Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

XXX

Chapter 1

The council room in the Hokage's Tower in Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, was in great turmoil. A large number of individual voices together created an unrecognizable mass of noise that no one could stand hearing for a long period of time. The council consisted of the Civilian Side, people who were chosen by simple citizens living in the village to voice their rights in important matters of their home, and the Clan Heads, leaders of the influential ninja families that lived in the village. Then last was the Hokage, who was the most powerful ninja in the village, as well as its leader.

This shouting match was over a blond haired baby boy, with three whisker-like marks on each cheek, who, despite all the noise around, slept blissfully in a cradle in the middle of the room. On his stomach, everyone could see a spiral pattern and sutra letters, evidence of a powerful seal.

Just hours ago, Konoha was hit by a great tragedy. In the middle of the night, the most powerful demon in existence, Kyuubi no Yoko, attacked them and wreaked havoc upon their ninja forces. Many homes were either destroyed or burned, some still on fire. The count of killed, injured or missing people was incomplete. Even now the remaining shinobi were trying to calm the masses of panicking civilians.

On top of that, Konoha lost their Yondaime Hokage, who died after defeating the Kyuubi. Sarutobi Hiruzen, despite his old age and retirement, was reinstated as the Hokage due to the death of his successor. Along with his two advisors, who were also his old teammates, Hiruzen listened to the arguments of both sides of the council, but it seemed that the most vocal were civilians.

"The demon must die!" A rich merchant shouted his opinion. "It's only matter of time before this monster finds a way to destroy us all!"

"How dare you belittle Yondaime-sama's skills in the sealing arts! There hasn't been a man or woman more gifted in Fuinjutsu since the fall of Uzushio!" Yamanaka Inoichi was literally seeing red after hearing some of the civilians' arguments. "Are you all so blind? It's not a demon we're talking about, but the life of an innocent child that's not even a day old!"

"Innocent child? It's a demon! No child could have whiskers like that!" Another councilman shouted. "The mere fact that the Kyuubi resides inside him should be more than enough reason to kill it!"

"You are mad, Yazuki!" A feral-looking woman growled. Inuzuka Tsume hated those pompous pricks. How could they demand execution on a newborn? She herself was a mother of two, her son older only by two months than the blond one in this room.

"Silence!" Sandaime Hokage had enough of this petty quarrel. There were more important things to do at the moment than deal with inner conflicts and struggles of power. "We were hit by a great tragedy today. Our village is still in turmoil. Our forces are scattered and unorganized. Not only that, but there aren't many of our ninja remaining. The other great villages could use this opportunity to strike us while we're weakened!"

"That's right." Utatane Koharu, one of Sarutobi's former teammates, voiced her opinion. "If the other great villages hear about our current state, and let's not deceive ourselves, they will know for sure, they may even join forces to completely wipe Konoha out. Our priority should be to stabilize the village enough to not provoke an invasion that could destroy us."

"Not to mention that destroying our only Jinchuuriki would be suicidal." Mitokado Homura, second advisor and also a former teammate of Hiruzen's old team, wanted to get the point across. "Don't forget that other great villages have their own Jinchuuriki, Iwa, Kiri, and Kumo each have two even. Also, there is the fact that you can't kill a Bijuu. Even if the host dies before releasing their beast, it's only a matter of years before the demon reappears again, not bound with any seals. Killing this child now will only bring Kyuubi's wrath upon us on a later date, and we don't have a seal master at the Yondaime's level, and probably never will again."

"Then what should we do?" One of the more rational member of the civilian council asked, concerned about what he heard in this meeting. "I believe that Yondaime-sama's seal is powerful, but we're talking about Kyuubi, the most powerful of the Bijuu! I may not be a ninja, but even a civilian like me has heard of how powerful those beasts are. We all witnessed an example of their power today! I'm just concerned about my family's safety. What could we do to ensure that today's events won't occur in the future?" This question silenced the room. No one from the Clan Heads doubted in their deceased Hokage's skills in sealing arts, the mere fact that he sacrificed his very life to ensure the village's safety was a statement itself, but what if it won't be enough to ensure the host's stability?

"I may have a solution." Everyone turned to the person who spoke. Shimura Danzo, a fierce rival of the Sandaime, looked around the gathered ninja and civilians with his good eye, measuring his chances in convincing them to accept his concept. "Like most of you know, I trained some of the most efficient shinobi in our village. I myself, despite my current state and age, am able to hold my own when the situation demands it. Therefore, I propose that the child be given to me, and I'll train it to the best of my ability to be the greatest asset for Konoha!" Hearing murmurs of approval made Danzo smirk. While most of what he said was true, the old war hawk left out the fact that the Jinchuuriki would be loyal only to him, and not directly to the village. If only he could get it through a certain someone...

"No!" Sarutobi rose from his place. "I know your methods Danzo! Those 'efficient shinobi', as you call them, were emotionless drones that cared nothing about the others, there was only the mission for them! The mere fact that you referred to this boy as 'it', is another reason to not give him to you! Naruto is not going to be another of your little ROOT soldiers!" There was no way that Hiruzen would condemn a child to such a fate. However he had to appease the council for now. "My former student Jiraiya, who was also mentor to my late successor, as well as the only high level seal master in Konoha right now, checked the seal himself earlier, and reported that there are no anomalies. The only thing he detected was that the demon's chakra is slowly being purified by the seal and fused with Naruto's own chakra. As he grows older, his chakra capacity will most likely be greater than those of his peers and even older shinobi. Don't worry, it is quite normal for a Jinchuuriki to have so much chakra."

"What do you propose then, Hokage-sama?" Hyuuga Hiashi, the head of the noble Hyuuga clan, asked stoically. "Will you grant any family the permission of adopting the boy?"

"None of the major clans are allowed to adopt him." Hiruzen stated. "This would only create more troubles with the balance of power within the village. We'll put Naruto-kun into the orphanage, like all other orphans. If someone wants to adopt him, they will have to first be checked by my office. When the boy reaches the required age he'll be enrolled into the Academy." Everyone nodded at the notion, though Danzo was very reluctant to do so. "Now, let's move onto another matter..."

XXX

Only a week has passed from the tragic day, and very slowly the life in the village was going back on its normal course, along with all the repairs of destroyed buildings. That night, three figures enveloped in the shadows broke into the room in the Hokage Tower where the baby blond boy was sleeping peacefully in his crib. One of the masked intruders took the baby and placed a pacifying seal on the child's forehead to keep it quiet. His two partners were checking the corridors and cleared their way out of the tower.

Their mission was simple: take the Jinchuuriki to a secured location outside of the village, then apply mind suppressing seals and a servitude seal over the main seal. Once done with the above tasks, deliver the Jinchuuriki to the appointed training facility.

The three ninja accepted the mission. They could not fail their master, even if they'd have to sacrifice their lives to succeed the assignment.

They were ROOT.

Only the mission mattered.

XXX

Deep in the mountains a lone hermit lived, an old man wearing monk-like robes, his long grey hair tied into a single ponytail, and his face wrinkled from the years he lived through. His home was very humble and not too big, just enough to house maybe one more inhabitant. The closest village was about three to four miles away, and despite his advanced age, Kurotori Hayato, years ago known as the Butcher of Sea Country, was in great condition, both physically and mentally. The constant training and healthy food that he grew himself in a small garden was enough to keep the aging hermit in shape. Sometimes, the older man went to the village to buy some necessities with the money he had 'confiscated' from the local bandits that had the bright idea to make their camps on his mountain. It was always good to have a nice workout every now and then, not to mention that the bounties helped his small budget.

The Butcher of the Sea Country... how Hayato hated that title. In his past life as a mercenary, he dealt with many types of people. He was young, only reaching his mid-twenties, and already there were many bounties on his head. The dark underworld of crime was his home. Thankfully, he was talented enough to develop some unique skills with a naginata and some stolen ninjutsu to survive that kind of life. During that time, morals had very little worth, and Hayato had none at the time. When someone pays you some good money, then you tend to not question their motives, just get the job done and take your pay, that's what the deal was about. It went on like that for several more years before Kurotori took his last job from a very powerful and wealthy man, the boss of some syndicate.

It was a simple assignment: find this one man in the Sea Country's village and collect the debt he owned. If said man doesn't have the money then punish him accordingly and take anything valuable from the house, possibly any women that could be living with him.

A very simple job, or so Hayato thought.

The whole thing was a set up. Apparently, someone knew about Hayato's bounties and informed the boss, who in turn decided to make some quick money by killing him. There were dozens of goons, ready to tear the wanted mercenary apart. The worst part was that the whole thing took place in the middle of the village, and despite the danger, it brought the attention of the villagers, who came closer to see what the commotion was.

It was a slaughter. No one could come close enough to even scratch Hayato. The long blade of his weapon cut through the forces of thugs like a hot knife through butter. He was sure to get out of this place alive, and maybe even with a few bounties for some of those bandits.

Then everything fell to hell. A few of those lowlifes took young children from the crowd around them as hostages...but it was too late for Hayato to stop his blade...

Three girls and one boy, no older than twelve, were killed by the mercenary. Never before had he killed any child. While ruthless in fights and never picky with jobs, there were three things that Hayato never did: raping women, stealing from temples, and hurting children.

Shocked by this he never saw the spear that pierced his shoulder. There was a flash, and the next thing he knew, the whole place was covered in blood of both bandits and villagers that didn't escape in time. Overwhelmed by this, Hayato did the first thing that came to his mind; he escaped.

That was when he got his hateful nickname: Butcher of the Sea Country.

After this tragedy, he didn't take any mercenary job for over two years. He also couldn't stay in a town or village for longer than a day in fear of being recognized. Other than that, Hayato wandered the whole continent, trying to find a way to repent for his sinful life. It took him five more years before he found someone that could help him. There was an old monk who lived alone in a small cottage on a high mountain. Hayato begged the man to take him as an apprentice, however he was rejected at the beginning. Stubborn as he was, the former mercenary just sat on the ground before the cottage and refused to move. Admiring his determination the old monk finally agreed after two full weeks had passed. The training and discipline were murderous, but Hayato never complained, because in this hellish work he was able to find peace with his conscience.

The monk died ten years later, and his student took it upon himself to live alone in the small cottage for the rest of his life. That was thirty years ago.

Kurotori Hayato was currently meditating under a large waterfall, muttering chants and other prayers to deepen the trance, like he did hundreds of times before. Today, however, was different from the other times. During his deep concentration he felt something tug his mind in a certain direction, more accurately to Fire Country, whose border was quite close to the simple cottage. Something was going to happen there soon and, some kind of a greater force or being wanted him to be a part of those events.

Not waiting any longer, the monk got dressed, took his staff, and took off into the direction his will was being guided to.

XXX

The three ROOT agents were quickly gaining distance from Konoha. After several hours of non-stop travel they finally reached their destination where the ritual of sealing the Jinchuuriki was to take place. It was a large clearing with a forest surrounding it, and a flat stone in the middle. Immediately, the one holding the baby set him onto the stone, taking the boy's blankets and small clothes off him, while his teammates were preparing special inks and parchments needed for the ritual. There was also a scroll with details telling how to make the seal.

"Is everything ready?" The leader of the group asked.

"Yes. Everything is prepared for the ritual, taicho (captain)." One of the masked ninja answered.

"Good. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can go to the base where Danzo-sama is awaiting our return with the new weapon." While the preparation went without any problems, the leader of the squad suddenly sensed a presence closing on them. "Who's there? In the name of Konoha, show yourself!" The other two ninja also tensed, ready to fight and overcome any obstacles that could endanger their mission's success.

"I don't suppose you are here for a family gathering, gentlemen." An old monk came out of the woods. The agents looked over the newcomer; the man looked advanced in his age. He had long white hair trimmed in a long ponytail that reached the middle of his shoulders and a long beard. He wore a loose set of orange, yellow, and red robes in a fashion that revealed his right shoulder, black pants similar to the ones used by ninja, and standard sandals that you could find anywhere, though the pair that this stranger wore was very worn out. In the right hand the three ROOT ninja could clearly see a long staff, with steel blades on both ends; it looked like a formidable weapon if the man before them could use it properly. With a soft smile the monk spoke again. "My name is Kurotori Hayato, and I'm just a simple monk traveling through these lands seeking enlightenment, and teaching those who I meet on my way, if they are willing to learn, about the beautiful values of life."

"This is a matter of Konoha. We insist you go on your way if you don't want trouble." The leader's words were leaking with a hidden threat. Any obstacles on a mission will be eliminated.

"The Hidden Leaf Village...Yes, I heard about it, and the tragedy that occurred not too long ago...a terrible event..." Hayato bowed his head and recited a short prayer for those who had fallen that night. He looked up after finishing. "However I must ask, what are three masked ninja doing in the middle of such wilderness with a child, not even a day old? What about those supplies, or the fact that I heard something about a 'ritual' and 'sealing'. I feel inclined to ask this: what are your plans for this child?" Hayato's voice leaked a dangerous tone. If there was something that angered him more than anything, it was endangering lives of children.

"Kill him. We can't leave any witnesses. I'll start the ritual." The captain's orders were immediately put into the motion by the other two agents. They charged at the monk, their short tantos drawn and ready to kill.

Hayato, despite his age, reacted very quickly. He intercepted the first ninja with his staff, knocking the other's weapon out of his hand, all the while watching out for his second opponent. Not stopping his circular movement, the other agent was hit in the chest very hard. Hayato could tell that he broke at least three of the ninja's ribs. Without dwelling on this, the old monk rushed towards the leader, who was painting something on a small tag of paper, while standing above the harmless baby.

"Doton: Doryuuheki (Earth Style: Earth Wall)!" The soil beneath Hayato's feet suddenly shot upwards and blocked him from his target. Looking in the direction that the wall came from, he saw one of the previously fallen ANBU crouching down with his hands forming a seal. It was obvious who cast the jutsu. He searched for the other ninja and after a few seconds he heard a voice above his head.

"Katon: Endan (Fire Style: Flame Bullet)!" A large stream of red hot fire was quickly descending on the monk. This, however, didn't distress Hayato in the least. He pointed his staff in the direction of the approaching attack and focused his inner energy.

"Bojutsu Ryu: Tenran (Staff Technique: Swelling Storm!)" Hayato let go of his weapon, which somehow levitated in the air before him, and lightly hit one end causing it to spin like a fan. The swirling movement invoked a widening tornado-like blast which shot forward from him. Violent winds extinguished the flames and caught the ninja in the current, completely immobilizing the enemy. Hayato then quickly grabbed his staff, stopping it from moving, and manipulating the still blowing tornado, he threw the agent to his partner, capturing them both. Next he smashed them into the earlier created wall, breaking it from both the impact of two bodies hitting the surface, and the strength of the abnormal wind. The two ROOT ninja were dead the moment they hit the wall.

Seeing that the obstacles were out of his way, Hayato turned towards their leader, who managed to finish writing the seal on the tag, which was now on the baby's body, and was going through many hand signs.

"Stop immediately!" Unfortunately, Hayato's plea fell on deaf ears as the ROOT agent finished the last set of seals.

"Fuuinjutsu: Shinyaku Fuuin (Sealing Technique: Will Binding Seal)!" Without any delay the leader and last living member of his squad slammed his now glowing hand into the baby's stomach. Naruto was awake during the whole ordeal and now was crying loudly from pain, fear, and being woken up in such awful manner.

Before either of two men could react in any way, something very unexpected happened. The Yondaime's seal appeared and shined with a strong, red light, before a powerful gust of wind knocked the surviving ANBU away from the little blond. A malicious intent hit both him and the monk with an unbelievable force, as a crimson energy erupted from the small body and swirled around him, until it took a shape of a giant fox's head. It roared deafeningly, creating an even stronger gust.

"Kyuu...bi no...Yo...ko..." When he fell down, the ROOT agent hit the ground very hard and got pinned on a sharp piece of the wall that his teammates created earlier. No more words could come out of the ninja's mouth, as the ethereal head lunged at him and burned him horribly upon contact. He was dead after a few seconds, suffering immensely in his last moments.

Before Hayato could react, the fox's head turned at him, snarling and growling threateningly, before lunging at him with another roar.

"I don't wish to harm you or your vessel! I want to help you! I want help you!" Hayato tried to reason the sealed beast but the only answers he got were more vicious snarls. "You leave me no choice! Seipo: Hachiten no Kekkai (Holy Style: Eight Heavens Barrier)!"

Immediately after those words left Hayato's mouth, eight octagonal poles fell from the sky and buried into the ground. All were covered in sutra letters, and together they created a big octagon around the monk, the still crying baby and the raging chakra beast. When the last pole secured itself an emerald green barrier erected from them, surrounding all occupants of the clearing.

"Now the next part! Tenchosura (Heavenly Void Net)!" From the top of each pole golden chains shot towards the beast, binding its energy and making it cower back to its host. The chains together created a tight net that prevented the vile chakra from escaping. The old monk saw that he managed to keep the Kyuubi from completely escaping, but now came the hardest part.

"You left me no choice, Kyuubi no Yoko. Know that I'll take care of your young host until he's able to defend himself. You have my word." Hayato closed his eyes as he prepared another of his techniques. His hands changed into signs different than a ninja's in a quick fashion, synchronized with his chant. "Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!" After the last sign, Hayato joined his palms together with only his pointing fingers out and pointed it at the still bound demon. "Akuryo Taisan (Evil Spirit, Begone)!"

The beast let out a long, pained howl, then it stopped. There was a blinding flash as the whole place was flooded with a bright light. It lasted only a few seconds, and when Hayato opened his eyes, the barrier was gone, along with the raging Kyuubi. Only the remains of the stone wall and three bodies, along with the crying baby boy, evidenced the dramatic battle.

The old monk came to where the ninja set the baby for their ritual. What he saw shocked him to the core. He took the bundle into his arms, trying to calm the little child down.

"Poor boy. Your entire life changed dramatically, and I shamefully had a hand in it." When Hayato shifted his hold to make it more comfortable for both of him and the baby boy, he saw letters in kanji. "I don't know if your parents are still alive somewhere in this world, or if you have anyone to take care of you, but until they find you, then I'll take care of you, like I promised." The older man smiled gently when the small blond tried to grab his finger, giggling happily. "If Karma allows, then you'll find your true home. Until then we are together...Uzumaki Naruto."

Bright blue eyes with slitted pupils shined while looking at the monk, the triangular ears on the top of his head twitched every so often, and soft a fox tail wagged inside the blankets.

"Who would have thought that a holy monk would adopt a Kitsune Hanyou." Hayato chuckled to himself.

The next few years would prove to be entertaining.

XXX

Another challenge and another story. This time it's for my dear friend Chewie Cookies' Feral Naruto Challenge.

Some of you may find several parts or techniques being from other anime series. I don't deny it, but I'll try to change them in the way that it won't make this story a cross, but sometimes I may not be able to. Please bear with me.

For Hayato's cloths, just imagine Shaolin monks or Wind Benders from "Avatar: Legend of Aang". I took it from both and mixed with some ninja cloths.

I enjoy your constructive critiques, so Read & Review!