Chapter 1 – The Epiphany

As Naruto stood rooted to his spot across the falls from Sasuke Uchiha, his mind kept repeating the events leading up to this point. At some point, everything in this life had gone to shit and young, thirteen year-old Naruto couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself as he watched Sasuke preparing to use his final attack of this long, drawn-out battle: the Chidori (One Thousand Birds). This is a technique taught to the traitorous Uchiha during the one month break during the Chunin Exams by their sensei, Kakashi Hatake.

Heh, sensei. What a lousy term to use for that man. What did he ever teach us as a team? Nothing. Tree-climbing was far too simple, and he did little else to help us. But when it came to the teme? Oh, the teme got everything! Kakashi is just like all the others in the village. I should've just talked to Jiji or Tsunade-baa-chan and gotten this lousy team fixed up or something. Too late for that now thanks to the teme and his lousy decisions.

Chuckling quietly to himself, the blonde Uzumaki youth looked quietly towards the sky, once more looking back to the start of this mission and even further back than that. I wonder. When did Sasuke's jealousy of me first start? Between his superiority and inferiority complexes, I'm honestly not surprised. But when did it start?

Rather than try to understand Sasuke's rash actions and the lousy decision-making skills the Uchiha had shown throughout his life, Naruto decided to instead return his focus to the mission at hand. The mission had started off as well as could be expected based on the information they had. Naruto would have gone after Sasuke regardless of his orders, if only to beat some sense into the dumb bastard. However, the mission and his other teammate, Sakura Haruno, only furthered his determination to see his chosen course through to its end. After all, once Naruto Uzumaki makes a promise to someone, he intends to keep it regardless of how much it might hurt him in the end.

Why did I ever make such a stupid promise to that bitch? I can't understand what I ever saw in her. All she does is beat me when I try to be kind to her or cheer her up after the teme's refusals to her date offers. It's almost as if being a nice guy in this world will just come back to bite you in the ass. Sighing heavily to himself, the orange-clad ninja looked into the deranged and transformed Sasuke's eyes and frowned to himself. I honestly don't care anymore. That pink-haired monkey can rot for all I care. But I need to focus now.

In an instant, Naruto, clad in his basic Kyuubi cloak, charged up a Rasengan (Spiraling Sphere) and prepared to leap across and end this battle. However, whereas before Naruto would have simply done his best to knock the bastard unconscious and then drag him back home to Konohagakure, now…now he wasn't so sure. After all, what's to stop the teme from simply running off again? I don't even know if my teammates for this mission are still alive. Those goons of Orochimaru-teme's were serious about completing their mission, and they have more experience than this team's individual members have accumulated, I'm sure. They could be lying dead out there, beaten by the Sound Four, and I might never find out if I lose to Sasuke here.

As he and Sasuke leaped at one another, bringing their attacks to the fore and preparing for one last clash, Naruto's mind continued to wander. The teme is so far gone now that it's highly unlikely he'll ever come to his senses and see that the path he's chosen is the wrong one. Revenge? It will only consume him. He should have focused more on restoring his clan before seeking vengeance upon someone leagues beyond him in terms of skill, strength, and intelligence. But, as usual, the teme is too damn dumb to see it. Well, too damn stupid and arrogant I should say.

With a soft laugh to himself, Naruto decided on a new course of action right here and now. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto deflected Sasuke's Chidori to the side and plunged the Rasengan right into Sasuke's chest, over where his heart lay. There was no way he would aim for his head, not when his decision included those precious eyes of his. Sorry Sasuke, but not only do I have to kill you to end your hatred and the pain you will cause if you continue to exist, but I'm going to pluck those eyes straight from your skull and keep them from that lousy snake bastard. I could destroy them, but I think I could make better use of them if they were intact.

Approaching the downed form of Sasuke, Naruto kneeled down and stared into his unconscious face shortly after the Uchiha lost grip on his transformation. "Sorry teme, but I'm afraid this is it for you. This is as far as you go. The villagers may forgive you for your crimes, but you will only continue to hurt those precious to me, among many others in this world. I'm simply doing the world, and you, a favor. Good-bye." With one quick stroke, Naruto severed Sasuke Uchiha's head from his body before plucking the Sharingan (Copy Wheel Eye) from his skull. Not long after, the eyes were sealed away into a simple storage scroll where they would remain safe, away from those who would wish to misuse them.

Rising from his crouched state, Naruto stared quietly down at the body of his former teammate. I tried to be kind to you teme. I tried to be your friend and you threw it all right back in my face. But…thanks to you, I finally see the truth of things. No matter what I do, the people of Konoha will never see me for what I am. Instead, I'll always be a reminder of the Kyuubi's crimes that night. I wonder if I truly have any friends there, or if I'm just somebody they know. The Ichiraku's, Tsunade-baa-chan, Shizune…maybe a few others…I'm certain they genuinely care for me. However…the others? I don't even know who I could even begin to trust in that village. If I want to live free and find the happiness that others take for granted, I don't have any other choice.

Looking off in a random direction, Naruto shrugged his shoulders before looking back down at the Uchiha's body. Slowly, Naruto removed his hitai-ate (forehead protector) and, using one of his kunai, made a slash clean through it before dropping it roughly on the deceased traitor's body. No longer will I be a shinobi of Konohagakure. From this day forth, I set out on my own to find my own path in life. I do hope that those few I'm leaving behind can forgive me for leaving them like this. I probably won't look any better than this traitor of an Uchiha does for betraying them to join up with one of Konoha's biggest criminals. Kami, I know they're going to be out for my blood once they see this teme's body in this state. After all, he's their precious Uchiha, the one they all believed in and cherished beyond all others. Tch. Knowing the people of Konoha, they'll forgive him for his crimes and probably claim he died a hero, trying to bring the 'Demon' down once and for all.

With a sad smile, Naruto found himself chuckling quietly as the sky began to pour rain down upon the battlefield. The Valley of the End had been wrecked during this battle, and he wondered if this place would be restored or if they'd simply leave it in ruins the way it was now. In the end, Naruto Uzumaki decided it didn't quite matter. So with a sigh, realizing that somebody would likely be along shortly to see what happened here, Naruto leapt off and took off in the direction he looked towards before. I need to put as much distance between the village and me as I can before they start their search. Then, I need to get stronger. There's no way in Hell I can stay as I am now. I'm weak right now, barely even qualified to be called a shinobi. But that's okay; I'm going to become someone that can look after themselves. I'm going to become strong enough to protect not just my precious people, but those who can't protect themselves. After all, this world needs a hero, someone that will bring peace to the Nations, and I aim to give them all just that.

A short while after Naruto had left, a certain silver-haired, cycloptic jonin entered the area and glanced around. It didn't take long for him to spot the body of his favorite student. Nor did it take long, after approaching it, to see that Sasuke's head had been removed from his body and his Sharingan eyes were missing. But the thing that stood out even more than that was the scratched hitai-ate that could only belong to one person: Naruto Uzumaki.

Naruto wasn't his favorite student. Kakashi viewed him as an imbecile and an embarrassment to the name of the Yondaime, his past jonin sensei. Time and time again, Naruto Uzumaki had proven himself to be nothing more than an idiot that couldn't quite do anything right. In fact, he was even so stupid as to ignore the obvious signs that his teammate, one Sakura Haruno, wasn't interested in him! Kakashi could list so many times where he felt nothing but disappointment in his sensei's son. What made it so much worse is the fact that young Naruto held the Kyuubi inside of him, the very entity that had taken his sensei from him at so young an age! Just thinking about such a thing made the jonin's heart broil with rage!

Releasing a heavy, depressed sigh, Kakashi Hatake knelt down beside Sasuke's body and lifted it up into his arms after pocketing the abandoned hitai-ate that once belonged to the village's lone Jinchuriki. I've failed yet another precious person. I'm sorry Sasuke. I hope that where you are in Kami's realm, you can forgive me for failing you as I have. And with those thoughts, Kakashi was off, moving to return to Konoha and show the people what had happened to their precious Sasuke.

Back at the Valley of the End, a lone pug, one summon belonging to Kakashi, couldn't help but watch his summoner vanish out of sight. With a single glance back at the destruction caused in the immediate area, the dog summon found himself frowning deeply at the behavior and negligence of Kakashi Hatake. Naruto, I hope that wherever you now are that you are safe. I never knew that Kakashi could feel such things for his sensei's son. When I return to the summon realm, I am going to see about removing the Hatake line from ever summoning us again. I promise you that, and like you, I don't break my promises. Nobody should have to suffer the way you have Naruto. With that, Pakkun vanished in a puff of smoke to report what happened in the lands of Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire).

The Next Day – Konohagakure Council Chambers

Tsunade Senju, the busty Godaime Hokage of the village Konohagakure sighed to herself as she sat upon her chair in the room where the Councils of Konoha met on a regular basis to discuss the goings-on in the village and anything else of importance that needed discussing. However, the topic of today was something for the ears of the Shinobi Council only as it was a sensitive issue that needed to be handled both discretely and in the appropriate manner. Naruto, why did you do this?

As the Godaime was about to call the meeting to order and begin the discussion, the doors to the council chambers opened and the members of the Civilian Council and the elders of Konoha began to enter. Snarling, Tsunade leveled her killing intent upon the fools and ordered her ANBU to restrain them immediately.

Seeing this taking place, the one-eyed, heavily bandaged elder going by the name of Danzo found himself glancing into Tsunade's eyes. "And just why exactly are you trying to keep us out of this meeting? Whatever's going on, I believe it concerns more than just yourself and the shinobi of the village. You haven't the right to keep us from attending this meeting Tsunade."

Growling at the blatant disrespect being shown to her in front of so many people, the blonde Godaime slammed her fist onto the table before her, shattering it in the process. "You will show me the proper respect as your Hokage, Danzo! As for this meeting, I requested the Shinobi Council only. Now you will leave with your little pets or I'll force you out. Trust me when I say you don't want me to do that Danzo. Now shut up, turn around, and leave. Is. This. Understood you pompous pricks?!"

Narrowing his eye at the village's Hokage, the leader of ROOT simply turned on his heel and took a few steps towards the door. "As you wish Hokage-sama. It would seem you have a backbone in you whereas Hiruzen did not. But, let me leave you with a few parting words." With a dangerous smirk playing at his face, the old man waved one of his arms around before him. "Thanks to a certain jonin, the village knows what happened. Naruto murdered the last loyal Uchiha in cold blood. Make sure you do the right thing Tsunade, because you can be rest assured that if you fail to do what is best for the village that you will find yourself in for a world of trouble. And I don't make this promise lightly. You will soon find out just how little you mean to this village in the grand scheme of things. Now enjoy your little party. Farewell Godaime."

Practically seeing red at this point, Tsunade signaled to her ANBU to place Danzo under arrest, only for some mysterious ANBU with blank masks to appear and take the lives of those ANBU loyal to Tsunade. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was going on. "You were ordered to disband ROOT you son-of-a-bitch! On top of your threats towards me, you've just proven yourself a traitor who cannot follow orders when given! You will pay for this Danzo, mark my words!"

However, before anything could be done, Danzo and the other elders, Homura and Koharu, vanished from their positions while the Civilian Council stood frozen in fear. Turning to look into the eyes of their Godaime, they couldn't help but collapse to their knees and pray that she would show them mercy. What they didn't realize is that it wasn't Tsunade that they should be seeking mercy from, but the members of the Shinobi side of the council.

It didn't take long for the Civilian Council members to be restrained and taken away by a few ANBU that had just entered shortly after Danzo and his ROOT left. Those that tried to resist were executed on the spot as they would not be forgiven for their betrayal.

Once this particular series of events came to an end, Tsunade Senju slumped into her seat and buried her face into her palms. As she mumbled about needing the strongest sake she could get her hands on, she barely registered the voice of one Shikaku Nara, clan head of the Nara clan and father of Shikamaru.

"Hokage-sama, I know that now might not be the best time, but we really do need to discuss the current situation regarding Naruto Uzumaki and the retrieval mission you put my son in charge of. It's bothersome, but we'll also have to decide a course of action to take regarding Danzo and the possibility of a civil war within our village should things get out of hand."

Tsunade nodded slowly as she pulled her hands away from her face. She couldn't help but think about the little gaki she had bestowed her grandfather's necklace to. The beautiful blond couldn't help but sigh sadly as she realized that the odds of Naruto succeeding her position when it was time for her to retire was slim to none at this point. Naruto, what could have caused you to feel that you needed to leave? I don't give a damn about that rotten little bastard of an Uchiha, but you're the one that brought me back here. It feels…wrong now that you're gone.

With another heavy sigh, the blond Godaime nodded slowly and looked around at the Shinobi Council. "Before we begin, I want you to hear me out. Not only as your Godaime Hokage, but as a person that knows Naruto personally and has only had his best interests at heart since my return." Seeing the clan heads nod, Tsunade smiled a barely noticeable smile and continued on. "We all know the kind of person Naruto is, and more importantly, what his dream is…or at least…what it was." After seeing another set of nods from her allies in the room, the blond woman continued on once more. "Therefore, I think it's a safe conclusion if we say that something caused Naruto to feel as if he had to leave the village. Now, I haven't any theories towards what this might be, or what might have been going through Naruto's mind at the time of his battle with Sasuke, but it's obvious he was forced to make a rather difficult choice. Whatever happened, whatever he decided upon, the facts of this matter are that he killed Sasuke Uchiha and took the Sharingan with him. Well, he either took them with him or destroyed them, there's no real way that we can be sure. Now, I am open to opinions and any advice you can give on this matter. Please, if you have something to say, speak up and let it be heard."

Before any of the others could say anything, the clan head of the Inuzuka clan decided to make her voice heard. Tsume Inuzuka was a feral woman and seemed like the type to not take shit from anybody. But she had always had a soft spot for young Naruto and was sad to see him go. It infuriated her to know how the villagers were reacting to the news of what took place during the Sasuke Retrieval mission.

"The first thing I want to say is that we shouldn't put a bounty out on the poor kid! Those corrupt bastards, Danzo, Homura, and Koharu are likely to try and go behind our backs to do something like that, but we need to let the Nations and other Hidden Villages know that Naruto is not to be harmed! If anything, he should simply be apprehended and returned to the village. Those that care for him are concerned for him and his wellbeing. I swear if anybody harms that kid…"

As Kiba's mother clenched her hands into fists hard enough to draw blood, Tsunade raised a hand and requested that she calm herself. Once she was certain that the Inuzuka matriarch had settled herself down, Tsunade began to speak in response to what was said. "I understand what you're saying Tsume, and I completely agree with you. If we want to keep Naruto-kun safe, we need to send out messengers to the other villages as soon as possible and explain the situation to them. We will most certainly not be informing them about the fact that he is Konoha's Jinchuriki, but we will ask them to please keep an eye out for Naruto and protect him should the need arise. I'm afraid that Konoha is not a safe place for him at this time. Then again, it's not quite safe out there, considering who's after him."

At this, most of the clan heads sighed sadly and nodded their heads in understanding. After a brief moment of silence as they contemplated what all they could do in this situation, Inoichi Yamanaka, Ino's father, member of the Torture and Interrogation unit, and Yamanaka clan head, decided to voice his concerns. "The village does seem to be out for young Naruto-kun's blood right now. After jonin Kakashi Hatake returned with the Uchiha's headless body, he began slandering Naruto's name even further and managed to convince the general populous of our village that Naruto murdered Sasuke out of something as petty as jealousy or some such thing. Needless to say, the majority bought the garbage he was feeding them and the worst of it happens to be the fan girls that practically worshipped the ground the Uchiha walked on. I'm ashamed to say that my own daughter, Ino…happens to be among their number. It didn't take much for her to believe that Naruto would do such a 'horrible thing to her precious Sasuke-kun'."

With that, everyone in the Council chambers sighed heavily and shook their heads sadly. After a moment, Hiashi Hyuga, Hinata's father and the head of the Hyuga clan, spoke up. "It's depressing to see what has become of the state of our ninja these days. If the Civilian Council hadn't managed to worm their way into power and corrupted the academy as they did, I have a feeling that our fresh Genin wouldn't be anything like they are now. I'm disappointed in this village and what has become of it."

Seeing the others nodding in agreement with him, Hiashi continued on. "But back onto the topic of Naruto." Letting his lips quirk upwards into a cheery smile, the Hyuga clan head continued to speak. "I have to admit that I'm thankful to the young Uzumaki. Not only did he help set my nephew back on the right track into becoming the kind of person he was meant to be, but he helped my daughter, Hinata, to better herself in ways I could never have imagined. I have never seen Hinata smile so much since her mother's death as I have when she talks about Naruto. The love she feels for that boy is something to cherish and I only wish she had the courage to tell Naruto how she felt before this happened. Now…I fear she may never get her chance." Sighing sadly, the Hyuga head went quiet and stared down at his hands as he lost himself to his thoughts.

Once it became obvious that Hiashi wasn't going to continue, one Chouza Akimichi, the head of the Akimichi clan and father of Choji, took his turn to speak. "I know we would all like to reminisce about the boy, but we also need to focus on the issue here. The first thing that needs to be done is that Kakashi needs to be made an example of. He has practically incited a riot, but more than that he neglected two members of his Genin squad and focused primarily on the Uchiha, even going so far as to teach him a jutsu used specifically for assassinations despite the fact Sasuke was mentally unstable. If what Jiraiya reported about the event that took place on the roof of the hospital not that long ago is to be believed, then Sasuke wasn't against using that jutsu to try and kill his own teammate! As a jonin sensei and an ex-ANBU captain, not to mention a student of the Yondaime, Naruto's father, he should have used better judgment regarding his Genin team! There is no way that we can excuse that monster for what he's done."

Tsunade nodded her head in agreement and looked around at the other clan heads. "I concur with Chouza's assessment of jonin sensei Kakashi Hatake. I move that we remove him from active duty and strip him of not only his rank, but his hitai-ate as well. For his failures and crimes against one Naruto Uzumaki, he has proven that he is unfit for duty and deserves to be punished as befitting his crimes. If you agree, I will personally oversee his punishment with any volunteers amongst this group. We will seal his chakra and remove his borrowed Sharingan eye as well. It could be put to better use than in an inept shinobi's skull. What say you?"

Before anyone could say anything, an ANBU that had remained in the room after the others disappeared with the Civilian Council members decided to add her input. "I think I speak for the entirety of the ANBU when I say that we support this measure Hokage-sama. Kakashi Hatake is no longer the man that was once respected as a skilled ANBU captain. Now he is simply a pathetic shell of his former self and deserves what's coming to him. Naruto Uzumaki was nothing but kind to the majority of people in Konohagakure and, despite leading the ANBU on numerous chases throughout the village, we actually quite enjoyed his pranks and looked forward to whatever he came up with next. Besides that, it was good training if you think about it. Not only for the ANBU, but for Naruto himself as well. His stealth skills and speed were nothing to scoff at and we always found him to be a pretty impressive individual. Hatake's views on young Naruto are misguided and the views of a pathetic excuse for a person. So again, you have the vote of the ANBU."

Hearing this, and seeing the ANBU known as Cat, or better known by her actual name of Yugao Uzuki, speak out on Naruto's behalf caused Tsunade to crack a smile. She was quite pleased that she had the support of an ANBU captain in regards to the circumstances surrounding Naruto at this moment in time. So, nodding in response to the violet-haired woman, the Hokage turned to the Shinobi Council and awaited their verdict.

Glancing around at his peers, Shikaku Nara nodded and turned his attention to Tsunade Senju once more. It would seem that the lazy man had taken up the position of spokesperson for the Shinobi Council, despite how bothersome it was to do so. "It would seem we are all in agreement then. It's bothersome, and the punishment is severe, but it fits his crimes and would send a message to the others in the village, especially the ninja population. But I'd like to take this a step further with a suggestion Hokage-sama, if you'll permit me to continue of course?"

Tsunade simply quirked a brow and nodded to show that Shikaku was permitted to continue with his line of thought. "After seeing what has become of the ninja academy and the kind of Genin being produced, I must say that the quality is sorely lacking. While the majority of the clan heirs turned out fine for the most part," at this point, the Nara clan head looked towards his friend Inoichi and frowned before offering an apologetic smile to show he really didn't mean any offense in regards to his daughter. Soon enough, he turned his attention back to the Godaime and continued. "others were sorely unprepared for what they may face in this world. But more than that most were simply unable to pass their final test to become Genin. But the worst of the lot happens to be the fan girls." At this point, everyone shuddered as their thoughts went towards the likes of Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka. Thinking of his daughter and how she spent more time obsessing over the Uchiha brat rather than bettering herself not only as a kunoichi, but as a person as well, only brought tears to Inoichi's eyes as he banged his head against the table before him.

Everyone looked to the Yamanaka clan head after his action and could only smile sadly at him. Shikaku let out a loud sigh and continued speaking. "My apologies for how your daughter turned out, my friend. It's bothersome, but unless you and your wife can somehow snap your daughter out of that state, it's likely she'll either get herself killed out on a mission or may quit being a kunoichi altogether now that Sasuke Uchiha, the object of her affections, is deceased. But more than that, she may lose herself to revenge, just as the Uchiha did. Thanks to Hatake, most of the village truly believes that Naruto murdered his traitorous teammate in cold blood when I've a feeling that couldn't be farther from the truth. After all…" Glancing into Tsunade's eyes, the jonin commander grinned slightly, "I believe your orders were to bring him back by any means necessary, were they not? Naruto was acting well within the mission parameters when he took Sasuke's life. From what our scouts have reported regarding the sight at the Valley of the End, it appears that Sasuke resisted and Naruto was forced to fight. If I had to fathom a guess, then the Uchiha really didn't give young Uzumaki much of a choice but to kill him in order to prevent Orochimaru from obtaining him. If Naruto hadn't performed this action, Sasuke would have been lost to the village and one of our village's biggest traitors would have had a set of Sharingan practically delivered to him on a silver platter because of the boy's arrogance and lust for power."

Looking around himself to see that everyone was following his logic, the Nara head released a sigh and then a loud yawn before he continued on. "But I digress, that wasn't quite the topic of conversation that I was discussing before. My apologies." Hearing a few light chuckles, Shikaku shrugged and continued once more. "Regardless, the point stands that, because of the power the Civilian Council managed to take during that little time before the good man that was the Sandaime retook his position as Hokage, the standards at the Academy were lowered to suit their petty needs. After all, before the standards were to the point that their precious civilian-born children would naturally have a difficult time graduating and moving on to become Genin. Some of the classes these days…"

Once more, everyone shook their heads and hung them in defeat. The Civilians had made the ninja academy look like a damn joke! With a shrug of his shoulders, Shikaku chose to continue with his point. "Here is the point I'm trying to make. It's truly bothersome, but we need to shut down the academy for a time and change how things are run. We need to do a complete overhaul on the class lessons and determine what students should be learning and what classes truly don't belong. It's then important to conduct a thorough examination on the teachers. But more than that, I suggest we look through records of how the students were graded, if there was any favoritism shown, and vice versa as well; we need to check to see if any students were singled out as 'problem students' and treated unfairly. If my suspicions are correct, there's a very likely possibility that grades were altered and certain students had it harder than others, while others that didn't truly deserve it were practically handed their top level grades without a problem. One such example I can think of would be Sasuke Uchiha. In all likelihood, there's a strong possibility that he was shown blatant favoritism by not only the people in the village, but by the teaching staff as well. After all, if I'm correct, then the elders, who sided with Danzo earlier, decided it was important to pamper the brat. Meanwhile, I suspect that Naruto Uzumaki was held back and treated unjustly in the academy simply for housing the Kyuubi."

Sighing heavily to himself, Shikaku shook his head and looked down at towards his feet. "The Kyuubi…Naruto's 'condition'…I suspect the elders had a hand in why the villagers all knew that Naruto was the new Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi. I just wish we could prove it and have them executed for their crimes. But, we don't really need more of a reason to do that now, do we?" Chuckling bitterly to himself, the Nara head raised his head and looked hard into Tsunade's eyes before looking around the room once more. "Thinking on it now, I'm starting to suspect that the harsh treatment Naruto suffered here in the village has played a part in why Naruto chose to leave the village as he did. Like Sasuke, we never performed a mental evaluation to determine if he was truly healthy not only physically, but emotionally and mentally as well. There's a good chance that, despite how he behaved that he was truly hurting inside and had become mentally unstable. Take his pranks for instance. To most, they would seem like a brat just out to make trouble for everyone. But for the more intelligent among us, it was an obvious cry for attention. I would also assume that the outfit he chose to wear was another attempt at grabbing attention that he likely desperately craved. Sadly, the kind of attention he received remained only negative. With all of this in mind, I truly believe that Naruto's mental state might not be as sound as we had hoped."

Tsunade could only sigh sadly and nod her head as her gaze turned downwards. "You might be right Shikaku. I just wish I had paid more attention and done more for him. Naruto's the reason I'm even back in the village, and beyond that, I became Hokage because of him. It feels…hollow…empty here without him. I'm worried for him. I'd be out there searching for him if not for my duties to the village right now. I just…want him to be okay. To know he's safe wherever he is."

The others could only watch as tears trailed down the Godaime's face and listened as she began to openly sob before them. It showed the kind of trust she had in them that she would let her barriers down and allow them to see this side of her. Sending her looks of understanding, as well as saddened smiles to show they felt her pain, Shikaku decided to voice another concern. "I'm sorry to do this now Hokage-sama, but while we're on the topic of a person's psyche, I believe there's an important issue we need to address."

Tsunade nodded slowly and raised her gaze to look at the scarred jonin commander once more. Without saying anything, she waited for the man to continue. Upon seeing her look, there were no words that needed to be said and so he continued. "After returning home and learning the news about what happened during the retrieval mission, those involved are deeply troubled. My son is blaming himself for how things turned out. Not only were a majority of the members of his team injured, some being nearly fatal, but he sent Naruto ahead to stop Sasuke. Upon learning that Naruto was forced to take Sasuke's life, but that his friend abandoned the village immediately afterwards…my son is troubled. I worry for his future as a shinobi. But it's not just Shikamaru that I am concerned for."

Frowning to himself, knowing his next request would be a heavy one to undertake, Shikaku turned his gaze to his friend Inoichi and began. "I would like to request that the Yamanaka clan help the medics evaluate the mental conditions of not only my son's team, but those of Naruto and Sasuke's graduating classmates as well as the members of Might Guy's team. Some of them might require counseling to overcome any problems that might be discovered in regards to their psyche and emotional states. Until they have all been evaluated, I recommend that their teams not be deployed on any missions. Even then, if the medics and Yamanaka clan haven't cleared them for duty, they should be put on an indefinite hold until such a time that they are deemed healthy enough to continue with their duties. Then…" Sighing to himself, Shikaku dragged a hand through his hair and grumbled. "This is so bothersome. But there are some that may need to be removed from the ninja corps. in its entirety. If I had to suggest one such person, I would suggest removing Sakura Haruno from the ranks of ninja and be returned to a civilian once more. With the death of Sasuke, her other teammate going missing, and Hatake's punishment…she'll be on her own without a team. It may prove to be far too much for her to cope with. But again, having both a medic and a Yamanaka clan member look her over would probably be for the best."

Tsunade sighed, but nodded her head in agreement as she worked her best to wipe away the tear tracks on her face. "It's a sound idea, and I can understand where you're coming from in regards to the mental state of those Genin and Chunin Shikamaru. I agree with your idea. Do you have anything to add Inoichi, or are you prepared to assist in this matter as Shikaku has requested?"

The blond-haired man sighed sadly to himself and nodded his head slowly. "I agree to do this. I just…worry that my daughter will be one of those removed from the ninja program. If our suspicions are correct about her, there's a good chance that she's already too far gone to truly repair what damage has been done. I fear that because she was such a fan girl to the Uchiha," at this point he and the others shuddered and felt sympathy for the poor man, "and her feelings regarding Naruto that it didn't take much to manipulate her mind into believing whatever Hatake was saying. Now with Danzo and the elders, there's a chance that they could further corrupt the people of the village, including those manipulated into believing Kakashi's crap. But I'm getting off track. Ino truly believed Kakashi's words and nothing her mother or I have said has gotten through to her that Naruto is not the kind of person who would murder Sasuke out of jealousy. My biggest fear at this point isn't whether or not she'll be able to continue on as a kunoichi, but whether or not we'll have to seal off her chakra to keep her from turning down the same path the Uchiha took. Sasuke's quest for vengeance only led him to destruction in the end. He brought it upon himself, and I don't want the same to happen to my daughter should she try to hunt down Naruto."

With another heavy sigh, Inoichi Yamanaka looked at his hands and could feel tears of regret and true sadness stinging at the corners of his eyes. "I'll gladly help with Shikaku's idea, but I fear I may not be able to save my little girl from a terrible fate. I…I had such high hopes for her. I truly did. But now? I don't know what to expect. She won't even listen to her parents anymore! I've tried to be a good father, but I can't help but feel I've failed in that aspect. I can honestly say that I'm disappointed in Ino. She had the potential to be a great kunoichi, but…I just don't know anymore."

Seeing and hearing his close friend in such a state, Chouza Akimichi rose from his chair and walked over to his friend. Without warning, he pulled the man into a hug and patted his back. "You're a good father Inoichi. We all try to do our very best when it comes to raising our children. But from what I've come to understand, there are oftentimes outside influences that are impossible to predict that can cause things beyond our control. The obsession your daughter developed with Sasuke Uchiha is one of those things that was simply beyond your control, my friend. Then we have to think about Hatake's actions and words upon returning with the Uchiha's body. Heck, even before that, we never could have foreseen that Naruto would kill Sasuke at the Valley of the End! There were so many unknowns and circumstances beyond our control that you really can't blame yourself Inoichi. So please, as your friend and brother, don't beat yourself up over this. You're a great father."

Tsume chose to speak up at this point, just as concerned for the blond father as the others. "I have to agree with Chouza-san. I've seen you with your daughter before and I must say, you're a great father. It's a shame that Ino hasn't heeded your advice. It's even more of a shame that she's choosing to completely shut you and your wife out now, after the death of her 'beloved Uchiha'. But it's been said already, you did nothing wrong. You've done exactly as a father should. You tried to steer your daughter in the right direction, you showed her the love and affection a parent should have for their child, scolded her when she did something wrong, and I could honestly go on and on here. The point is this: Chouza-san's right. Don't go beating yourself up over this because it's NOT your fault. Do you understand?"

Inoichi found himself chuckling quietly as he listened to his friends. With both a shrug and a nod of his head, the Yamanaka clan head raised his gaze to meet with those of his friends and smiled slightly. "I understand Tsume-san. Thank you both for your support and kind words. It…helps. I'll continue to hold out hope for my little girl, but if she's too far gone, I'll do what must be done and seal off her chakra. She may not like it, and may even resent me for it for denying her the revenge she'll possibly seek, but I'll do it to keep her safe. After all, the world out there can be a cruel and unforgiving place."

Tsunade nodded in the affirmative to that statement before she made her voice heard. "I'm glad to hear that we have the support of you and your clan Inoichi. I'm also glad to know that there is no opposition in regards what to do about jonin Kakashi Hatake. But there are a few more things we need to discuss and come to an agreement on. The first of which is Naruto Uzumaki. We mentioned it earlier on in the meeting, but how will we go about informing the other villages to help us protect him? Any suggestions?"

At this, Hiashi decided to speak up and voice both an opinion on the matter and a possible idea as well. "There are a few things to take into consideration when discussing this topic first and foremost." Seeing he had everyone's attention, the Hyuga clan head cleared his throat and made his point known. "Due to certain connections Naruto has made while in the service of the village, he has gained particular sway in certain political matters regarding a few of our new connections. The first would be the country of Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves). According to what we have learned, they chose to name the great bridge after him. His previous client's family is particularly fond of the boy. But enough about that."

With a heavy sigh, Hiashi continued as he looked down at his folded hands that lay upon the table before him. "Then we must take into consideration the recently named Haru no Kuni (Land of Spring) and Naruto's connection to their newly instated daimyo, Koyuki Kazehana. She feels a great debt to Naruto Uzumaki."

Frowning at this point, Hiashi looked into the eyes of his peers. "Finally, Naruto connected on a personal level with the Jinchuriki of Sunagakure, the Yondaime Kazekage's very own son, Gaara. The worst has already happened in regards to the Suna siblings though. After learning of Naruto's disappearance and the events that followed it here in the village…I fear our alliance with Suna will be on thin ice, so to speak. In the worst case scenario, the alliance will be broken off and Sunagakure would seek to form alliances elsewhere. Again, this is a worst case scenario, but it's something we should be prepared for."

With a shrug of his shoulders this time, the Hyuga head continued on once more. "But Sunagakure aside, if either of the nations mentioned moments ago learn of what has transpired regarding Naruto Uzumaki, and more importantly how he was not only treated here in the village, but how the majority of the village is reacting to the recent events…I fear the repercussions could be severe. Again, alliances formed will likely be broken off. Naruto was the main reason these bonds were formed, and without the Uzumaki's presence here in Konohagakure and with how the people are acting? Well…to put it bluntly, we're in trouble."

Laughing bitterly to himself, Hiashi shook his head and decided to get to the point he was trying to make. "The first thing we should do is see if we can keep this news from reaching those two nations. It may seem underhanded, but if we're thinking in terms of what's best for the village, keeping our alliances intact with those two nations would be in our best interests. But more than that, I'd like to hold out hope that Naruto may one day return to us and all of this can be fixed." Frowning to himself at that, the Hyuga glanced down at his hands and shook his head. "My point stands though. It's in our best interest to find some way to keep those two nations in particular from finding out what has happened."

Seeing everyone reluctantly nod in agreement with his assessment, Hiashi continued on. "Now, as for what to do in regards to keeping young Naruto safe from harm. There's a very likely chance that Akatsuki will find out if we aren't careful. Our best bet is to request that the other Kages meet with us in a secure location. One that we're sure is safe from prying eyes and ears. The most we should tell them is that it's urgent and hope they show up at the designated meeting place. If I'm correct, the Raikage and Tsuchikage would likely be curious enough about why Konoha is contacting them and requesting an urgent meeting. From what we understand about the situation in Kirigakure, the civil war has ended with the bloodliners winning. Their new Mizukage is most likely looking to make allies now to strengthen their village once more, so she is likely to make an appearance as well. It's Suna that we have to be the most concerned about in my opinion. The reason for this is quite simple: in due time I believe that Gaara will be made Kazekage of the village. Call it a gut feeling if you will, but I have a feeling Naruto's influence will play a part in that decision. In the meantime, Gaara is likely to be accompanied by someone who is likely working in the role of temporary Kazekage until a permanent one has been appointed. In this case, Gaara is likely being groomed for the role if I had to fathom a guess."

Frowning more at this point, Hiashi lowered his gaze once more. "In the meeting being requested, I think it would come down to what Suna's representatives choose to do. It could easily go one of two ways as far as I see it. The first is that they will listen as we explain the situation and may even offer to help keep an eye out for Naruto Uzumaki and offer to keep him safe. It is highly unlikely that they will offer to return him to us after witnessing what Gaara and his siblings did here in the village."

Shaking his head, the Hyuga head continued with a defeated tone in his voice at this point. "The second possibility is one that would doom our chances at earning help from the other villages most likely. The representatives from Suna could inform the other Kage about Naruto's 'condition', his treatment here in the village, reactions after killing Sasuke and disappearing, etc. This outcome would likely garner Suna the support of the other villages except for Iwagakure. From what we know, the current Raikage is fond of both of Kumo's Jinchuriki and treats them with not only respect, but with compassion as well. Kumo's Jinchuriki are far better off in terms of treatment than other villages. Hearing about Naruto's treatment would likely earn Naruto the support of Kumogakure and the Raikage's protection. Not to mention that there would be a great chance that, should Naruto be granted asylum in Kumo…we'll never get him back."

Sighing again, Hiashi looked around at the others and continued speaking. "Then there's the new Mizukage and Kirigakure to think about. After the discrimination and the previous Mizukage's actions regarding bloodline holders…she is quite likely to sympathize with young Naruto Uzumaki. If I was a betting man, I'd say that it's highly likely she would also try to protect Naruto and keep him from our village to the best of her ability."

Chuckling darkly at this point, Hiashi then went on to speak about the Tsuchikage. "Then there's Onoki, the current Tsuchikage. The Jinchuriki of Iwa are not treated well, not even by him. But if he learns about Naruto and what he is, there's a very likely possibility that he'll try to claim Naruto for his village even though it could quite possibly cause conflict between our villages. Naruto would not likely be treated with any respect in Iwagakure either, so it would be like trading one abusive home for another if that were to happen."

Tsunade and the others frowned at this point, hoping that Onoki would never get his hands on Konoha's Jinchuriki. Glancing around at the various members of the Shinobi Council, she couldn't help but sigh heavily. "The idea is a risky one. I'm not sure if the risks are worth it, despite what we could gain from this idea. Does anyone have any better ideas, or is this the best idea we can come up with? No offense to you Hiashi, but it's a dangerous plan and I'm sure you must agree with me on that."

Hiashi nodded and simply shrugged his shoulders in response before everyone heard Shibi Aburame speak up. "This is a simple idea that shares the same concept as Hiashi's idea, but it seems like the most logical choice that comes to mind right now." Glancing around at his peers to ensure he had their attention, the father of Shino Aburame and Aburame clan head proceeded to explain his idea. "I suggest we send out messages via our fastest messenger birds to Sunagakure, Kirigakure, and Kumogakure. The Tsuchikage simply cannot be trusted in regards to Naruto-san. Why? Because of the very reasons Hiashi-san explained mere moments ago. The risk is too high that he would find out what Naruto holds and then capture him before ensuring his loyalty to Iwagakure through certain means. It is a risk that we cannot take."

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Shibi adjusted his sunglasses and proceeded to continue with his explanation. "Now, each message should mention specific things in order to ensure Naruto's protection without giving too much away to Kirigakure or Kumogakure. The message to Sunagakure should simply contain a heartfelt apology for the way the village reacted and including a request to please look out for Naruto should they come across him during his travels."

Once everyone nodded in agreement with that, he continued. "For Kumogakure, it is logical to request that they be on the lookout for Naruto Uzumaki. We appeal to the Raikage in the message and explain how he is the son of not only Kushina Uzumaki, a woman the people of Kumo tried to take in the past, but the Yondaime Hokage, Minato, as well. The current Raikage held a great amount of respect for Minato-sama and would most certainly look out for Naruto should he or his ninja come across him. But along with this explanation, we should inform the Raikage about why Naruto was forced to leave Konohagakure. A logical example of what I mean by this can go by the following lines: 'After killing the last Uchiha in the village, the majority of the villagers reacted in a negative fashion. As a direct result of this, the situation for him worsened and he was forced to leave Konoha for his own safety.' It is not the whole truth, and we keep the information about Naruto being the Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi a secret, but we also manage to convince the Raikage to keep Naruto safe until such a time that he can return to the village and feel safe here once again."

"Finally, in regards to the Mizukage, we appeal to her sense of familiarity with Naruto's situation. She and her people have just recently wrested control of Kirigakure and Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water) from a tyrant that ostracized at least half of the people of that nation simply for being different. We explain to this woman that Naruto has been treated as an outcast for being different here, just as her people were in their civil war for some time. This will help her feel a sense of kinship with the young Uzumaki boy and convince her to help Naruto should see and her people see him. We should also ask her and the Raikage to please inform us should they convince him to take temporary refuge in their respective villages. This way we know where he is, that he's safe, and we can eventually 'collect' him as it were when it's finally safe to do so."

After Shibi had finished speaking his idea, Inoichi spoke up again. "I see what you're talking about Shibi-san. In essence, we'd be manipulating all three of them into protecting Naruto for us while also hiding his status as a Jinchuriki. We give them just enough information to develop an interest in the boy and convince them to hold onto him for us until such a time as we can safely take care of him once more. It helps that the possibility of them discovering Naruto's identity as the Kyuubi Jinchuriki is slim. Naruto's a smart kid and he'll know not to reveal such information. After all, he's kept it secret all this time and none of the children of his generation or younger know what he holds. None of his enemies from past missions have either from what we've gathered from the reports. So as long as he doesn't say anything and Suna remains quiet in regards to his status, he should remain relatively safe, all things considered."

Shibi nodded his head calmly and smiled slightly. "Precisely. I would rather we not manipulate potential future allies, but in this case it is our best, and most logical, option. It would also be most prudent of us to send these messages out as quickly as possible before Danzo and the other elders can cause our efforts to be completely wasted. In this case, the one that acts first will have a distinct advantage over the other."

Tsunade nodded grimly at that and ordered another ANBU to quickly bring her three message scrolls and the necessary tools to write her messages with. While the ANBU left to fulfill her requests, the Godaime turned to the Shinobi Council once more and let a grim frown cross her beautiful facial features. "Speaking of Danzo…it's time we discuss what needs to be done regarding that monster. I'm afraid that this particular problem is far more urgent than the situation with Naruto currently. Now, let's begin…"

Noon – Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound)

Naruto stood on a rather large hill, looking out at the area before him. Part of this young man was feeling ecstatic at being free to roam as he now was, while another part felt apprehension about being in the territory that he knew belonged to a certain Snake Sannin. There was absolutely no doubt in Naruto's mind that Orochimaru would be out for his blood now that he not only killed Sasuke, but took his Sharingan as well. But, despite people's judgment regarding Naruto, he was most certainly not an idiot.

Before entering Oto no Kuni, he had first considered visiting Nami no Kuni to talk to Tazuna and his family about what had transpired and to explain the situation regarding his standing in the village even further. However, while this would help deal a blow to Konohagakure's economy, there was also the fact that Nami no Kuni was no doubt amongst those places located at the top of the list of places Naruto was most likely to visit now that he's left the village. So, knowing this, Naruto thought about the places that they would assume Naruto would never go. That is when it came to him: Oto no Kuni! The perfect place to not only escape Konoha, but hide himself from Orochimaru and Akatsuki as well! After all, one would naturally think it's suicide to enter Orochimaru's territory at this point in time due to what Naruto had just done. It's also something nobody would ever expect the dobe of his graduating class of genin to ever think to do.

So, with these thoughts in mind, Naruto ventured across the border into the lands of Oto no Kuni and found himself standing upon this hill overlooking the fields below him and the people wandering about, tending to a variety of things that required their attention. After all, before Orochimaru conquered this land, it was known as Ta no Kuni (Land of Rice Paddies). Looking below once more, Naruto figured that it was easy to see why it was called as such with all the rice fields scattered about.

With a shrug to shake off those thoughts, Naruto folded his arms and began walking towards the closest group of people he could see. What better way to get information than by simply mingling and enjoying a bit of small talk with the natives after all? As he proceeded towards his chosen targets, Naruto thought back to something else that happened just recently and let a small smirk play across his lips.

Flashback

It was late at night and Naruto had chosen to make camp in a secluded section of the forest he found himself in. He had made sure to do whatever he could to keep himself from being located before he settled down for the night. So, after eating a hastily made dinner courtesy of some poor squirrels he managed to kill, the blond ninja closed his eyes and decided it was a good time to visit his mindscape to speak with a certain prisoner.

Mindscape

Without wasting any time, Naruto made his way towards the room that contained the Kyuubi's cage. Upon reaching the cage, Konoha's newest runaway looked straight into the massive beast's eyes and let a small smirk play at his lips. "Hello again Kyuubi. How are you feeling?"

The Kyuubi glanced down at the boy with an inquisitive stare, feeling quite curious about the boy at this moment. Lowering its head to be at eye level with the blond shinobi, it huffed and began to speak. "I'm not sure why you're suddenly trying to be friendly with me brat, but it doesn't matter. I'm doing as well as can be expected considering I'm trapped in a cage and my jailor's an idiot of the highest caliber."

Chuckling to himself, Naruto nodded his head at that and walked forwards and into the cage. Once next to the beast, the smirking Uzumaki placed his hand upon Kyuubi's snout and began to pet its fur there. "I'm sad to say it, but I actually agree with you. But tell me, exactly whose fault do you think that is?"

Kyuubi snorted and glanced into his midget jailor's eyes. "You'd better not be implying it's me you little brat. If you are I'll destroy you here and now."

Sighing to himself, Naruto lightly chopped his hand down on Kyuubi's nose. "No. Bad Kyuubi, assuming I'm judging you. Bad." Chopping the Kyuubi's nose again, Naruto chuckled quietly to himself and decided to explain. "Almost nobody back in the village would teach me anything. Remember? I know you can see into my memories, so if you need a reminder, go ahead and take a look. But that's not important right now. What is important is the fact that I was deprived of a proper education back in the village thanks to those stuck-up bastards that can't tell a scroll from the kunai sealed within."

With another sigh, Naruto shook his head and gently patted the Kyuubi's snout again. "Again, I'm not blaming you big guy. You're not the cause of my suffering. The villagers were responsible for what they did. Nobody made them do it, they chose to do it. But again, I'm getting off topic here. My point is, because of their crap and my idiocy in seeking attention rather than paying attention when the one teacher that actually gave a damn about me tried to help me, I lack certain essentials to survive out here. Do you understand what I'm saying here?"

Kyuubi couldn't help but grumble to himself and let his ears flop downwards. "Great. Because I'm stuck inside of you and your only constant in this world, you want me to help set you on the right path, do I have that right?" When his container only nodded with a big grin on his face, the Kyuubi grumbled more. "Damn it brat, why couldn't you just continue being an idiot? It was just plain easier that way!"

Naruto found himself chuckling and shook his head at the Kyuubi's antics. "'fraid not Kyuubi. Besides, would you really like your container to continue being a weak idiot?" Seeing and hearing the Kyuubi huff in annoyance only proved Naruto's point. "Good to see we're on the same page here. I need you to do what you can for me. Teach me what you know about the world both current and in history. Likewise, I need you to teach me the crap they teach in school about mathematics and that other junk I couldn't have cared less about when actually attending the academy simply because nobody would fucking help me."

Grumbling to himself, the young blond shook his head and chose to continue on in a calmer tone. "Other than that basic crap, I need help correcting my flaws as a damn ninja. As I am right now, I'm pathetic. Yes, I'll admit that. Sure, I can spam the ever loving hell out of the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Technique) and I can use the Rasengan, but other than that? I've got the basic academy ninjutsu down pat, other than the regular Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique) of course, for rather obvious reasons. I also have the Oiroke no Jutsu (Sexy Technique) and the Kage Bunshin variation, the Hāremu no Jutsu (Harem Technique) that I created. They don't have much practical use, but they work for fooling perverts I suppose." Shrugging his shoulders, Naruto decided to finish his list. "Finally, I can utilize the Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique) to summon toads, but in the end, that's pretty much it for me in terms of ninjutsu."

Frowning at this point, Naruto decided it was time to explain everything he could think of that was just wrong about his 'style' as a ninja. "I have no true Taijutsu style. At this point, I pretty much throw a fist and hope to Kami it hits. Most of my fights I've won thanks to either being faster, stronger, etc. than my opponents or simply spamming the crap out of my Kage Bunshin to overwhelm the bastards. Or…I've tapped into your chakra to aid me. As of this point, that's more of a crutch for me than anything, and I can't continue on like this."

"Next is my utter lack of Ninjutsu. I have the potential to be a ninjutsu nightmare for my enemies, but nobody would ever teach me any jutsu to use! Jiraiya was the only one besides Iruka and a few others that seemed to give a shit about me enough to teach me anything, and even then he was such a major pervert that he focused more of his time on his 'extracurricular activities' than on training me as he was supposed to!" Taking a deep breath to try and calm himself once more, the young man continued on, knowing that he had the Kyuubi's full attention and had had it for some time now. "The point is that I need you to help teach me whatever ninjutsu you can. You've been around for a lot longer than I have, no offense intended here, so you must have knowledge you can give me regarding a wide variety of jutsu and things!"

Releasing another heavy sigh, Naruto continued on with one of his least favorite types of jutsu: Genjutsu. "Finally, there's Genjutsu. I at least need to know how the hell to break out of a genjutsu. I know you can help me with that. But I'd also like to see if you can help me actually utilize some genjutsu. I'm sure if we put our minds together, we can come up with some pretty wicked genjutsu, don't you think Kyuubi?"

Sighing to himself, Kyuubi rose onto its feet and then began to change forms. The large creature shrank down and continued to shrink until it took a humanoid form just a foot and a half taller than Naruto was. When the Kyuubi had finished transforming, it became quite obvious that 'he' was actually a 'she'.

Kyuubi was a beautiful woman that looked to be in her late teens to early twenties. The woman had the same crimson, slit-pupil eyes that were also somehow enchanting and beautiful whereas before they could instill fear into even the bravest of ninja. This female Kyuubi also had long, flowing red hair that reached down to her ankles. As he gazed at this hair, Naruto found himself wondering if it felt as soft and silky as it looked. Turning his gaze from her hair, he took in her other facial features and the rest of her body. It was a good thing that she was clad in a flowing black and red kimono, or his eyes would have ended up roaming over her naked, well-endowed and well-proportioned body. Yes, she was a beautiful woman and Naruto would not be afraid to admit that. In fact, if he was somebody like Jiraiya, he would likely be entranced by not only her beauty, but her bountiful DD-cup breasts and long, luscious legs. Needless to say…perverts would be trounced by the vixen standing before young Naruto Uzumaki.

Running a hand through her hair, brushing some bangs out of her face in the process, Kyuubi stared calmly down into her container's eyes and let the smallest of smiles grace her features. "If I'm to train you, it would be best if I took on this form, would it not?" Seeing Naruto nod dumbly in response, Kyuubi walked over and poked his forehead. "I'm going to do my very best to make sure you become a ninja worthy of calling yourself my container. But first, I would appreciate it if you called me by name. I don't want to be referred to as Kyuubi all the time. You may call me Kiyoko. It's a pleasure to officially meet you Naruto. Let us hope that we can get along properly from now on."

End Flashback

After agreeing to train him, Kiyoko had proceeded to explain to him that she would do her best to feed him all the knowledge she could directly into his mind at a steady pace so as not to overexert his brain's processing capabilities. She had explained that this would likely take some time, most likely up to a month or a little longer, for her to finish with this process. Kiyoko also explained that while she was getting him caught up to speed on a grand number of things he needed to know and understand, she would focus on teaching him a taijutsu style that seemed just perfect for him.

Rather than try and teach him a reactionary style, Kiyoko had explained that she would teach him a style that relied on high speed movement, dodging opponent's strikes, and landing crippling blows that would hinder an enemy's movement and allow for finishing strikes to be landed easier on his enemies. She had referred to this style as the Yoko Genkotsu (Demon Fox Fist). Once he became proficient in using her chakra cloak without having issues, he would be able to utilize the true potential of this particular taijutsu style.

Along with this powerful taijutsu style, he was also going to learn a variety of elemental ninjutsu, starting with fire and wind, his natural elements apparently. Once he was proficient in those, he would branch out into other elemental jutsu. Other than those, Kiyoko had plans to teach him other kinds of jutsu as well, but she wouldn't explain just what they were to him yet.

As for genjutsu, Kiyoko was thinking on a way that she could not only make Naruto immune to genjutsu, but also allow him to use the strongest genjutsu she could teach him. It would take a bit more effort on her part, but they both agreed that it would be more than worth it. For now, she would teach him how to break free from genjutsu while agreeing to help him escape those he may not be able to on his own power.

Kiyoko also promised to teach him about fuinjutsu after explaining to Naruto about his clan and their specialty in that particular field of jutsu. Naturally, due to Naruto's childlike exuberance, he was excited at the prospect of learning something that would connect him to his long deceased clan.

Finally, at Kiyoko's insistence, Naruto would be taught how to wield multiple types of weapons. This way he would be well-versed in many styles of combat and would be given a distinct advantage over his opponents, especially if they focused primarily on one or two areas. The question they needed to work out is: where the hell does he get the weapons he needs to begin that training?!

Luckily, most of this knowledge could be transferred directly into his mind, but he would need to train hard in the physical realm in order to get the hang of using everything he learned in the right way. Thankfully for Naruto, Kiyoko had also explained about how he could truly use his Kage Bunshin to their greatest effect. So with the knowledge of how to train with Kage Bunshin in mind, Naruto knew that would make things so much easier than they would have been without his precious friends. Though, thinking on it, Naruto wondered if he could even call his Kage Bunshin friends, considering they came from him.

Shaking his head to rid himself of those thoughts, Naruto walked up to a rather large, rotund woman that kind of stood out in the group he was walking towards. With a tap on her arm to get her attention, the blond shinobi proceeded to ask her for information. "Excuse me Miss, but could you lend me a moment of your time?" Seeing her nod in assent, Naruto proceeded to ask his question. "I'm new to this area and I was wondering if you could tell me anything interesting going on in the area? Also, if you have one, could I perhaps borrow a map? I'm afraid I don't know my way around this land very well yet."

The woman smiled and nodded in response before reaching into the sack strapped to her waist. Withdrawing a map from it, she handed it to the boy and began to explain what she knew. "Well, my family and I have lived in this land since before it came to be known as Oto. If you're looking for Otogakure, I'd recommend staying away. I don't trust that man, Orochimaru. You look like a good kid, so steer clear of this area." Looking at the map in Naruto's hands, the woman pointed her finger at the map and circled an area to show him the general area to avoid. "I'm not sure of the exact location of this supposed village of his, but we've seen people with those hitai-ate in that area before, so Otogakure's probably somewhere around there."

Naruto nodded at this and made a mental note to at least explore the general area later just in case he felt like screwing with Orochimaru even more than he already had. Heh, I could have so much fun making that bastard suffer. Orochimaru, meet the Prankster King from Hell, he's going to make your life absolutely miserable. Naruto would have likely continued on with this line of thought if not for Kiyoko prompting him from within his mind to pay attention to the woman again and listen to what she had to say next.

Once she was sure she had the boy's attention again, the woman decided to continue. "The rest of Oto no Kuni is open for exploration. There are occasional patrols, but considering what we've heard recently, that's not all that surprising. Various clans with no place to go have been invited to Otogakure, but we're not sure what for. I'm not sure what your business here is, but I'd steer clear from that business if I were you. It's not worth risking your safety, and even your life, over. Doesn't matter to me whether you're a ninja or not, getting involved with those Oto ninja is anything but good."

Quirking an inquisitive eyebrow at this woman, Naruto simply shrugged it off and looked back down at the map. After a moment of looking at the various landmarks on the map and the possible location of Orochimaru's 'hidden village', the boy began to speak. "Thank you Miss. I appreciate your help. But may I ask a favor?" Looking up into the woman's eyes, Naruto held up the map and gave her an apologetic smile. "Could I perhaps take this? I've got some business to attend to here in Oto no Kuni and this map could most certainly help me to know where I'm going. Pretty please?"

Inside his mind, Kiyoko was laughing to herself at her container. "Naruto, you're trying waaay too hard to be polite to this woman. It's laughable to think you could actually pull something like this off. Good effort though, you might almost come off as sincere if you were to try this with a ninja."

Sighing inwardly, Naruto just told her to shut up for the time being as the woman agreed, saying her family has more tucked away somewhere. The blond ninja didn't really care, so long as he got to keep the map and move on to investigate the goings-on in the country he was fine. So, thanking the woman one last time, Naruto gave her a friendly wave good-bye and set off to see if he could find one of these clans the woman mentioned. Let's see how I can screw up Orochimaru's plans this time. This is going to be fun.

A/N: Okey dokey. Here's the first chapter of A World Changing Epiphany (WCE for short). I hope you enjoyed it and I hope you are looking forward to seeing what comes next.

I know the situation with Danzo will most likely have some curious, but I implore you to simply wait and read what happens in the coming chapters because more will be explained. He was rather cryptic and threatening in this chapter after all. It's obvious that he's up to something, but we'll have to wait and see now, won't we? *nods*

Yes, there's a Fem. Kyuubi in this one. But for those of you curious about a pairing...there really isn't one right now. I have plans for this fic, but I haven't been able to decide on any particular girl, or, as is the usual case with my fics, girls. I think this fic has potential for a harem of filler and movie girls, and perhaps other female Naruto characters that aren't often used from what I've noticed. If I choose to follow that route, I think there's really a lot of potential and it would certainly make things in this fic rather interesting. I just hope that it goes over well with you, the readers/fans. *shrugs* But yes, the Fem. Kyuubi is a potential mate in case you were wondering. I also gave her a different name in this fic compared to the name I gave her in Wrath of a Namikaze. I hope that Kiyoko will be to your liking, because she's likely to play a vital role in Naruto's life in this fic.

If you're wondering about the Sharingan that Naruto took, I'm not going to spoil anything. Again, it's one of those things I have planned for, so don't ask okay?

Finally, if you have any questions or concerns, go ahead and leave a review or send me a PM and I'll do the best I can to answer any questions/concerns you may have.

Anyways, up next is chapter 2 of this story. My thumb is killing me, but I'm going to continue doing the best I can to crank out these chapters for ya. It's the least I can do after keeping you all waiting so darn long.