain… heard the crash of glass shattering… and then a dull echoing boom.

Then someone other than Lord Mui was speaking. "Deactivate the seal for now Mui. That one won't bother us for now. Besides… you will need your strength and your chakra to open the Box of Paradise."

"Very well."

Another voice cut through the air, deeper and more guttural than the others. "We must go. The seal I applied to the Jinchuriki's neck will only keep him paralyzed for a short time. The ritual is prepared. It is time to finish this."

Naruto tried to move, attempted to call out, but couldn't as something or someone lifted his limp body. His mind was racing. What had happened? Had Mui known their plans all along?! That should have been impossible. With his mastery of Sage mode he should have been able to sense anyone spying on his and Ryūzetsu's meetings! And how had they concealed themselves from him in the first place?!

"Knock him out Gokurou. It's better if he is unconscious anyway. The chakra will flow easier that way."

Naruto's eyes couldn't even move from their current position. He couldn't even flinch away from the coming blow. All he could do was watch as the butt end of a kunai came down on his head. Pain exploded through his forehead… and was followed by a swift and inky darkness.

He knew no more.

Ooo

Ooo

Maroi sighed as he stood upon one of the highest buildings in Hozuki castle.

It was almost time.

The last six months had been quite troublesome for him. And the last four especially so. That boy… Naruto Uzumaki… was one hell of a ninja. From what he heard the boy was being considered for S-rank in several Bingo books after he supposedly fought against the leader of the Akatsuki one on one… and come out on top.

That was incredible enough, but to be able to do what he'd been doing here at Hozuki castle was simple insane. The kid was strong enough to make a shadow clone even while marked with Mui's seal, could apparently use Sage mode from what he'd seen thus far, and had stealth that was simply off the charts. If he himself hadn't been a powerful sensor type finding the blond haired hero of Konoha would have been impossible.

He was glad Naruto was the kind of kid he was.

Otherwise he'd be dead. A few months ago, when Naruto had first been brought to the prison, he kidnapped him and brought him to Mui. Or well, so he may or may not have been tricked into bringing a shadow clone. Regardless he'd failed that first attempt. The next time the blond was kidnapped it had been one of Mui's other agents. He'd watched Naruto carrying the guy away from the castle late the same night. It could have been him if Mui trusted him enough to make a second attempt.

That guy was never seen or heard from again and he had the uncomfortable impression that the poor idiot had been thrown off the long cliffs. Especially since Naruto wasn't really known for killing his opponents. Probably just knocked him out and threw him over. Not the best way to go, but certainly far from the worst.

Maroi stiffened as he felt a massive surge of chakra from below him.

"Tsk… seems like they started the ritual. Better signal the reinforcements." He clasped his hands together and gathered what chakra he could. "Let's try this. Hopefully I don't burn myself alive for using too much chakra. Lightning style: Lightning Signal."

He converted his gathered chakra into his main element and then launched it skyward. A golden bolt of lightning arced upwards into the sky detonating high overhead. The explosion would hopefully be enough to alert the forces Kumo and Konoha had put together for the occasion.

Hopefully…

If not? Well shit would hit the fan really quick. That probably wouldn't happen though.

Hopefully.

Ooo

Ooo

Naruto awakened slowly… painfully… to the sound of buzzing machinery and someone's unsteady breathing. His vision was foggy and a harsh light shone down from above, making him want to cover his eyes. But he still couldn't move.

"Damn it… what happened? Where am I?"

He gritted his teeth and forced his head to rise, just enough to see the room around him. It was then he felt the ghostly touch of gloved hands pressing to either side of his chest. At the same time his flesh broke out in goose bumps as a strange unpleasant chakra started to leach into his skin. And there, standing over him, hands running back and forth as he did something to him… was Lord Mui.

Naruto jerked even as the older man grimaced.

"Almost… there."

"What the hell is he doing to me?!" Naruto drew on his chakra, preparing to break free of whatever jutsu kept him trapped. Yet he was too late. Mui had already finished whatever he was trying to do. Naruto cringed as he felt the seal on his abdomen activate, the black kanji script glowing red hot. Then, not a second later, he registered a dark presence stirring nearby.

He knew at once it was the Box of Paradise. The artifact was radiating a power so dark nature its self recoiled from it. And now that he was this close he could finally fell something alive within the charka laced stone. Something ancient and dark. Something… evil.

And then… like a bloody red torrent… chakra exploded from him. "FUCK?!" Pain like nothing he'd experienced rippled through every nerve of his body while a mix of his and the Kyuubi's chakra rushed out and towards the Box of Paradise. He thrashed, bellowing as he felt the seal holding him down snap. To his right Mui stared, transfixed by the crimson tide of chakra.

Naruto gritted his teeth to prevent another scream from tearing loose, dispelling the clone which had been sent up above to the prison courtyard.

Nature energy rushed into him and he formed a Rasengan. It was hard, like trying to swim against the current of a great river. He pushed through the pain and, tossing it in Mui's direction with a mighty heave, managed to break the man's concentration. The sudden attack also seemed to cut off the ritual mere seconds after the Box collected enough of his chakra to activate.

Mui was surprised by his attack but still managed to dodge out of the way. He leapt backwards out of range, probably realizing how dangerous an angry Jinchuriki would be unsealed.

Naruto rolled off the table, nature energy coursing through him at a prodigious pace. He went still for a few precious seconds to make sure it didn't turn him to stone. Then he stood up, cringing as the pain still lancing through his torso. It was a good thing his clone had been gathering nature chakra. Otherwise he'd be in pretty rough shape and in no position to fight a Jonin like Mui.

But now… he had a chance.

"Hey… asshole! You happy now?!"

Mui stood in front of the glowing door to the Box of Paradise, tired himself but recovering quickly. "It's extraordinary, the amount of chakra you Jinchuriki possess."

"You… bastard!" Naruto glared at Mui, preparing to attack again. Yet even as he took a step forward his knees buckled beneath him as his body tried to balance an overwhelming amount of natural energy with his depleted reserves. He bit his lip hard enough to bleed and released a large portion of the energy. He was used to balancing it against the full volume of his Jinchuriki reserves. Currently he only had a couple Jonin worth to work with.

Damn it… he'd need to be careful with this fight.

He raised his head to look at his enemy, wondering how he could defeat the man without being branded with that seal again. "Grr… for right now I need to keep him talking if I can. The longer I can delay fighting him up close, the more chakra I can gather. Speaking of which…" Naruto sent a mental query to the Kyuubi and received no answer. "Well that sucks. No help from fox today. Maybe next time. For now I need to stall."

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at the warden. "What kind of man would murder his own son just to open that thing? Were you really that desperate to have your wish granted?!"

"It is all for the future of Kusa."

"Don't use the future as an excuse!"

Mui looked away from him, towards the box of paradise. "It doesn't matter. It will all be over soon."

Naruto's eyes narrowed and he tensed his legs, preparing to attack. At least that's what he was going to do. His mind changed a second later when the entire cavern shook. The violent jarring motion would have sent both of them to their knees had they not channeled chakra to their feet. Mui's gaze was stuck to the grinning face that was even now breaking free of the cavern wall. It spun slowly, pulling away and… rising.

The two of them stumbled as the entire cavern gave sudden lurch. Naruto realized what the Box of Paradise was doing and gave a strangled shout of surprise. "Shit! I need to get up there before he can try to open it!" He turned, already knowing the way out of the chamber, and bolted for the surface.

He leaped through the rough hewn cave until he came to the exit. His sage mode enhanced strike tore the solid iron door off its hinges and he was through an instant later. Without looking he knew that he didn't have time to go up the stairs all the way to the top. And besides that he didn't dare let Mui catch him in such an enclosed space. So instead of leaping upwards he darted to the side, running up the stars until his enhanced senses perceived he was above ground.

At that point he turned, gathering his chakra into a sphere and thrusting it into the wall to his right. The massive Rasengan tore through the stone as if it wasn't there, creating a tunnel almost as tall as he was. Then he forced it to destabilize, the sudden change causing the sphere to explode outwards.

With a deafening boom his jutsu annihilated everything in front of it, creating a hole through the wall to the outside. He peered through the dust cloud and as barely able to make out the prison's great main courtyard. However the sound of pursuit made his glance behind him and down the stairs. It seemed Mui had come after him. "Well that didn't take long!"

Naruto wasn't about to fight the man here though. With that in mind he channeled sage chakra to his legs and threw himself through the hole and out into open air. Mid jump he created three more clones, directing them to go off and gather more nature energy in case he needed it.

He took in the area around him as he landed. The great courtyard of Hōzuki castle was filled with inmates, all of whom were now either looking at him or towards the Box of Paradise as it rose from the ground near the courtyard's center.

Naruto glanced behind him just in time for Mui to land. "Hey! Mui! Now we're out in the open… you're done for! I'm not letting you open that box for nothing!" He dropped into a fighting stance and summoned two more shadow clones. "You're not even getting close to that box."

Mui's expression was one of distaste.

"You may find that hard Jinchuriki."

Naruto's eyes went wide as he sensed four large chakra signatures closing in on him from all sides. He recognized them from when he'd been captured before. "Not this time!" He and his clones leapt up even as the four masked ninja landed. Two huge Rasengan formed in his hands an instant before his clones hurled him back down in the midst of his four opponents.

A short agonized cry heralded at least one enemy down, but Naruto soon found himself fighting a losing battle against the three remaining masked Kusa ninja. He ducked and weaved, trying to put distance between him and them, but they were hemming him in! Damn it! And Mui had already destroyed his clone and was walking quickly towards the Box of Paradise!

A roar of fury escaped him and he allowed one of the masked ninja to stab him in the shoulder. And just like he'd done to Kabuto all those years ago he used it as an opportunity to deal some damage of his own. Except this time the circumstances were different.

He hadn't been in Sage mode back then…

The masked man's blade shattered on his diamond hard skin even as his Naruto's fist broke every bone in his upper torso, sending him flying away like a human rag doll. The scream that followed seemed oddly satisfying for some reason.

And then there were two.

Possibly realizing they couldn't fight him in close quarters, both ninja tried to leap out of the way. However, they couldn't account for the sage chakra coating his strikes and extending his range. Naruto's foot missed its mark, yet the wave of natural energy struck true. It caught the slower of them in the face, snapping her neck back with a sickening crack. He didn't bother to watch her body collapse to the ground in a heap. His concentration was already on the last ninja.

To be blunt he didn't last long. Naruto gathered nature chakra around his fist and swung. His opponent dodged… or at least tried to. He did manage to avoid the fist. Just not the freight train of condensed nature energy behind it. The titanic blow broke his mask along with the face and skull beyond.

Naruto grimaced in distaste as the man slumped to the ground, dead before his blood could spill across the stone. Then his head whipped to the side, his eyes searching for Mui.

Damn it all to hell! The bastard was already there opening the box!

He broke into an all out sprint with the intent of ramming Mui into the next dimension. His speed eating up the distance between them, but even with Sage mode he was just too slow. Mui had been given just enough time to arrive at the box and open it. Naruto wasn't about to let him make his wish though. "Even if it means breaking my promise to Ryū-chan… I can't let him do it!"

…

Mui didn't see the punch coming. All he could see was the box of Paradise, the salvation he'd been searching for all these years since his son had died… It had never been his intention to sacrifice Muku. His son was only supposed to provide enough chakra to open the box… not to give everything he had and more! He wasn't supposed to be sucked inside and devoured whole!

This box was no longer the salvation of the hidden grass. This box would now give back what had been taken from him!

He would wish to see his son again…

Or not.

Because in the very instant that the Box of Paradise activated a fist, feeling like a boss summon's kick, sent him into the next world… literally. He was dead before he registered the pain of Naruto's Sage mode enhanced strike breaking every bone in his body.

To those watching it seemed like Naruto's attack liquefied the warden's skeletal structure. One moment he was about to make his wish and the next he was flying away, limbs and head twisting in ways they were never meant to move.

The body landed in a crumpled heap… broken and oozing blood. Naruto watched too, his expression a mixture of contempt and disgust. He hadn't wanted to kill Mui. The man might have deserved it for what he'd done, but it was Ryūzetsu's right to kill him. But he had to do it. To prevent him from using the Box of Paradise. There was no telling what a man like that would have done with it.

"Naruto!"

He turned in time to see Ryūzestu limping towards him, her face set in a mask of rage and relief. "Ryū-chan! Are you okay!?" He darted towards her, stopping just before she could take a wild swing for his face. "What happened?"

"You idiot! You promised you would let me kill him… for Muku!"

"I couldn't alright! He was about to make a wish on that thing. Do you have any idea what could have happened? What if he wished for enough power to destroy entire nations? I couldn't let him do that even if it meant… breaking my promise to you. I'm sorry Ryū-chan…"

She looked at him for a long moment. Betrayal seemed to be twisting her face. Then she shouted angrily and slapped him across the face.

"Ow?!"

"You stupid blond nutcase!" Then she hugged him. He swallowed hard, blushing as her arms squeezed tight. He wasn't used to this sort of thing from her.

"Ryū-chan?"

"Don't you ever do something like that again," she growled. "And don't you ever break a promise to me again… I'll kill you if you do."

"O..okay…"

She drew back, holding him at arm's length. It almost looked like she going to cry. "You promise?"

"Yeah. I promise Ryū-chan, on both things…" He smiled and scratched the back of his head nervously. "You can count on me ya know."

"Good." She hugged him again, resting her head on his bare chest. "I'm glad you're safe. Did… did they hurt you opening the box? I remember watching Muku scream when they used his chakra to try and open it."

"They did, but at least Mui didn't get his wish." He wrapped his arms around her, wishing that he wasn't on the receiving end of such affection when he was still covered in blood. Though she didn't seem to be paying attention to that. His blush deepened as he remembered how many times he'd wanted to hold Sakura like this. He glanced over her shoulder and noted that literally everyone was watching their little reunion. "Ryū-chan?" She took a deep breath; her face still buried in his chest, and didn't answer. "Um Ryū-chan. You know everyone is staring right?"

Abruptly she jerked away from him, her face burning crimson. "Idiot! Don't say things like that!"

He couldn't help but smile as she turned to look around at the prisoners. Most of them were watching him and Ryūzetsu with something akin to wonder. Then again. He had just killed the warden in front of everyone. He guessed they had every right to be shocked.

Ryūzetsu scowled and opened her mouth to shout something when a wave of foreboding washed over the whole courtyard. She and Naruto whipped around just in time to see something emerge from the Box of Paradise.

"M..Muku?!"

At first glance Naruto thought it was some kind of ghost... That's just how pale he was. But he didn't focus on what the boy looked like for long. His eyes went wide as he finally got a sense for the pale youth. That… that wasn't Muku. That thing wasn't even human. It was an abomination and nature itself was recoiling from it, revolted by its mere existence! That thing felt more evil that Kurama at his worst!

"Muku! Is that you!?"

Ryūzetsu started to run toward the box and its manifestation, a desperate look in her eyes. He stopped her before she managed to get ten steps, holding her and anchoring his feet to the ground with chakra. "Ryū-chan, that's not who you think it is! That's not a person! It's just a shell filled with dark chakra!"

"No! It's Muku! I see him! He's right there! Let go of me Naruto-kun!"

Naruto blinked at what she'd just said. "Did she just call me…?"

But she'd already pulled free of him and was racing forwards. Naruto leapt after her. "Ryū-chan no!"

It was too late. She threw herself at the creature, the thing she thought was her long lost best friend and his arm pierced right through her. An agonize shout wrenched free of Naruto as the creature masquerading as Muku tossed her to the side… and smiled.

"Well that was easy," it taunted. "Are you next?"

Naruto couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Ryūzetsu… the girl he'd spent the last four months planning with and getting to know, the one who'd saved his life, the beautiful girl he'd grown to care for as much or more than his friends back in Konoha… was lying in a rapidly expanding pool of her own blood.

It… did something… to him.

Standing here now. It was like the battle with Pain all over again. He was watching Hinata being impaled, bleeding out on the hard earth, Nagato's puppet standing over her uncaring. He was seeing someone precious to him dying in front of him. Naruto's shocked expression faded, his eyes going dark as he felt the string of his self control strain… and snap.

A howl like a wounded animal rent the air and Naruto charged, crossing the distance between him and the box's manifestation in a heartbeat, fully intending the grab him and throw him bodily into the portal behind him.

The creature's surprise was profound as it was, quite suddenly, hurled backwards. Naruto's hand was wrapped around its throat and a hand, cloaked in crimson chakra, was buried deep in his chest… clawed fingers wrapped snugly around his heart.

And then the two of them vanished into the Box of Paradise…

Ooo

Ooo

When Naruto woke it was to the sound of something hard clicking on stone. His eyes opened slowly and he found himself gazing at a grey stone ceiling, one that seemed to have ripples flowing across it… as if the stone was the surface of an eerily calm lake. It was strange. What had he just been doing?

"Ryū-chan!"

Naruto bolted upright, gathering his chakra to attack… and stopped.

"Hello Naruto-san. I see you're finally awake."

"Who…" The blond Shinobi was looking at the very same man who'd impaled Ryūzetsu, except he wasn't as old. As opposed to someone his own age he was looking at a fourteen year old in the traditional Kusagakure ninja uniform. "Are you Muku?"

"That is the name I went by in life." The boy replied calmly. "These days I go by the name Shuei. Sit down Naruto-san. We have much to talk about."

Naruto looked around the small room they were in, wondering what the hell was going on. And then he remembered what he'd done prior to falling unconscious. He'd actually entered the Box of Paradise. "Oh kami… am I trapped in here?! How do I get out?! Ryū-chan is out there injured! I have to get out and help her!"

"Sit down Naruto-san. I will explain everything. For now all you need know is that Ryūzetsu is alive. Currently you are within the Box of Paradise."

"…What?"

"Allow me to explain. The Box of Paradise is a tool created by the god Tsukyomi for his own amusement. It is less an actual object and more a concept given form. The Box of Paradise embodies two things; desire and infinity."

Naruto hesitantly took a seat opposite the one who had once been Muku. "So… what happened?"

"You entered the box, as anyone wishing to make a wish must do. Now that you are here all that remains is to make a wish."

"Wait. Didn't Mui already make a wish? I mean you… Or something like you left the box. Did he just want to see you alive again?"

"No."

"What do you mean no?" Naruto leaned forward. "I don't understand. What's going on here?!"

"Then allow me to explain Naruto-san. The Box of Paradise may grant any wish. All that is required is enough energy to activate and a human sacrifice."

"Then…"

"You provided the power to open it and I provided the needed sacrifice ten years ago. Although three other people have been sacrificed before me, each of them lacking the chakra needed to open the door to this place."

Naruto decided to be silent and let the boy explain everything. He didn't know what was going on here, but the boy said Ryūzetsu was alright. He didn't know how to get out and make sure of that so for now he would have to take him at his word. Besides, this Muku was not the one who had attacked Ryūzetsu. He could feel that much.

"The Box of Paradise possesses a limitless amount of energy, a gift from the gods themselves. It will grant one wish for every life sacrificed to it before it is opened. Then whoever desires to make a wish must enter the box themselves. If they are not mentally or physically strong enough to survive the passage then their souls are taken as an additional sacrifice and the box closes again."

"So…"

"You survived entering here. Now you must make a wish. Or to be more specific. You must make four wishes. You cannot leave until you do so. Furthermore while you are inside here Satori, the one who attacked Ryūzetsu, is outside fighting your friends… and he is currently winning."

"What?!" Naruto almost sprang from his seat, only for Muku to make a calming gesture.

"The sooner you make your wishes and satisfy the conditions given by the box of Paradise, the sooner you may leave, and the less damage Satori will do outside."

Naruto grimaced and sat down. "Fine. What are the… eh… rules for these wishes? Tell me! So I can get out of here and help Ryū-chan!"

"Very well. You have four wishes. Each wish has certain restrictions. You may not make a wish that directly affects the Box its self in any way. You may not make a wish that interferes with the desires of any of the other gods. You may only wish for things that are finite, which means that anything limitless, such as immortality or infinite power, are out of the question. Last of all you may not wish for more wishes."

Naruto blinked. "I um…"

"Additionally there is no need to state the way in which your wish is intended. I am currently reading your thoughts and I will understand exactly how you desire the wish to be fulfilled."

"I see." Naruto shifted. "Can I ask some questions?"

"I am bound to withhold some information Naruto-san. However since I know who you are and I respect you for befriending Ryūzetsu… I am inclined to help you as much as I can."

Naruto nodded. "What happens when I'm done making my wishes?"

"You will be allowed to leave. Satori will then return and the box will close, unable to be opened for another hundred years."

"What is Satori?"

"Satori is the guardian of the Box of Paradise. He is there to prevent anyone else from entering the box while the wisher is inside. However over the millennia the box has existed he has become a hateful entity who seeks the destruction of the world. Therefore instead of merely guarding the box… he kills and destroys everything he can until forced back inside."

"Can he be killed?"

"No. If he is defeated on the outside he will merely manifest here a short time later at full strength. However if he is "killed" the box will close for a hundred years, unable to be used again until then."

"So I have four wishes that I have to make before I can leave and this Satori creature will attack everything in sight until I finish?"

"That is correct."

Naruto leaned back in his seat, staring at Muku feeling completely dumbfounded. "I have no idea what to wish for!"

Muku's expression changed for the first time, a small pained but friendly smile appearing. "I would advise only three things. Don't make generalized wishes. I will not twist your wish in a negative way however a generalized wish such as… world peace for instance… could have countless negative consequences that are unseen. Second I would advise only making wishes where you know and understand the variables involved… which would also mean wishing for something rather specific."

"And last?"

"Don't wish for something against the laws of nature. Such things as bringing the dead back to life are possible, but can have terrible results in the long run."

Naruto bit his lip, thinking about it.

"I would also advise being quick about it Naruto-san. I may be your ally while you are here, but I cannot stop Satori from killing your friends. The one known as Yamato was almost killed just now."

"B..But what should I wish for?!" Naruto still felt shell shocked. And why the hell was captain Yamato out there?! He should have been back at the village!

"I cannot make a wish for you. That is strictly against the rules I am bound to follow."

"I… I… Fuck!" Naruto was starting to sweat. "I can't wish for something generalized like you said. I don't know how it would affect everyone else. I need to wish for something I actually know about so I know how it will affect me! I wouldn't bring the dead back to life. That's just wrong, but… What do I want?"

"I may be able to read your thoughts, but I cannot suggest anything for you more than I already have. I can only suggest that you hurry."

Naruto clenched his fists. "My first wish… my first wish… What is something that will help me?! Come on think damn it! What can I wish for that I'll never have?! Something that will make me stronger! What are things that Ero-senin always told me I would never have…. OH! That's it!"

Naruto met Muku's dark eyes. "I have my first wish."

"Very well. What is it?"

"I wish for perfect chakra control."

Muku smirked ever so slightly. "A wise wish for someone like you… and something that requires little explanation and has no real negative consequences." Muku closed his eyes. "Your first wish is granted. What is the second?"

Naruto scrunched his face up in thought, wondering what he should choose. He needed to choose something that made himself stronger. Anything else might have unknown problems that he wouldn't know about… Although… he could wish for someone else to have power too. But the question for that would be if they would want it? No… he was better off just wishing for himself… or..

"I wish that Ryū-chan had an advanced healing factor even better than mine!"

Muku smiled for real this time. "Your wish is granted… and thank you for thinking of her in that way. I'm glad she found someone like you."

Naruto blushed, realizing that Muku was still reading his thoughts even now. He dropped his eyes to the ground, already thinking what his next wish.

"What is your third wish?"

"Give me a sec. I'm thinking it all through…"

"Of course, but be quick. Satori is fighting the Hachibi Jinchuriki and winning. Once he is finished with him there will be little to stop him killing your friends."

Naruto had closed his eyes, nodding to himself. Again part of him was wondering why in Kami's name the jinchuriki of the Hachibi was here. Had that been the massive chakra signature he'd sensed earlier? Shit. He was getting off track again! "Okay… okay. I… I think I have it."

"Very well."

The blond Jinchuriki looked up, his eyes opening. He needed to be stronger. To protect everyone he cared about. And if he already had the chakra control and the chakra capacity from the Kyuubi... there was just one thing he was missing. The thing that every other enemy he ran into seemed to have. A bloodline. A special power that no one else could copy. Like Neji's Byakugan or Sasuke's Sharingan. In other words, a Doujutsu. If there was one thing he knew would give him an edge it was that. But not just any Doujutsu. After all, if he was going to wish... he minds as well wish big!

"I wish to have the Rinnegan."

Muku nodded. "You wish is granted."

Naruto stiffened as he felt a strange sensation behind his eyes. And then pain exploded through him, rendering him completely insensate. He fell out of the chair, gasping as his system all but went into shock. And he stayed that way for a long time… for how long he didn't know... But when he at last climbed back into the chair blood was trickling from his eyes and Muku seemed somewhat panicked.

"You need to make you last wish now Naruto-san. Or Ryūzetsu will die. The Hachibi jinchruki has been defeated and the rest of the ninja outside are barely holding Satori off."

Groaning in pain Naruto managed to nod and raise his head, focusing unsteadily on Muku. "I… right… I wish… I wish…"

"Hurry…"

Naruto slumped forward, almost falling unconscious again. Black shadows were rapidly descending over his field of vision. Wishing for the Rinnegan it seemed was a poor choice and he was paying for it now… He could barely think. His thoughts were woozy and jumbled…

…rather like how Jiraiya described a bad hangover now that he thought about it.

He grimaced as the room seemed to spin and he made his wish. Muku blinked in slight shock and then nodded. "Your wish is granted…"

Naruto chuckled, unable to stop himself, and fell out of the chair again. He idly wondered just how much damage was done to his body by wishing for the Rinnegan. Had it caused… Jeeze what was it called? drain bamage? Damn it. He wished the floor would stop dancing already.

A moment later Naruto felt himself being tossed? Something like that. He wasn't sure. Everything was so blurry and the edges of his vision were black and splotchy. He blinked as something came into view. It was large and like everything right now, rather fuzzy. Whatever it was it was white or maybe silver. He didn't know.

Maybe it was blue… Was it blue? That would be weird. Why would it be weird? He hadn't the faintest idea.

"Na..ku… how… right…?!"

And what was with all the shouting? It was complete gibberish. Was he supposed to understand this shit? Were they talking with marbles in their mouths?

"He… I… what… fu…"

Naruto blinked again, but everything had gone completely black. Something hit his face and he groaned, trying to strike out at what had done it. Then something warm and soft was pressing against his cheek. Someone was speaking to him… he was pretty sure of that now but he was still so confused. And tired too…

He'd just realized that he was tired… incredibly, amazing exhausted.

The last thought he had before he fell into blissful unconsciousness was…

"What did I wish for again…?"

OOO

-Chapter end-

OOO

So that's the first chapter! It's more of a prologue to be completely honest. But I didn't want to spend more time on the actual introduction. As you can probably guess this will be a Naruto/Ryuzetsu main. With possibly more girls later on. I'll say this right now. Naruto will be with many girls in this story, but he won't necessarily have a harem at the end. It depends on how I feel everything should continue.

But since I know from reading reviews of other stories that I'll be bombarded with additional pairing requests... I'll lay down some ground rules. Just so you readers don't ask for things I absolutely won't do.

First and foremost no one who is way older than Naruto. No one who is currently in a canon relationship. And no one from the other Naruto Movies. (No Shion, Koyuki, Amaru, etc...) No gender bent characters and absolutely no Yaoi.

With those ground rules set, please review. I don't mind criticism, especially the constructive kind. Long reviews I don't mind, but if you're doing more than two paragraphs... please PM me instead. If you see errors PLEASE let me know. I don't have a beta yet for obvious reasons. Flames are to be expected and ignored. Especially offensive ones will simply be deleted.

Thank you all for reading and stay tuned!