The Saboteur

By EyesofTCN

Disclaimer: why would I be writing this if I owned Naruto?

Disclaimer 2: For all the dim wits out there: I do not own Naruto

…

Sometimes when you close your eyes…

You see…

The place where you used to live…

When you were young…

When You Were Young by The Killers

…

Did you ever have that feeling? The feeling you get whenever you do something you don't want but you have too? That was what Sarutobi Hiruzen at that moment felt. He stood there in the rain watching a young boy, who was no more than four, train in the distance. Whereas where he was the rain was but a small drizzle the rain seemed to thicken considerably where his eyes lay upon the boy's figure. His Hokage hat and robes kept the rain off his face and body. The boy however had no such protection from the rain.

The long sleeves of the shirt whipped through the air as the boy slashed his right arm horizontally hitting the imaginary enemy across the face. As if anticipating a wall the arm bent pulling into the chest. The movement did not stop there, though it seemed as if it did, the moment the boy's straightened hand touched his chest he bent low arching only his back leaving his legs spread in the original position and elbowed the opponent in the face with the force of his legs and upper torso. The boy coolly, calculating in a few milliseconds that the blow would have caused the opponent to fly off the ground a few inches made his next move in a second. The elbow, which was still straight up from the imaginary movement, arced to the left along his body. With a shift the boy's body spun one leg following after another mimicking a famous Jonin's Konoha Hurricane. The move caused the water to be swatted aside in force creating a brief lull in the drops before it started to pound him once again in full force once the small boy stood straight.

The second the boy's back was straight there was an unmistakable, pop of a shunshin and the boy immediately stiffened and bowed towards the figure undoubtedly believing that it was the only man who even knew of his existence: the third Hokage. Once he had asked the man for his real name and was curtly answered no. The Hokage in front of him was clothes that he always saw him wear: the Kage robes and hat in addition with a white mask which hung from the opposites sides of the hat leaving only wizened eyes for the child to see. The boy felt a shiver go up his spine as the man took him in with his eyes.

"Your kick was off by a full inch boy," the Hokage said coldly and the boy who was still bowing felt a shiver go up his spine. An entire inch, an inch which would either led to the death of enemy or himself…and because he missed… it would have led to his.

"I apologize for the mistake Hokage-sama!" the boy declared with force "It will not happen again!"

Silence.

"See that you do not," said the Hokage with disdain slightly mixing in his words. In his heart he wanted to hug and give the boy the comfort of a family and give the hero mantle to him by declaring him and his father's actions to the entire population in hopes of the boy receiving praise and adoration. Hope however does not make the world turn. He is inherently grateful that he found the boy alone after dismissing his guards on the premise that he was less likely to be detected by the fox alone and that they were more useful helping the people to the shelters. When he found the boy amid the corpses of his parents and after reading the letter he was addressed by the late Minato he steeled his heart and burned the letter with a jutsu as well as the birth records connected to it after he found out what Minato had done.

His successor was young and didn't understand the people like he did and no matter how much he wants to deny it, the crowd's reaction and death calls would've forced him to call for a law of apathy and ignorance towards the child and would have most likely turned the boy into and impulsive attention-seeking recluse with a fake-smile and an obsession with friendship.

Silence ruled once again as the boy kept his head bowed.

"Have you mastered the Jutsus that I have set, as well as the additional one that I have taken the liberty of adding?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama!"

"Show me."

With that the boy leapt backwards flipping in the air and made the hand seals…

(Three years later)

Lightning release! Exploding Lighting Dragon!

…a huge dragon made of lightning streaked out of his open palm, much larger than what he had first made those many years ago, utterly decimating the shadow clones and absorbing the lightning clones, he had created to spar with, before tearing into the forest on one side of the training ground and exploding in a pillar of lightning, which blinded the boy momentarily, in the middle of the forest promptly killing all the wildlife in the epic 3 diameter blast zone.

Once he landed on the ground with a soft thud he took in the destruction of the move and deadpanned.

'Yeah' he thought, deadpanning while he scratched the back of his head looking at the crater 'that move could've used less chakra.'

'At least the explosion was pretty entertaining. Eh, kit?' his prisoner added with a chuckle.

'You're an incorrigible destructive entity, fox.' The boy grumbled. 'Of course that was entertaining to you.'

'I love you too, kit' the fox chuckled.

The boy scowled as he reached into one of his pockets in the light brown oriental pants he wore and retrieved a ribbon. With practiced skill he swept up all the bangs that reached the lower part of face into a small ponytail and took the end and put it through the ribbon as well making a small bundle at the back of his neck instead of a ponytail which would've reached his back. After doing this he stretched and sighed contently after several bones were re-adjusted.

"With that demonstration in consideration, I daresay, that you are becoming more habituated to the new seal I take it?" a voice suddenly said right next to him making him jump in surprise and making the old Hokage smile though the boy didn't see it because of his mask. The boy immediately bowed clearly bandaged arms firmly at his sides.

"Yes Hokage-sama" he said in monotone while the fox complained at the 'too big' words that the Hokage had used. Apparently the fox had only bothered to learn second grade language before deciding that it was better off just killing the humans rather than learning their customs, "I am completely used to the seal and it's affects by now and I am grateful for your concern Hokage-sama" and bowed lower in gratitude.

His mentor, the greatest of the current Kages, cared about him.

He would have wept had it within decorum to do so.

'I think I'm gonna puke' Kyuubi interjected with a retching sound 'never mind I just did.'

'Shut up, fox' theboy thought back angrily

"Think nothing of it, my boy" the Hokage continued "show it to me."

The boy immediately straightened and crossed his bandaged arms, used it to cover his face and took a deep breath …

(Seven years later)

…a gray-cloaked figure exhaled as he sat on a boulder which overlooked upon a waterfall falling into the distance. The figures arms were crossed over his knees, which were against his chest and the figures hooded head lay upon it tiredly.

SCREEECH!

A bird screeched and an object came flying at him. Moments before impact there was a, sudden, blur and he was already examining it. It was a circular metal device with a long vertical protrusion on one side and another smaller one on the opposite side. Padding was present on one side a sort of mesh in the middle the other side being completely flat. Without any fear he yanked on the smaller protrusion and placed it against his mouth and the rest of the device against his right ear after inserting it through the.

There was a crackle before a voice came in.

"You're a very hard man to find, Maelstrom-san" the voice said through the receiver "this is third time that I have sent this bird after you"

"I am always hard to find when one doesn't look in the right place," Maelstrom replied coolly "especially hard on my vacation."

'Ooohhhhh' the fox said with a chuckle 'burn.'

The voice seemed to hesitate before speaking.

"I would like you to know that I am completely aware of the fact that you are on vacation and…" he paused.

'Aaannnnnddddd?' the fox said greedily on their telepathic link. Kyuubi knew exactly how it was gonna end… with money.

"And, Hokage-sama?" Maelstrom asked

"…I am fully prepared to compensate this with overtime pay and in addition to regular payment as well as 30 percent of the targets company." the Hokage finished. The trap was set…

Maelstrom cocked his head and Kyuubi mimicked the action inside, "and who might this target be?' Maelstrom asked/Kyuubi thought.

The Hokage grinned inside his office. "Gato of Gato Shipping" And the capture is complete.

Both Kyuubi and Maelstrom were brain dead for a full minute as a breeze passed by.

"I gladly accept the mission Hokage-sama." Maelstrom quickly answered as Kyuubi sat in his head still, somewhat, brain dead "I would like to hear the mission parameters and the main objectives as well as the ones on the side."

"You wound me Maelstrom-san" the Hokage said as if hurt. It was one of their pastimes… "Why would you think there are additional objectives? Do you think of me as a harsh taskmaster?"

"Yes." Maelstrom answered bluntly while Kyuubi once again complained at the large words.

"Point-taken"

"Always has been, Hokage-sama"

"Stop trying to be a smartass, Maelstrom"

"Yes Hokage-sama"

"A team consisting of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Kiba Inuzaka along with their Jonin sensei, Kakashi Hatake has been duped into a potential A-rank protection mission under the guise of a normal C-rank escort mission." Sarutobi began "they are currently attempting to protect the builder while training to match 'the Demon of Mist' Zabuza Momochi as well as his apprentice. You still with me, Maelstrom-san?

"Yes, Hokage-sama"

"Good, we don't want a repeat of the last mission… do we now Maelstrom-san? The Hokage said a bit of killer intent leaking.

"O-of course not, Hokage-sama!" Jeez he forgot to hang-up once…well twice really…

"Your objective is to kill Gato and seize his company and personal holdings thirty percent of which will go to the village and another thirty to you. However the rest, as well as the company, goes to the hidden leaf village as payment. Your side objective is to neutralize Zabuza and his apprentice or convince them to join our little project.

"Consider it done Hokage-sama" said with a nod though he felt slightly foolish when the fox reminded him the Hokage was at least a couple hundred miles away.

"Good," Sarutobi said "remember to destroy this once you're done with it"

"Yes, Hokage-sama"

*beep*

Maelstrom sighed as he got up the lower part of his cloak became visible and was revealed to be in tatters giving away the frequent usage and age of the item. He shrugged off the hood revealing a young and unmarred face save for six 'whisker' scars on his cheek. He wore his now stark white hair the same as he did when he was seven the 'bun' at his nape however was gone replaced by noticeably larger stalk of carefully braided hair which hung around his neck and went off his shoulder. He reached inside his cloak and took out a plain black mask with tinted black, triangular lenses (i.e. like Spiderman) instead of 'traditional' eyeholes. With a flash he grabbed the headset on his right ear with his left hand and placed his right hand on his chest an inscription on the glove immediately began to suck the cloak in the minute he pushed chakra into it.

As the cloak disappeared he with his left arm threw the headset and with his left hand pressed two chakra-laden fingers across his lips and with a whistle and a sweeping motion sent an 'arrow' made of air chakra across to hit the headpiece and causing it to shatter and explode.

He wore a high-necked formal oriental shirt with no sleeves with cuffed oriental pants and oriental sandals. The lining on the edges as well as the middle of the shirt were gold as well as the tassels that were in place of the buttons. Seals unlike any other glowed on his arms despite the fact they were covered with shoulder length gloves. He made a hand sign as wind picked up around him and disappeared in a flash of lightning dispersing the winds and leaving an ashy mark on the ground as smoke drifted with the wind.

The Saboteur

Chapter one

Fin

2230 words!

Review please.