Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bleach

Prologue:

Hitsugaya Toshiro, along with the rest of the captains of the Gotei 13, all stood in rows of two, their commander, Yamamoto-Genryousai Shigekuni, stood at the very end, his eyes closed yet he still exerted a presence that said he watched them all. He stood slightly hunched, leaning on a gnarled staff, yet Toshiro knew that at a moments notice, he would be able to spring into action.

He cleared his throat and spoke, the gruff voice weary with age yet still strong enough to demand respect. "I'm sure you're wondering why I have called all of you here today."

No one spoke, but Toshiro swore he heard Kurotsuchi whisper from next to, "I'll say. I had just begun dissecting--" Okay, he was sure he had heard it. But it had been so graphic and disgusting that he wished he hadn't.

When he was sure he had everyone's attention, Yamamoto continued, "We have just received word that an organization is making moves to capture the tailed-demons."

There were various cries of shock from more outgoing captains, while the more stoic ones showed barely any outward signs of shock. Although Toshiro didn't show it on the outside, he was in a state of panic himself on the inside.

He remembered that day quite well, roughly eleven years ago, when a human had sacrificed his soul in a ritual to summon shinigami to their world and rid it of a terrible demon.

When he arrived on the scene, he had almost puked up his lunch for more than one reason. The first had been the battle field, littered with dead bodies and stinking something fierce, but the second and most prominent reason was the thing he stood on. It was scaly yet moist, and it seemed to be flying through the air at great speeds.

The thing landed on the ground with a crash, Toshiro having barely managed to stay on it. Before he even had time to access the situation, his attention was grabbed by the sounds of vicious snarling.

The Kyuubi no Kitsune stood at one hundred feet tall, its multiple tails swinging violently behind it and its maw wide open, and its teeth stained red from the humans it ate alive. Its blood red eyes glinted malevolently and the killing intent was so thick in the air it was almost suffocating.

Toshiro narrowed his eyes at it and thought back to what he knew about demons from the academy. They were so rare that he had never actually fought a real one himself, and the first one he did find just happened to be the king of demons.

Demons were vastly different from hollows because they couldn't be purified by a zanpakutou. There were rumors of shinigami who could do such things, but since he couldn't, the only way was to seal it inside of something. And the only reason someone would summon a shinigami willingly was…

A flash of color to his left caught his attention, and it was then that he realized that he wasn't alone on the giant thing. Another man stood there as well, his clothes like flames flapping in the wind.

He turned toward Toshiro and his blue eyes widened in shock. Toshiro returned the stare, wondering if that was the man who had summoned him. He would have asked, but the sounds of destruction and snarling was much to deafining. The blond-haired man was eyeing him critically, taking in his black-clothed appearance before his eyes drifted down to something he held in his arms.

Toshiro followed his gaze and his eyes landed on a small child who was sleeping peacefully despite all the chaos around them. The child was bundled in a blue clothe, and when the man moved it from the baby's belly, an inked seal was revealed having already been drawn on the smooth flesh.

Their eyes locked again, and Toshiro already knew what the man wanted him to do. He would have to use a technique that would forcibly remove the Kyuubi's soul, and place it into another host. But, to perform the technique, he would need a willing human soul to do so. It wasn't too bad, if you knew of the afterlife. The only serious drawback was that it would suck out all of the sacrifice's reiatsu, condemning them to the life of a normal soul in Rukongai.

The ultimate kidou spell. Number 100: Kushibyou (Black Death).

It would leave him drained and bedridden for months afterwards, but it was the only way to stop the Kyuubi from killing anymore innocents.

He was broken from his musings when Yamamoto had apparently settled everyone down and began to speak again. "Right now, we do not who these people are or what they plan to do with the tailed demons once they are caught. But one thing we do know is who they will target."

The old commander paused, letting the implications of his word sink in. He nodded, pleased when looks of understanding began to blossom on everyone's face.

"As I'm sure you've all realized by now, since we already know who they will target, all we have to do is make sure the jinchuuriki are all thoroughly protected."

It was the thirteenth captain, Ukitake Jushiro, who spoke. "So who will go to the human world?"

Yamamoto looked pensive. "It would be rather foolish to send nine captains to protect all nine demons since it would leave Soul Society severely under protected… So, I've decided that we will only protect the last and most powerful demon: the Kyuubi no Kitsune."

Chatter was beginning to rise up again but it was quickly silenced when Yamamoto thumped his staff on the ground. "Silence!" he roared. "By protecting the last and most powerful tailed-demon, we can be sure that they will come after it last." He looked at each captain, as if daring them to interrupt. "Therefore, we will be able to watch them as they move, tell who there members are and what they plan to do."

This time is was the eighth division captain, Kyoraku Shunsui, who drawled somewhat lazily, "So how will we protect the Kyuubi?"

Yamamoto seemed to smile, judging by the way his mustached twitched upward. "Since most humans can't be harmed by shinigami, and gigai limit our strength drastically, we have been working on something new that gives us an advantage." He chuckled. "Kurotsuchi-taichou? If you will?"

The captain of the twelfth division sighed, his paint covered face contorting into a frown. He raised a hand and waved it flippantly. "Down in the living world, humans have learned the key to using chakra, the living equivalent of reiatsu. They have -- amazingly enough, the vile things -- managed to harness that energy the same way we do.

"We managed to tort-- I mean study a human that used this 'chakra' and have learned of a way to incorporate the same abilities into a gigai. We call it… Ninja Gigai."

All of the captains looked intrigued. Even Toshiro couldn't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow and think, 'He finally invented something useful for once.'

Kurotsuchi shrugged. "Because I have been, uh, preoccupied with other things, I have only created one."

Yamamoto nodded, apparently having already known all of this. "And that is why I proclaimed that we will only protect the Kyuubi." When the other captains nodded, he continued. "I have contacted an… old friend in the human world, and he has been gracious enough to provide us with a position to protect the Kyuubi's container.

"The mission will be to assume the role as the Kyuubi's sensei, accompanying him outside of the village, allowing you to always be near him. Now, who will be the one to accept?"

No one moved, some captains exchanging glances with each other warily. Finally, Ukitake-taichou exclaimed, "I nominate Shiro-chan -- I mean, Toshiro-taichou."

His alcoholic best, Kyoraku-taichou, seconded it.

Toshiro wanted to glare and tell them to all go to hell, but that would be entirely rude. Besides, he was kind of interested in the small baby he had condemned all those years ago. So with his chin raised, Toshiro said, "Fine. I accept."

The commander of the 13 squads looked vaguely amused. "Does anyone object?" When no one did he said finally, "Well then, Hitsugaya Toshiro, we'll leave everything up to you. Toshiro and Kurotsuchi, stay, everyone else, dismissed."

As everyone filed out of the chamber and Kurotsuchi practically leered at him, Toshiro couldn't help but feel that'd he'd made a big mistake.

Standing in front of a portal to human world, already inside the Ninja Gigai -- which wore the same clothes all shinigami wore with his sword trapped to his back -- Toshiro looked at Kurotsuchi who stood beside him with almost pleading ice-blue eyes. "W-wait! Isn't this a little soon?! I didn't even get a chance to say goodbye!"

Kurotsuchi sneered. "That's the point. We can't have it spreading through all of Soul Society that the captain of the tenth division is heading to human world for an undisclosed amount of time."

"Uh, but -- I don't even know how to work this thing!" he cried, motioning to the Ninja Gigai he was in.

Sighing as if Toshiro was the most aggravating person in the world, Kurotsuchi explained. "It's elementary, really! The Ninja Gigai is unlike a regular gigai in the fact that it allows you full use of all of your spiritual powers, only it will be converted to chakra.

"With a normal gigai, your powers would be sealed, and you have to not only get out of the gigai to fight, but break the seal holding your powers back as well.

"Also, the Ninja Gigai has a built in brain that will allow you to know all of the ninja techniques as if you have been training with them your entire life, while you still keep all of you normal knowledge. Not only that, but it is able to withstand the damaging effects of unleashing shikai and bankai. Any questions?"

"Uh…"

"Good." And with that, Kurotsuchi pushed the small captain through the portal and into human world, cackling madly as he did so.

Landing in human world was a very unpleasant feeling while in the Ninja Gigai. It was as if he was being taken apart bit by bit and then put back together again when he arrived.

When it didn't feel like the world was spinning, he looked around the area in which he stood and frowned when he realized that he was inside of a room.

Someone behind him coughed and he twirled around quickly.

Toshiro stood in front of a wrinkled old man who had a smoking pipe dangling from their lips. The old man had his hands folded together, his chin propped on them as he regarded him with an analytical eye.

"So," the old man began, puffing on his pipe briefly, "are you the shinigami sent hear to protect the Kyuubi?"

Toshiro started, curious as to how the man knew who he was. He remembered Yamamoto having saying that his "old friend" would help. Could this man be that friend? They did indeed look the same age: Ancient.

Besides, he already knew who he was and why he was there. There would be no point in trying to deny it. Nodding, he said simply, "Yes."

The old man nodded, as if he knew the answer all along. "My name is Sarutobi."

"Hitsugaya Toshiro."

"Well, Toshi-kun -- may I call you, Toshi-kun? -- do you know why you are here?"

"Uh, where's 'here'?"

An amused look on his face, Sarutobi replied, "This is the village hidden in the leaves. The home to none other than the nine-tailed demon's container, Uzumaki Naruto."

He nodded. "I am here to protect Uzumaki Naruto from a group that wants to capture the tailed-demon inside of him."

The old man chuckled, his eyes seeming to twinkle. "Do you know how you will be protecting young Naruto?"

"Yes," Toshiro said slowly, "I will take on the position as his teacher."

By now the mans eyes were twinkling so much, that he looked like Rangiku after discovering where he hid the liquor.

"Is there something I don't know?" he asked finally, not liking the look in the old man's eyes.

Before the old man could respond, however, a tanned man with a scar across his nose burst in, his eyes wide and panting slightly. "Hokage-sama!"

The old man stood up, his entire demeaning seeming to change from pleasant old devil, to series village leader. "Yes? What is it, Iruka?"

"N-Naruto!" Iruka gasped. "He--he stole the Scroll of Seals!"

With a curse, the old man sat back down in his seat and began looking through a crystal ball. Toshiro watched on, not entirely sure what was going on.

He turned toward the scarred man and asked, "What's the Scroll of Seals?"

Said man looked at him, curious as of his presence, but he explained, "The Scroll of Seals is a scroll filled with the villages most powerful techniques! All of those techniques being forbidden."

Toshiro crossed his arms and frowned. Did that mean that Naruto stole the scroll for power? He didn't know if he could protect such a person.

"Iruka!" The old man said, getting both of their attention. "No, no… Toshiro," he amended, turning toward him. Toshiro's eyes narrowed slightly. It looked like the old man was… smiling pleasantly. "Naruto is in the forests to the west of here. Will you go retrieve him and the scroll, please?"

Iruka began to sputter. "But, but -- Hokage-sama!"

Sarutobi held up a hand and the man instantly quieted. His eyes were locked on Toshiro's and that damn twinkling was back.

With a stiff nod of conformation, he gathered his reiatsu in his feet and used shunpo to head west.

Back in the Hokage's office, Iruka was left gaping at the spot the newcomer had once been. He had just disappeared! Without even a puff of smoke!

"Hokage-sama… who was that child?"

The old man didn't respond. He just continued to watch his crystal ball, the smirk he had been trying to suppress blossoming full force.

Toshiro landed on a tree branch west of the village in a crouch. He kneeled there, searching through the thick foliage for some sign of Naruto. Apparently, to the west of the village was forest. Hell, in every direction it was forest. The village was enclosed in it.

It was night outside and the thick canopy above blocked out the moon and any light it would provide, casting the area in which he stood in almost complete darkness.

Now that he was out of the village, he could feel a spiritual signature that was different from all the other humans had felt. It still felt like there, only different. It was decidedly more malignant and dark… like a certain fox he had once encountered. But it was muffled, as if something was suppressing it, like a seal… Another smaller spiritual signature was currently heading toward it.

With another shunpo, he headed toward the demonic reiatsu.

Uzumaki Naruto lay down on the ground with a sigh, a sense of accomplishment slowly building within him.

He had gotten that scroll no problem. All he had to do was sneak into the vault and take it. It was barely guarded at all! The only real problem he had faced was when a patrolling guard had checked in and spotted him. Luckily, they were male, and a quick Orioke no Jutsu had them sailing away with twin streams of blood spurting from their nose.

When he had arrived at the clearing with the old hut, he had set about learning a technique from the scroll. The very first skill in the scroll had been Kage Bunshin, and clones just happened to be his worst skill. He had been about to skip it when an idea had come to him. What if he could not only learn a skill from the scroll, but a clone technique as well!

He had set about learning the skill and it had been surprisingly easy. In no time at all, he had managed to create a clone. They had looked at each other in shock, creator and clone, before they finally screamed in triumph and belly bumped. Unfortunately, the shock was too much for the clone, causing it to disperse, and Naruto to fall flat on his face.

But he still deemed it a success.

So there he laid, letting the feeling slowly warm his body and soothe away any aches he had gotten from his training.

He sat up and was about to start learning another technique when a familiar voice stopped him.

"Naruto!"

He looked up, and there stood his white-haired teacher, Mizuki-sensei.

"Oh!" Naruto cried, jumping to his feet and dusting himself off. "Mizuki-sensei! Hey, hey! I learned a technique! Does this mean I pass?" By the end of his rambling, he was bouncing on the heels of his feet in excitement.

Mizuki held out a hand, a grin on his face. "Give me the scroll and you pass!"

Shrugging, Naruto picked up the scroll and was about to hand it over when there was a flash and in front of him stood another white-haired boy wearing some weird robe-like clothing.

Wait a minute… white hair? Did that mean he was…?

"Oh my God!" Naruto cried, pointing between Mizuki and the newcomer, "Mizuki! I didn't know you had a son!"

They both turned toward him and snarled, "Idiot!"

"Naruto," the white-haired boy said, walking toward him. "Give me the scroll and let's go back to Konoha."

Naruto hugged the scroll to his chest and turned away, shielding it with his body. "No way! I'm going to give this to Mizuki-sensei, and then I'm going to become a genin!"

"That's right!" Mizuki said, still perched on the tree. "Give me the scroll, Naruto!"

The white-haired boy groaned in annoyance and turned to Mizuki. "Hey, you! Shut up! The Hokage himself told me to get that scroll and return it."

"Old man?" Naruto asked. He looked hesitantly at the scroll in his hands before they suddenly snapped back to the newcomer and narrowed. "Wait a minute! Why would that old fart send a little kid like you?"

"Little kid?" the 'kid' repeated, his eyebrow twitching.

Mizuki sighed in frustration. "Screw this! This is taking too long!" He grabbed the large shuriken from his back and began twirling it dangerously. "Give me the scroll, now, Naruto, or prepare to die!"

"W-what?!" Naruto choked, backing up slightly, the scroll clutched tightly in his grip.

"I get it," the white-haired kid said, his arms crossed and glaring daggers at Mizuki. "You tricked him into stealing the scroll for you!"

"Correct," Mizuki laughed. "Your prize? A painless death!" He threw the shuriken at the boy, the spinning blades making a whizzing sound as it sliced through the air.

"Look out!" Naruto cried when the boy didn't move.

The boy gripped the sword handle that was strapped to his back, and with a motion that was too quick to follow, the shuriken was cleanly sliced in two, the two pieces going in different directions and colliding with trees.

"Naruto," the white-haired boy called, breaking him out of his stupor. "Take the scroll and run! This is about to get ugly!"

"As if I'd let you!" Mizuki cried, jumping into the air and pulling kunai out of the pouch on his thigh. He launched the projectiles toward them and began making hand seals. "Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" The shuriken that had once been ten multiplied into fifty and sailed toward them.

Toshiro cursed and jumped in front of Naruto. Without even making hand seals he cried, "Suiton: Suijinheki!" He opened his mouth and a torrent of water surged forth and encased them both in a sphere. The projectiles struck the water, but instead of piercing through it, they were trapped inside.

He released the technique and the water and projectiles both fell harmlessly to the ground.

Mizuki landed on the ground with a crouch, and was glaring at him in utter hatred. He was panting slightly, his last technique having used a noticeable amount of chakra.

"Run!" Toshiro repeated to Naruto.

"No."

"Wh-what?"

"I said, no!" Naruto repeated, stepping forward determinedly. "I'm going to stay and fight!"

Toshiro looked at Naruto out of the corner, noticing the large amount of energy that the boy was gathering. It swirled around him in blue wisps, even the grass he stood on beginning to sway in the wind he created.

He formed a single hand seal. "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Smoke blanketed the area and there were popping sounds. When the smoke cleared, both Toshiro's and Mizuki's eyes widened dramatically at what was before them. Standing around them was at least one-hundred Naruto's. Some were on the ground, grinning devilishly, while the rest stood in tree tops, striking menacing poses. The forest had went from dark and desolate to covered in orange madness.

"W-wait!" Mizuki cried, his eyes wild as he looked at all the Naruto's. "If you don't do this… I'll tell you! I'll tell you why everyone in the village hates you!"

Naruto hesitated, all the clones looking at each other and shrugging. The real Naruto, Toshiro guessed, said loudly, "I'm listening!"

Mizuki smirked. "Twelve years ago… you know about the demon fox being sealed?"

"Of course!" Naruto cried, looking as if he was ready to launch at Mizuki any second. "Everyone knows!"

"Ah," Mizuki said, standing straight and waving his index finger mockingly. "But, you don't know everything."

"Eh?" All the Naruto's cried, looking at each other in confusion.

"There was one thing that no one was ever allowed to tell you, and only you."

All the clones spoke separately.

"What?"

"Not me?"

"Why not?"

Mizuki began to chuckle darkly. "They were never allowed to tell you… that you were the demon fox!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" a single Naruto asked, shocked.

Toshiro, having remained idle long enough, stepped forward and growled. "Shut up! You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"It means," Mizuki continued, ignoring Toshiro completely and looking at who he assumed to be the real Naruto, "you are the nine-tailed demon! The same demon that destroyed this village and killed the fourth Hokage!"

"Stop lying, damn it!" Toshiro roared.

"All this time! You've been lied to by everyone all this time! Didn't you find it odd how everyone hated you? Despised your very existent? Why they call you monster, or demon!"

All the clones that had littered the clearing all vanished in a puff of smoke. Toshiro turned toward Naruto, whose eyes were wide and he was on his hands and knees, tears gathering in his blue orbs.

"No one will ever accept you!" Mizuki cried, taking the time while everyone was distracted to take the remaining large shuriken strapped to his back and launch it at a frozen Naruto.

It wasn't until Toshiro heard the sound of metal slicing through air that he looked at Mizuki. The projectile was already flying through the air, and without a second thought he used shunpo to try and push the boy out of the way.

He succeeded.

But the shuriken ended up embedding itself in his back, luckily missing his spine or important organs. If he had been a regular human, he was sure the blow would have killed him.

He kneeled on his knees in front of the shocked boy, blood dripping from his mouth.

"Why…?" Naruto choked out, his eyes wide with horror and confusion.

Toshiro coughed, blood splattering on the grass. He remembered when he had first saw Naruto as a little baby, the Kyuubi nothing but a pile of ashes, and Naruto, seal glowing red, crying his baby blue eyes out.

He remembered leaning down and picking the small baby up, and that the crying had ceased. Those blue eyes had looked up at him, and he had been surprised. Beyond surprised really, for no one should have been able to see him, let alone a small baby.

Knowing that the small child would be hated, he had looked at him with pity. They would think of him as nothing but a monster. But he wasn't. And he said so.

"B-because… I know. I know that… that you're not a monster." He shook his head sadly. It was partially his fault. He had been the one who sealed the monster inside of him after all. "I wish… I wish I could have done something else… So you wouldn't have to feel like this."

Naruto was looking at him in confusion. No doubt, having no idea what he was talking about. But he needed to get it off his chest. It had been eating him from the inside out. Whenever he was congratulated on his defeat of the Kyuubi, he had always thought of that little baby who was no doubt suffering for his success.

The blond-haired boy suddenly scrambled to his feet and took off into the forest, the scroll clutched to him tightly. Toshiro watched him go, not trying to stop him.

Mizuki chuckled behind him. "Sorry, but now that Naruto knows the truth, he will use that scroll to take revenge on the village. You saw his eyes earlier… Those were the eyes of a demon."

Toshiro pulled the large shuriken out of his back with a grunt and threw it somewhere in the foliage around him. Panting, he replied, "I don't think so."

"Well," Mizuki shrugged, "it doesn't really matter. I'll just kill Naruto and take the scroll anyway."

Standing slowly, Toshiro turned toward Mizuki and picked up his sword from where he dropped it. "Sorry," he said, leveling the chuunin with his fiercest glare. "But I can't allow you to do that." He shifted into a sword stand, his sword pointed downward left and his feet spread. "I was going to let you off easy… But then you had to go in piss me off."

"Hah! What do you plan to do?" Mizuki sneered. "Bleed over me?"

"No," Toshiro said simply. "Something much worse." His sword began to glow a pale ice blue and the wind took on a distinctive chill. "Reign over the frozen heavens… Hyourinmaru!"

Sarutobi and Iruka were still in the Hokage's office; both of them looking through the crystal ball and watching the scene unfold before them.

Iruka had been impressed and amazed when Naruto had covered the entire field in clones, and a feeling like pride had risen within him.

It had plummeted, however, when Mizuki told Naruto the village secret. Or at least, his version of it. "Mizuki! That bastard!"

He watched Naruto's reaction, and felt his own heart clench. He wished he could be there, so he could deliver a heart-felt speech and have a heart to heart with the boy.

When Naruto ran away from the Toshiro, he had seen enough. "Hokage-sama! This is too much! For me and for those two kids! I'm going after Naruto!"

"Wait, Iruka!" said Sarutobi, his eyes still on Toshiro and his glowing sword. "Everything is better this way. Trust me. Besides, you're about to miss the show."

Angry, yet curious despite himself, Iruka looked back into the glowing crystal ball and his eyes widened in amazement.

Naruto only ran a few feet away from the clearing when he realized that he had abandoned the white-haired kid. He had even risked his life to save him, and how did Naruto repay him? By running away to drown in his own angst.

With the scroll clutched tightly in his arms, he headed back towards the clearing, minutely noting that the air felt a lot heavier and colder.

He jumped into a nearby tree and peaked around it, noticing that they were still there. He could barely make out the words that they spoke.

"Reign over the frozen heavens… Hyourinmaru!"

A blue wisp of smoke began to curl around the white-haired boy's sword, starting at the hilt and growing larger and larger as it headed toward the tip. When it broke off the tip, a red eye could be seen forming as it began to wrap around Toshiro's body and take shape. Soon a jaw could be seen, and then a head, until a dragon entirely made of ice was coiled around the boy like a snake.

Naruto looked on, his eyes wide in shock as he watched the event unfold in front of him.

Mizuki scoffed, looking around with an air of boredom. "What's this? A genjutsu?" He shook his head mockingly. "I don't even see why you bother. There's no way that the Kyuubi wouldn't try to use the power for himself."

"You're right," Toshiro said lowly, yet loud enough that even Naruto could hear it. The words pierced through his heart like an arrow, and he hugged the scroll to himself like it was a lifeline. Even someone he didn't know was admitting it…

"The demon fox would do that. But Naruto wouldn't because he isn't the demon fox." Toshiro shrugged. "I don't know him personally, but he looks lazy, stupid, and clumsy. I'm also sure that everyone hates him, and he knows better than anyone what true heartfelt pain is. He isn't the demon fox, and he never was. He is a member of the hidden leaf village. Hell, he's its hero! He's Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto didn't know when he started crying. But the tears were falling freely down his face as he watched the two men stand off in the clearing.

Mizuki made a face of disgust. "Whatever. I said that I would kill you last, but I changed my mind."

Sighing, the white-haired boy -- the first person to ever acknowledge him -- said, "Tch. I tire of your yapping." With that, he thrust his sword forward, and the ice dragon that had previously been swaying idly surged forward at great speeds.

Mizuki managed to jump out of the way in time, but it caught his leg, encasing it in a block of ice instantly. The dragon maneuvered through the trees with expert precision, zigging and zagging without touching anything. Before Mizuki could even scream, it doubled back around and crashed into him, creating a large pillar of ice and covering the clearing in a thick mist. When the mist cleared, Mizuki was trapped inside a block of ice, his mouth open in eternal horror.

Toshiro released a sigh and the dragon dissolved into water. He placed his sword back into its sheath with deliberate slowness and looked over his shoulder. "Naruto, I know you're there."

Naruto hastily wiped his eyes and jumped from the tree in which he perched, getting his first good look at the ice sculpture Mizuki. "I think you went a little too far."

Shrugging, Toshiro looked at Mizuki with apathy. "Come on; let's go back to the Hokage's office."

"What about your wound?" Naruto asked, looking at his red-stained shinigami garb.

"Ah… it's just a flesh wound."

"Oh, okay."

Naruto, Toshiro, and Iruka all sat in the Hokage's office. The Hokage himself sat behind his desk, puffing on his pipe.

"The ANBU found Mizuki," Sarutobi said finally. "He will probably be dead by the time we can unthaw him, meaning we won't be able to interrogate him." He tried to glare at Toshiro, but it soon fell when he realized it had no effect.

He sighed and finally turned his attention to Naruto. "Naruto--"

"Why didn't you ever tell me?" Naruto demanded.

Sarutobi sighed and puffed on his pipe, trying to buy himself some time. "I was going to--"

"But you didn't!" Naruto interrupted rudely, once again.

"Naruto!" Iruka admonished. "The reason you weren't told was because you weren't ready!"

"I wasn't ready?" he repeated quietly. "I wasn't ready?!" He jumped out of his seat and smashed his balled fist against Sarutobi's desk, sending his paperwork scattering everywhere. Sarutobi watched as it fell to the flour mournfully.

Iruka tried to calm the boy down, but Naruto forged on. "I spent all of my like wondering! Always wondering! Wondering why everyone hated me! Wondering why all the adults wouldn't let me have friends! And you tell me I wasn't ready?!"

"Naruto," Toshiro said quietly, yet forcibly.

Amazingly enough, the boy took one look at the white-haired boy before returning to his seat, his arms crossed and his lips pouted.

Sarutobi sighed. "You're right, Naruto. I'm sorry."

Everyone looked at the old man in stunned silence.

"I should have told you, but instead--" His voice choked slightly.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto said, panicking and feeling guilty for making the old man feel bad. "I… I think you're right. I don't know how I would have reacted if you had told me. I-- I'm sorry."

Once more, everyone sat around in stunned silence.

"Ah, Naruto?" Iruka called, hoping to break the tension. "I… I have something for you." He pulled out a brand new leaf forehead protector and handed it to the gob smacked Naruto.

"You mean… I can become a genin?" Naruto asked, his hands hovering over the proof that he was an official leaf genin.

Iruka smiled. "Yes, Naruto, you can become a genin."

Naruto took it slowly, holding it in his hands as if it was the most precious thing in the world. He took off his goggles and placed them on Sarutobi's desk, before tying the headband around his head and grinning wildly.

He jumped out of his seat and whooped loudly.

Sarutobi allowed it, watching the boy with a fond smile while Toshiro looked like he wanted to bop the blonde on the head.

When Naruto finally calmed down, Sarutobi said, "It's late and I think you should be heading home, Naruto. Today was a rather eventful day, and I'm sure that by now you're tired." As if to prove his point, Naruto looked as if he would protest then yawned widely. "You have a busy day ahead of you, so you should get a good nights rest."

He perked up at the mention of the team assignments the next day and it wasn't until he was snug in his bed, sleep claiming him that he realized he didn't get the white-haired boy's name.

Back at the Hokage's office, now only Sarutobi, Iruka, and Toshiro remained.

"Okay, Hokage-sama. Who is this child?"

Toshiro twitched. "I'm not a child."

Sarutobi chuckled. "Indeed, Iruka, he isn't a child. Though he may look young, he is very wise and powerful."

Iruka looked dubious.

"You saw it yourself, didn't you, Iruka? He is very powerful."

Nodding somewhat reluctantly, Iruka said, "Okay. So he's powerful. By why is he here?" Iruka knew he was pushing it, demanding answers from the Hokage in matters that were probably none of his business. But the boy seemed to be involved with Naruto, and Naruto's wellbeing was his business.

"Although I can't say much," Sarutobi began, puffing on his pipe, "I can tell you that he will be Naruto's jounin instructor."

"Eh?! A jounin instructor? But he's just a--" A well timed glare made him stop in his tracks. "But… uh, what happened to Kakashi-sensei?"

"I asked Kakashi if he would be willing to give his sensei position to another, and he readily agreed--" Because he'd have more free time to read porn, no doubt, Iruka thought viciously. "--However, in exchange for not having a genin team, he will have to personally train Uchiha Sasuke whenever Toshiro asks."

"Toshiro?" he asked, looking at the white-haired genin sensei.

Toshiro merely raised an eyebrow.

"But… he's not even a Konoha ninja!" Iruka cried, grasping at straws.

"You're right!" Sarutobi agreed. Iruka sighed, thinking he had won, when Sarutobi reached into his desk and pulled out another forehead protector. He handed it to Toshiro and said simply, "I hereby appoint you the official position as a Konoha jounin."

Toshiro took the head band and ran his finger over the inscribed leaf symbol.

By now, Iruka was a spluttering mess, and with a sigh, Sarutobi said, "Iruka, if that is all, I would like to talk to Toshiro-sensei alone."

Though still looking lost, Iruka bowed and finally left, leaving the two alone.

"What was that about?" asked Toshiro, when he was sure the scarred man had finally left.

Sarutobi chuckled. "Iruka is just concerned about Naruto is all."

A somewhat awkward silence descended upon them, and Sarutobi coughed lightly. "So, you do know that you will be overseeing a three-man cell, correct?"

Now it was Toshiro's turn to sputter. And he did just that. "T-three? I thought it would just be Naruto!"

Amused, Sarutobi blew out a puff of smoke. It took all of his willpower not to laugh at finally catching the other man off guard. Instead, he shook his head negative. "All jounin sensei are required to take on three students, to build teamwork skills and build bonds."

Glaring, Toshiro muttered, "So who are the other two brats?"

This time, Sarutobi did laugh. It was just so amusing to see a boy who looked no older than fifteen calling kids who were twelve and thirteen brats. He coughed and got himself under control when said boy glared.

"The other two are rookie of the year, Uchiha Sasuke, and the top female student, Haruno Sakura." He handed him a folder off of his desk. "This folder contains info on all three students you will be teaching. I suggest you study it thoroughly before meeting them tomorrow."

Toshiro flipped through the contents, noting that Naruto was apparently the dead-last of the academy. He sighed and shook his head. He would have to train him hard if he wanted him to be able to protect himself if he was never around.

When Sarutobi thought he had flipped through the folder, he said, "Well, I think that is all. You are to arrive at the Konoha Ninja Academy at 9:00 AM." He handed him another folder, this once decidedly more thick than the last. "There's a map of the town included in the folder if you need it. There's also a map of the great shinobi nations and a book of all the most dangerous shinobi alive today. Outside the door, there's a chuunin who will show you to your living quarters. There you will find supplies, equipment, and funds should you need them." Done with his long speech, he smiled as if he did things like that everyday.

With a raised eyebrow, Toshiro looked through the new folder, and indeed, all of those things were included. He nodded once and stood. He walked toward the door and stopped with his hand hovering over the door handle when Sarutobi spoke.

"Good luck."

Toshiro didn't know if he meant for his mission to destroy the group after the tailed-demons or surviving being surrounded by kids. Either way, he knew he'd need it.