Before reading, I would like to say that it has been enjoyable writing these stories, but I am no longer active in writing in any shape or form, nor am I on this site anymore. This story was one of my first attempts at writing, so there will be missing depth at times and parts where things should have been handled differently, but all in all it turns out decently for what it is.

All my stories were written in 2007, so there are things we know now that we didn't back then

Also I do not read review posts anymore, so don't expect any replies

This story is rated M due to sexual content later in the story (about chapter 12 is when it starts).

Up From the Shadows

Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own the anime/manga Naruto; nor do I profit from using any likenesses of the characters portrayed in said works.

FYI: Dates appear as such: 'June 18 – 015 AK – Midday' meaning the obvious, the 015 is basically saying that October of that year Naruto is 15

Like all my stories, this takes place close to the end of the training mission with Jiraiya (I do this because they are older and I hate just redoing the early missions like so many other stories, all of mine are created by me and me alone so it is a 100 percent original storyline)

(Somewhere outside Konoha) June 15 – 015 AK:

"Sasuke, I have a plan to bring you back this time, you're coming home today." Announced the orange wearing ninja.

"I doubt it looser. You couldn't do it years ago, what makes you sure you can to it now? You're still worthless. You're too slow and I still haven't even activated my Sharingan yet. This battle has been a joke." Sasuke smirked when he saw his ex-teammate's reaction.

"Sharingan or not, I will bring you back one way or another." Naruto charges forward but quickly halts when Sasuke grabs his wrist and forces chakra creating the crackling chirps of his assassination technique. Naruto quickly crated a blue sphere in his right hand. "Chidori!" "Rasengan!" Naruto's hastily created jutsu was easily defeated by the fully created lightning jutsu. Sasuke pushed the blonde's hand outward as he thrust his hand directly into Naruto's chest cavity causing immense pain forcing him to the ground. Just like the time at the valley of the end, the fox container grabbed for his prisoner's chakra and pulled out… absolutely nothing. 'God damn Fox! Where the hell are you?' he shouted inward getting only silence in return as he fell to his back. Sasuke stood above him with a large grin on his face looking at his bloody hand in amusement.

"Please, Sasuke… Don't forget Konoha, they will help you. Just go back there and repair your relations with them" Croaked out the pained voice of the fallen leaf nin.

"Save it for the other side moron." Sasuke unsheathed his sword and stuck it straight through his old teammate's heart killing him instantly. "No coming back from that one dobe." Sasuke was elated, he killed his friend, but didn't feel any different; no power came to him as it should have. Sasuke was starting to get pissed until his evil sensei came out to meet him.

"Good, Sasuke-kun, you've done a wonderful job killing your friend. I bet your dying to feel your increase in strength." Orochimaru cackled in a voice that makes little boys everywhere cringe and hide.

"I don't understand, I should feel some sort of power right?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry Sasuke-kun, I forgot to mention you needed to feel remorse for it to work, let me help you." Orochimaru released the curse seal from Sasuke; with it all the suppressed emotions came forward revealing the true Sasuke not under the influence of the seal. Sasuke stared at his hands covered in blood and then turned his head to look at the sword sticking out of his friends body.

"What the hell have I done? The only person willing to be my friend when I was an ass just died by my hand. How could this have happened? If I really wanted him dead I wouldn't have saved his sorry ass in wave." Sasuke was battling with his new found sorrow but kept his face emotion less. "Alright snake bastard, why did you do this to me?"

"Oh but Sasuke-kun, you know why, you're showing it to me right now; the mangekou, my mangekou." Before Sasuke could react Kabuto jumped into view performing a paralyzing jutsu as Orochimaru prepared his body change jutsu since he needed to transfer quickly before the Uchiha figured out how to use it. Sasuke tried and tried to break free but it was all pointless since he was completely paralyzed except for his eyes. Then his genius nature struck, his eyes could still move. Focusing on Kabuto's eyes, which were barely in his peripheral, he made a weak illusion causing him to flinch breaking the paralysis. The snake sannin wasn't paying attention to the happenings around him, he only eyed the prize. Right as the jutsu was cast, Sasuke used kawarmi and managed to switch himself with Kabuto causing Orochimaru to transfer into the glasses wearing traitor.

"No one steals my body prick." Sasuke spat on the weakened form of Kabuto/Orochimaru.

"Damn you brat where are you, you better not be dead or I'll kill you myself." Shouted an irate white haired toad summoner, known as Jiraiya of the legendary three, as he landed in the battlefield. With out looking he slit Kabuto/Orochimaru's throat sapping the life from the fallen body. Jiraiya saw Sasuke sitting on the ground staring at his hands in front of the two dead sound nins. "Hey traitor, you coming? We're getting out of here when the shrimp wakes up, or would you rather me drag you to Konoha."

"I'll come willingly, that was his last wish." Jiraiya looked at him strangely until he saw Sasuke's eyes not look at his but past him. He turned around and saw what he missed when he arrived; lying on the ground was an orange and red mess with a sword still sticking out from his heart. "I was still under Orochimaru's curse and I had no idea I was killing one of my only friends until he released the seal. I want to go to Konoha, hopefully I'll be executed when I arrive."

Sasuke stood and started walking toward the village while Jiraiya was forced to clean up the mess and burn the traitor's bodies; he would have burned his student's but he believed some people in the village would want to say goodbye in their own way. Jiraiya summoned a smaller toad to retrieve the personal effects they left behind and bring the items to the Hokage while he wrapped a cloth around his student and carried him to Konoha.

(If you are thinking of leaving due to Naruto dying, please don't because there is much more here than that. Look underneath the underneath...)

(Konoha) June 16 – 015 AK – Midmorning

A team of Anbu was seen dashing to the eastern gate of Konoha after getting word of Jiraiya's return; (the toad moves fast) arriving shortly after Tsunade, the fifth Hokage, and her apprentice Haruno Sakura, made it to the same location. Strangely enough the Hokage wasn't the first leaf ninja waiting at the gate. If you were to look closely, behind the nearest tree, you could find a pale eyed girl on her daily stop waiting to maybe catch a glimpse of her blonde crush if he were to return at that time.

Five minutes passed before the gates opened revealing the white haired sannin, holding an orange bundle, and a dark haired young man walking towards the open gate. Sakura started to smile as her eyes never left the visage of the dark haired man while Hinata felt a hollow sickness swelling inside seeing the orange object being carried and not walking. When the travelers got within the gates Sakura ran to the Uchiha.

"Sasuke-kun!" she screamed grabbing him into a warm hug still smiling.

"Hi Sakura." Sasuke replied in a dry tone trying to be slightly nice but also not to be overly nice.

While Sakura ran to her crush Tsunade was studying Jiraiya and the bundle he carried. She remained emotionless and still when she realized there was no life in the body he carried. Tsunade snapped out of her daze when she heard a voice behind her.

"Naruto-Kun!" Hinata screamed as she bolted towards them with tears pouring from her eyes only to be grabbed by the Hokage in a caring hug.

"I can't let you see him like this Hinata; you won't be able to forget that image if you do" Tsunade held the sobbing Hyuuga tightly trying to keep her from going anywhere.

Hinata's screaming brought Sakura's attention away from her Sasuke and back to the real world and finally noticed the orange and red mass in the sannin's arms. "Sensei, is he really?"

"Are you really my apprentice? Do you think Hinata would be crying like this he wasn't?" Tsunade voiced being quite angry at her apprentice in her moment of idiocy and uncaring for her teammate.

"Um… Jiraiya-sama, w-what happened to h-him?" Hinata asked while trying to stop herself from crying.

"The idiot died giving me the ultimate version of my Sharingan; at least he did something right for a change. At least with me killing him I was able to defeat Orochimaru single handedly and I would have killed Kabuto as well if it wasn't for the white haired oaf cutting in." Sasuke explained while smirking. Although he killed Naruto, he found focusing on his destroying of major traitors could get him to feel a bit better about himself. He was an Uchiha, he could handle deaths with a stone heart, right?

Hinata lost her timid nature as she eyed Sasuke "You killed him?" she asked with a quiet voice.

"Yeah, I killed those powerful ninja that couldn't be defeated by either Hokage."

"YOU, killed HIM!?" Hinata asked again in a much louder voice shocking most people that knew her. "You killed MY Naruto-kun?" she raged as Sasuke just smirked again.

"Oh you're that girl, the one with that silly crush on the idiot, Hinata wasn't it? Yeah it was by my hand that he died. He seemed happy to die just with the hope of getting me to return to keep a promise he made to the one really he cared for, and it definitely wasn't you."

Something in Hinata snapped sending forth something no one ever thought existed in a person, let alone this shy girl "You dumb worthless snake loving piece of SHIT! I did not have a crush on him!"

"Then you'll find it easier to get over him then, good. He was never good enough to have your attention…" retorted Sasuke before he was cut off by Hinata as she spoke quietly at first.

"He was everything I wasn't, he was my inspiration when I was brought down and just thinking of him kept me going. He was like the light in my darkness giving me strength to persevere. When he was just 12, he was easily twice the man you will ever become, but most of all, he was the love of my life, the only one I felt was worthy of my love. When he was alive I was too timid and shy to tell him, but now I can never tell him because you killed him you murderer!" Hinata, in her rage, charged at Sasuke breaking away from Tsunade's grasp with her palm visibly glowing with immense amounts of chakra. Her speed alone took the Uchiha by surprise leaving him open to her supercharged Jyuken strike aiming for an instant kill. Just mere feet away from connecting the Hokage appeared between the two with her own fist glowing. The two chakra powered attacks contacted each other to cancel each other out but ended up leaving Tsunade's arm fall limp at her side due to the effects of the Hyuuga technique.

"Hinata, I can't allow you to kill anyone in that manner inside our village. If it was allowed, you would have needed to beat me to it." Tsunade reached forward and tapped Hinata on the forehead forcing her into a deep sleep. Tsunade caught her safely in her arms before she hit the ground. "Sakura, take Hinata home, I think she needs some time alone. The rest of you follow me, we're going to have some quality time with Ibiki.

(Somewhere between Fire and Stone Country) June 16 – 015 AK - Midday

A small caravan of travelers were heading towards Iwakagure after visiting a nearby village. During their journey they came across a pale looking person lying at the side of the trail.

"Father…"

"Yes Santen what is it?"

"There is someone lying on the edge of the road ahead. He looks bad, I don't think he has eaten in a month, we should help." Replied the young man of about 15 or 16.

"Tsuchikage-sama, we really shouldn't take any chances, he could be an assassin just waiting for his time to strike. We should eliminate this potential threat immediately." Voiced the guard as he pulled out a katana and ran ahead of the caravan going for his kill.

"STOP!" commanded the elder man

"Tsuchikage-sama?"

"Leave him be can't you tell he has very little chakra capacity? There is no way this person could be a threat, he should barely even be able to live a day without food. Tangrei," he called to his guard, "We will take him with us to the village hospital there we maybe able to tell if a new jutsu exists that caused his extremely low chakra capacity."

Tangrei was irritated that a potential threat would be brought with them, but you don't disobey a Kage. Reluctantly he picked up the unconscious form of the stranger and brought him to the carriage to bring him back to the village.

( Konoha – Hokage's office) June 17 – 015 AK - Midday

Tsunade was looking out her office window staring at the faces of the previous Hokages 'damn brat, your face should have joined mine up there next, I will stay in the village to keep your friends safe like you would have; if it wasn't for your friends I would have left already' she was snapped out of her thoughts by one of her Anbu.

"Hokage-sama, everyone is here that you have requested."

"Very well, send them in." what was left of the original leaf genins and their senseis filed into the office including Iruka and Konohamaru's group, surprisingly even Kakashi managed to arrive on time. "I'm sure you all know the reason why I have asked you here… We need to arrange a service for him."

"But sensei, aren't those preparations arranged by the council? All ninja killed in the line of duty gets a hero's service and name inscribed on the monument stone right?" inquired Sakura.

"Usually that is correct, but the council has refused to acknowledge his existence as a ninja." Replied the busty blonde.

"B-but why?" Hinata asked with her always present tears running down her face.

"He has been shunned by most of the village and has been hated by most due to his secret that was kept from everyone his age and younger by order of the Sandaime. If anyone was to speak of this information could be tried for treason and executed. Since he is gone there is nothing to protect so they do what they please."

"W-what could be so b-bad that N-Naruto-kun deserved that, he should be recognized by the village."

"It was never about what he did, but what was done to him." The whole group stared at the lazy chuunin after his statement. "I've been working on a theory since the chuunin exams. He displayed more strength than he has shown before and should not have been able to do many of those things. From all of my calculations, Neji should have been able to beat all opponents but he lost to him even after getting all his chakra blocked off. There is only one logical explanation and that is he had another source of chakra. Once I came upon that I figured that the only way to achieve a second chakra source was by sealing something within him. That is as far as I've been able to get. I don't know what was sealed in him granting him that power." Tsunade was shocked along with the rest of the older generation. They knew he was smart, but this proved he was a genius.

"It looked like a fox." The crowd turned their attention to Neji and stared at him waiting for him to explain. "When he called forth that power I saw the form of a fox head residing within his chakra therefore it was a fox sealed in him."

"A fox? That doesn't make any sense?" complained Tenten.

"It m-makes complete sense. All the looks he got and all those things said about him. They all make sense."

"How does it make sense? How do you know Hinata?" asked Kiba.

"I er, well it's not like I followed him or anything." Most in attendance looked at her like she was crazy. "I-I think he held Kyuubi." Now they really thought she was insane.

"But the Kyuubi was killed by the Yondaime right Iruka-sensei?" asked the pink haired know it all.

"Did the books ever say he killed it or just defeated it?"

"So Naruto was the kyubi?" asked Ino being the blonde she is.

"Damn it Ino! That is why he was hated by the village because they thought as stupidly as you. Naruto-kun kept the demon away from the village by containing him. He couldn't be a demon with how kind his blue eyes were. It was probably because of that whole reasoning that he never shared that with us." Hinata felt everyone staring at her again and tried to hide herself again.

'How much did this girl care for him, she never even flinched hearing about the demon. I'd definitely take the odds that she loved him, and not just a normal love, she may have been the only one perfectly suited to him' Tsunade contemplated this but needed to hurry to get things done. "You are right with everything Hinata, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was sealed into Naruto by the Yondaime Hokage, but we still don't know why he specifically chose Naruto since there were three other children that could have taken that burden. Although I'd love to keep talking like this, we still have to plan a funeral." Everyone's attitudes changed again having to face that fact and Hinata had to struggle to hold back her emotions from getting out of control.

"We will have the service for Naruto at 3pm by the memorial stone. Unfortunately we can't place his name on the stone, but that doesn't stop us from making our own. Since the memorial stone is protected by a jutsu, the other one I have would be protected as well. Afterwards we will have the burning of his body, but I suggest no one stay for that since it may cause too much pain."

"No, "squeaked an almost inaudible voice coming from the direction of the heiress.

"Did you say something Hinata?" asked Tsunade.

"Um well I… yes," she replied while nervously looking at her feet. "He shouldn't have his body burned."

"What do you mean by that? All ninja are burned, it is the most honorable since we don't have the room for cemeteries in a ninja village are you saying he shouldn't be honored?" Was Kurenai's reaction.

"No, I know of a way to give him even more honor than that."

"And how is that Hinata, I know you cared for him, but what could you do that we can't?" questioned the Hokage.

"Well he… he could um… be treated the way I wanted him to be. It is very embarrassing for me to suggest, but I want him to be placed in the Hyuuga tomb as if he was um… like you know."

"No I don't follow you there." Said Tsunade. She wasn't trying to be mean, she just needed her to openly confess what she wanted so she could start the healing process. Of course Hinata was bright red and stuttering in embarrassment but she refused to clam up and run away.

"I-I w-wasn't able t-to tell h-him how much I cared for him, but I can't deny him being treated with love the way he should always have been. He should be treated as the husband of a Hyuuga heiress, that is what my wish is, but I'll have to sneak his body into the tomb after everyone is asleep since father definitely won't approve."

"I'm sorry Hinata-sama, but I can allow you to sneak his body into the tomb," Hinata was about to go off on his smirking ass before he added, "you'll need my help with that." Hinata managed a small smile after that small suggestion.

"Fine Hinata, you can have your wish, I won't stop you, just be careful, we don't want you to get caught. Furthermore, we will need something to burn in his place to make it appear to anyone snooping around that he was burned."

"I'll take care of that." Kakashi announced still keeping his face as emotionless as possible.

"Alright, the last thing we have to take care of is a journal Naruto kept since he was 5." Tsunade smiled to herself seeing a look on Hinata that screamed 'gimme' "He stated in the journal that if he was to die, it was to go to the person that cared for him the most; this is yours… Hinata." Hinata felt bittersweet when she got the book, she was now going to see his inner self, but he wasn't around anymore either. "You all can go now until tomorrow." The entire room quickly evacuated leaving only Jiraiya and Tsunade in the office.

"How could he do this Jiraiya? He was so close to getting everything he wanted, but he threw it all away for a stupid promise. As far as I'm concerned, I don't ever want to see that necklace of his again."

"Actually I never found the necklace, it's gone"

"Good riddance to bad rubbish, it saves me the time." Jiraiya noticed Tsunade could use some time alone and quickly disappeared.

(Iwa Hospital) June 18 – 015 AK - Midday

"Ah, my head…" groaned a patient stuck in a sterile smelling white walled room. 'Damn, I hate hospitals' he thought before deciding to get someone's attention "Hello? Anyone here? Where the hell am I?"

"Ah I see you're awake." The patient looked to the voice and saw a decent looking female of about 16yrs old. She was dressed in maroon scrubs with her black hair tied into a ponytail but some of those details went unnoticed by the patient.

"And who are you?" he asked.

"I'll ask you the same question; you can just call me Doc."

"Ok doc, you can call me… um… I guess it is Rantou." He told her while still having a thinking look on his face.

"Do you have a family name or is it just Rantou?"

"I… don't know."

"How about where you're from?"

"Ok, well I'm from… shit I don't know. I can't remember any thing but my name and some other weird stuff."

"So then what is this other stuff then?" Doc asked with curiosity.

"Well it's something to do with fighting, like something called jutsus."

"Really? Jutsus are ninja techniques, if you have knowledge of them you might be a ninja. That would explain why you have a headband, but the plate is completely blank."

"Ok, cool I guess. Since there isn't a mirror nearby, can you try to describe what I look like."

"I guess I can try" Doc was surprised, usually people with amnesia know what they look like, but apparently he doesn't. "Well your hair is a lifeless tan, your eyes look grey, almost silver. Your face is quite handsome, I'm sure you had quite the following by the ladies where ever you were from. Are you sure you don't have a girlfriend?" she asked with a sly smile

"I wish I knew the answer to that, but I can't remember anything." His face looked downward clearly saddened at not remembering. "This sucks… do you think you could hand me that white pillow over there I'm a bit uncomfortable." Doc looked at him strangely.

"You mean this light blue one?" she asked

"No, that white one, the one I'm pointing to." Doc looked at him again and got an idea.

"Oh no problem… just one thing, what color is my shirt?" Rantou looked at her strangely, I mean who would know what color their shirt was.

"Um sure I guess… It's grey." He noticed her face changed and he knew something else was up. "It is grey right?"

"Actually no, it's maroon"

"What!? Are you telling me that not only can I not remember who I am, but I can't see color either!? Damn this all to hell!"

"Please calm down Rantou, screaming wont help you any. At least we have yet another thing to go on, not many people can see only black and white. Try to get a little more sleep, and I'll bring you some food later." Doc left the room after dimming the lights a bit so he could sleep. Rantou thought for a while, but with an empty mind he got bored quickly and fell off into a dreamless sleep.

...Later