Disclaimer: I do not own nor claim to own the collective works of Naruto, Avengers or anything that may come into the following Fan made piece of fiction. This is meant for enjoyment alone.

"Balance in all things." Jutsu/ Demon speech.

'Balance in all things.' Thought

"Balance in all things." Regular Speaking

"Balance in all things." Flashback Jutsu/ Flashback Demon speech.

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Eyes snapped open as the sound of creaking, a door opening, penetrated through the haze of unconsciousness that had filled her. She didn't know where she was. She couldn't remember much after jumping in the way of her friend and teammate's jutsu taking that fist of lightning through her chest with the intention of ending her own life for the sake of her comrades, her village.

The events leading up to that horrible point in time had been very trying, very difficult for Nohara Rin. She had been captured, taken prisoner by a Kirigakure Shinobi. The enemy had taken advantage of the fact that her sensei; Namikaze Minato had been absent with a mission of his own and been able to separate her from her only other team-mate Hatake Kakashi. She had been drugged, taken to a dark place and had a monster forced inside of her.

She still didn't understand what exactly Kiri had done to her. All she knew was what she had overheard her captors talking while under the impression she had still been asleep.

They had placed one of the nine Biju within her. The Sanbi. They had turned her into a living weapon with the sole intention of forcing her to release the Biju against Konoha.

It had been only a stroke of luck that she had escaped. One of the Kiri Shinobi had not tightened her restraints enough to prevent her from moving after they had checked the seal placed upon her, allowing her to struggle free and make her escape.

She remembered finding Kakashi, so desperate to find her and pleading with her to come back to the village; That Minato-sensei would be able to help her.

Rin couldn't allow that. Minato-sensei was trained by the Toad Sannin who was known for his sealing knowledge that much may be true, but sealing on this level was a league of its own. Even so, Rin could not risk her faulty seal failing before anything could even be done.

She tried to end it herself. She refused to be used to hurt innocent people, to be used as a weapon. But couldn't do it. No matter how strong her resolve, her body never obeyed the order to take her kunai and end it.

So she forced Kakashi to do it for her.

She could still remember it, the agony of his Raikiri as it passed through her chest and struck her heart. The overwhelming sadness of knowing she was going to die and seeing the horror and guilt on Kakashi's face.

And then nothing.

She should be dead.

She should be dead but she wasn't.

She waited, silently and carefully as footsteps entered the room. The scrapping sound a chair being dragged and a sigh, deep, masculine, as the newcomer eased himself into the chair.

She felt fear. Had Kiri recaptured her and stopped her from sacrificing herself? Worse still, had Konoha brought her back and saved her?

"I know you are awake child. Fear not, you are safe here."

Rin flinched despite herself. She did not recognise the voice. It did not belong to any of those that had captured her nor did she remember hearing such a voice at the village hospital.

Hesitantly she opened her eyes, blinking rapidly as they adjusted to the dim lighting before turning toward the speaker.

Red hair.

She hesitated when she saw this, for a moment thinking that Kushina-sensei was seated before her before remembering that this was a man before her. He had the same shade of rich red hair as Kushina-sensei that fell down to his shoulders.

His eyes were similar as well, a deep purple but one that held a soft warmth to them and a patience that didn't quite seem natural to the bubbly personality that was Uzumaki Kushina.

He was quite handsome she had to admit as she took in the rest of his appearance. He seemed to be around the same age as Minato-sensei with a lean, gentle face and fair skin.

He was dressed rather plainly, wearing nothing more than a simple pair of dark blue pants and a long sleeve white shirt.

"Ah, there we are." The man smiled as he looked at her properly, eyes squinting shut for a moment in a manner that was very Kushina-like before opening once more. "how are you feeling?"

Rin was silent for a moment, licking her lips hesitantly before swallowing nervously. "I-I'm fine."

The man winced almost comically as his eyes widened. "That bad huh?"

Rin almost frowned in confusion. Had there been something wrong with what she said?

"Is it the pillows? Are they too lumpy? Or maybe the blanket, it itches doesn't it?" The man fretted, seeming to look more and more frantic with every word that passed his lips. "That's it! I'll get you a new blanket! One that doesn't itch. But where to get blankets..."

Rin couldn't stop herself. A giggle burst out from her like a bubble popping at the sight of such a strong looking man behaving like a mother hen.

Her moment of humor had been noticed as the man faltered in his ever growing list of potential issues coupled with ever growing insane solutions. Really; who plans to invade the land of grass to steal their supply of cotton to make the perfect blanket?

"Please, calm down. There's nothing wrong with my pillows. Or blankets, they're quite warm thank you." Rin placated.

Thankfully for the sanity of the strange man, it seemed to work as he calmed down and sat back in his seat once more, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Ah, sorry about that. I've not had many guests in recent years." He apologised.

Rin nodded in understanding silently, taking a brief moment to look around and take in her surroundings.

It was a rather unremarkable room. Filled only with her bed, a bedside table and the man's chair. The sole window offered no view of the outside with its white curtains drawn shut as they were and the door leading out, a curious type of reddish-brown wood was closed shut.

"Perhaps I should explain to you the situation, help ease any concerns you have of what exactly is going on then?" The man offered, noticing her discomfort.

Rin once more remained silent. Not sure of what to say nor how to behave with this man. Was he an ally? An enemy?

"I found you on a battlefield near the border between the Lands of Fire and Water." The man began, speaking quietly as he hunched forward, arms resting on his knees. "There were a great deal of bodies there. All Shinobi of Kiri. It was a massacre. Most were dead and those who still lived were to far gone to save. All but you."

Rin frowned at this. She could remember the large force of Kiri Shinobi that had chased after her when she escaped and Kakashi trying to fend them off to get her to safety. But how had she been more realistic to save with a hole in her chest and ruptured heart than anyone else?

"You're injuries were severe I will confess. Fatal and beyond scope of recovery for most. But, you are not most it would seem."

This had Rin's eyes widen with fear as she paled. She shuffled back from the man, pushing into the pillows at her back as she tried to put some distance, any distance between the two.

The man didn't close the distance. He just held up a hand calmly. "It's alright. I have no intention of causing you any harm nor for that matter coercing you to do anything you don't wish to. Yes I am aware of the Biju that rests within you. In fact it is because of this detail that you are largely alive truthfully."

Rin blinked a few times as she processed this. She had heard talk of some of the villages having used weaponised Jinchuriki during the war, according to collected intelligence reports these Jinchuriki did seem to display minor examples of accelerated healing. But to this level? To be able to recover from an injury of such size and location, it was impossible.

"Of course I do mean it when I say that your Biju was largely responsible for your recovery, not entirely responsible." The man continued, heedless to her thought process. "I was forced to supply you with a blood transfusion to boost your natural healing rate. Combined with the aid provided by your tenant, you seem to be coming along nicely."

With this answer, Rin's mind finally clicked to the other, more pressing, matter.

"My seal!"

The red haired man blinked in confusion.

"T-the seal that Kiri put on me, the one that holds the Sanbi. I-It's not stable, it's not going to hold! I need to get out of here, please, if it fails while i'm here the Sanbi will get out, I can't let it kill anyone."

Instead of earning the appropriate response of panic or even fear at such an outcome, the man just waved a hand dismissively before smiling at her warmly. "First of all, thank you for such concern for others, it's quite refreshing to see such compassion, especially now in the midst of a war." His smile slipped at this and Rin felt her gut clench at seeing such an expression of heartache before it was smothered. "Thankfully however, it is just you and I here. There is not a single living soul within several miles of our current location."

"B-but what about you?"

His smile returned with full force. "No need to concern yourself with me. I am fairly confident I could take care of myself if the need arose." He eased back in his chair and shrugged dismissively as he continued. "However such a thing won't be necessary, while you were recovering I was able to examine your seal and restructure it. You are at no risk of unleashing the Sanbi unless by your own will."

Rin was astonished. Fuinjutsu on such a scale, to affect a seal while in use, and holding one of the Biju at that, it was unlike anything she had heard of or even believed possible. She doubted even Jiraiya-sama or Kushina-sensei could achieve such a feat. But even now, as she focused inward, on her chakra flow and where she could feel the seal to be located, it no longer felt as, fragile as before.

"S-so you saved me?"

The man nodded, smiling widely as if immensely pleased with himself. "I was fortunate enough to do so, yes."

"W-what about Kakashi-kun." Rin faltered, eyes wide with a mix of concern and hope. "The Konoha Shinobi with grey spiky hair. Is he here as well?"

The man shook his head. "I am afraid I was not able to collect your friend. You were bleeding out and barely clinging to life when I found you. Not only but Konoha Shinobi were closing in at the time so I was forced to act quickly."

Rin frowned suspiciously at this. "Why would that be a bad thing? Are you an enemy of Konoha?"

The man shrugged indifferently. "I am neither enemy nor ally. I simply had no desire to waste time explaining myself to them when you were slipping away."

Rin accepted this. There were plenty of third parties involved in the war that had no relationship toward Konoha one way or the other. "I understand. Thank you."

"For what?" The man blinked, seemingly not understanding at all the reason for the gratitude.

"For saving me."

This appeared to embarrass the red head as he blushed lightly, scratching at a cheek as he looked away. "It wasn't all that much really. I'm more just glad it wasn't a wasted effort."

The two sat in a comfortable silence for a moment. Rin taking the time to allow the relief she felt to wash over her. While the man simply sat there, patiently waiting on her.

She flinched in her bed when the man suddenly shot to his feet, an expression of shock on his face as he clicked his fingers, as if realising some great and terrible fact.

"Ah! I forgot. I don't know your name."

Rin just stared at the man at this, an almost deadpan expression on her face as she looked at the individual who continued to remind her of Kushina-sensei.

"I'm Rin. Nohara Rin."

"It's wonderful to meet you Rin. My name is Uzumaki Naruto."

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A/N

Alright sports fans. It has been quite a while since I last did….anything really. Apologies to those who were hoping I would pick up on Nihilistic Blade, but I have well and truly lost that to the ether. It has gone the way of the dodo.

This story has been in my head for the last week or so, with Infinity War coming close to its DVD release and with Shinobi Striker coming out soon.

I hope that you enjoy this as much as you did the previous story and give it time if it needs work.

This story is the combined work of myself Arhiman the Exile and Alakrux who helped develop story and plot idea as well as act as Beta Reader.

Don't forget to favorite, follow and review. Definitely review so I know if this is being well received.