Phantom of the Underworld - Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Highschool DxD or any other anime I use in this story.

Arc II- The White Empress

Chapter 12- Blood and Bone Marrow

Flashback (7 years ago).

Uzumaki hideout

"So, let me get this straight. A taking toad came to you while you were training, talking about his mysterious master and seemingly offering you a job in exchange for information on the shady individuals from 'that' night." Kurama asked incredulously, as he got up from the couch he had previously been sitting at.

Naruto gave him a flat stare, "this coming from a talking fox." As headed for a specific room within the hideout, with the orange fox following closely behind.

Truth be told, he wasn't entirely sure how he'd felt about Kurama's new transformation. He may not have summoned him for a little while, since before his and Rias's assassination attempt, but in that time Kurama had drastically changed.

The small orange fox he had once been had not only grown in size, but he had also sprouted two more tails behind his back and adopted some black tribal-like markings around his eyes.

"So do you plan to do it?" The fox asked, breaking the silence once again.

"Of course I do." Naruto answered back, as he finally reached the door to the room which he sought out for.

Thoughts of what had happened that night swirling across his mind. He needed answers, answers that this toad's 'master' seemingly had. The torn piece of cloth proved that.

Sure, the cloth could just mean something as insignificant 'that' man's style of fashion, but he doubted it.

No! Something within his mind told him that this was important.

And he would see it thought to the end.

He opened the door, revealing what was inside.

The fox next to him grinned, he had been getting a little bored lately.

Inside was a large room filled with both shelves and crates. Each holding and containing scrolls filled with both kunai and jars of ink, along with a multitude of other items. This was the hideout's main armory, and it was filled with enough weapons and items to supply a small army. All thanks to his clan's specialty, sealing.

But that wasn't the only thing that stuck out, because, all along the walls, were a multitude of porcelain masks, each with their own unique designs.

Naruto walked over towards a particular shelf and after reading the label, he quickly unsealed the contents hidden inside.

A cloak.

It was specifically a blue cloak, not exactly his style, but it would have to do for now. He would have time to make alterations later on.

"Is that really necessary?" The fox asked.

"You know it is," Naruto responded, as he pulled over the cloak. He then reached for a pair of red and black bracers with seal's inscribed on them.

"To the rest of the world, Naruto Uzumaki is dead, it's best to keep it that way." He told the fox.

That's how it was.

There wasn't anyone he could go to, he couldn't risk anyone else. That's why he'd chosen to go here. Because if he'd dared gone to Rias's family or anyone else for that matter, 'he' would find him. And just like before, that man would come for him, and kill anyone who'd get in his way.

And he couldn't do that to Rias.

He couldn't get her killed too.

So, Naruto Uzumaki would stay dead.

So for now, he'd continue to gain the strength to kill 'that' man.

He'd been careful, on the few occasions he'd gone out he'd worn a disguise of some kind, usually a henge or a small seal designed to change your appearance.

Even now, he'd still worn the seal, changing his once blond hair to a midnight black. And had he'd activated his sharingan he might've passed off as an Uchiha.

But somehow, he'd been found out, but that toad's master. Just who else knew he was alive?

That man? No, had 'he' known he was alive he'd be dead already. The defenses within the building were to a similar standard as his former home. And only a person with a magic keyed to the system could get within the building. And as far as he'd known, he was the last one alive who was.

But still… that hadn't stopped 'that' man from getting in.

Nothing did.

But he'd fix that, he'd get stronger, get smarter and get better.

That's why he'd accepted this mission,

Because he refused… refused to be weak once again.

He'd find 'that' man.

And he'd find this mysterious 'master' the toad talked about too.

He'd retrieved a few scrolls of kunai and refilled his various pouches.

Now all he need was a mask. The change in hair color would only conceal so much. He needed something better.

Because like his ancestors before him… he needed anonymity.

He surveyed the masks in front of him; A Dragon, A Rabbit, A Beast, a Raven, a Monkey, A Cat, A Deer, A Tanuki, A Slug, A Dog, A Owl, A Shark, A…

He tentatively reached out for the mask of his choosing, a mask that made the Fox next to him grin.

XXX

(Orochimaru's west base)

A figure could be seen atop a mountain, he wore a porcelain mask that was reminiscent of a fox with three eyes across his face. His blue cloak billowed out in the wind, and his hair was a midnight black.

There it was, right where the toad's master had said, whoever they were at least well-informed.

Still, this could be a ploy, some elaborate trap to get him killed, perhaps this was all setup but that masked man. However, that was unlikely, why would the masked man setup all this instead of just coming for him himself? At the moment, he knew he wasn't strong enough to defeat.

He turned his head, and in his peripheral vision he caught a glimpse of his fox-like companion.

Kurama, he'd be the best way to go about this mission. They'd found out early into their training that he had the peculiar ability to blend in almost perfectly into the shadows. This gave him the ability to sneak into practically everywhere and go unnoticed.

He still didn't know exactly why this new ability had manifested shorty after he'd gained his extra tails. Perhaps it was because of his resemblance to a kitsune? Kitsune were often regarded for their skill for illusions. Would his familiar gain even more abilities over time? And could the same be said for his number of tails?

"Go." Naruto spoke to the fox, as the fox slipped into the shadows.

As far as hidden bases went, this hideout was pretty secure.

The hidden base was embedded within the mountain they were currently standing on, with the only entrance into the building being a small cave hidden by an overgrowth of various foliage

He brought up a hand towards his right eye, and a red magic circle appeared right in front of it. This connected his vision with that of his familiar, allowing him to see what the fox saw.

He then activated his Sharingan.

Kurama's power to blend into the shadows combined with their connection as master and familiar led to quite the useful scouting ability. Combine that with his Sharingan's ability to commit everything he saw to memory with perfect clarity, they would be able to get the information they needed with little difficulty.

As of now, he was seeing the entrance to the base as if he were standing before it with his very eyes.

But that was as far as their information went, the only reliable source of information they had. The rest of the information they had was only speculation. Perhaps they had used the layout of other bases as a reference?

We're there even other bases?

The information they had received hadn't even been forthcoming of the exact purpose of the base, nor their actual owner.

Nevertheless, he'd been tasked with scouting out the base. To conjure up an actual layout for the base to give that toad's mysterious master. After that, he didn't care what's happen.

He'd get information on that man. And that would be enough.

It was simple. It was easy.

Oh… how little he knew.

XXX

(Inside the base)

Weaving through the shadows was easy for Kurama. He'd passed through a number of room, and yet he hadn't met a single soul.

'Man, this is boring' Kurama mentally sighed, using his connection.

He'd been exploring the base and so far they'd found nothing.

'It doesn't matter how boring it is, the faster we get this done the better' Naruto said through their connection.

' I know… but you'd expect there to be at least something in this dump. So far, we've only found empty rooms and dead ends in this maze of hallways. I mean, all I'm supposed to do is try and explore this place, so you can create a layout for this place. Isn't there a map anywhere?' Kurama complained.

'I doubt there'd be a map directing you on where to go just plastered up on the wall.' Naruto told him.

'I know that,' Kurama argued. ' I just thought there'd be something in this place. What even is this place?' He asked. 'Is this some sort of Mad scientist's lab? Should I be expecting Frankenstein as I walk around this corner?'

'I…' Naruto paused, 'I don't know,' he told him.

'I figured as much,' the fox sighed. 'Should I be looking for anything in particular?' He asked.

'We were only asked to find out information on this place, nothing more, nothing less,' Naruto instructed. 'Oh, and… be careful, we don't know what's exactly in this place.'

'Yeah, yeah… this shouldn't take too long. So I should be out soon enough.' Kurama told him.

XXX

(Some time later)

'Well, this is interesting.' Kurama was outside a large metal door. Abruptly, the door opened, and out stepped two unassuming lackeys. They'd seen similar looking people walking through the halls. Each one had on a different style of clothing. But there was one thing that all the men in this facility that they all wore; a metal headband with a music symbol carved onto it. Perhaps it were some sort of symbol for an organization, maybe?

Kurama used the shadows to squeeze through the open gap of the door, allowing him to glimpse what was inside.

'What do you know… there is a map plastered on the wall,' was Kurama's first thought? And there was indeed a map located within the room… or more specifically on a large monitor within the room.

Naruto took the time to commit the map to memory. 'Alright, Kurama… get out of there.' He ordered.

'Now, now… hold on a second,' Kurama said. He surveyed the room, there seemed to be a large amount of monitors, and each one was cycling on images of different rooms. No… they weren't

images, they were videos of rooms.

Shadowy figures moved within the rooms, as if they'd confined the shadows within their very walls.

Just what was this place?

The fox was so enraptured by the screens, he only barely heard the sound of the door opening. It was pure reflex that he was able to rush to the corner of the room and once again merge with the shadows once again.

In stepped to figures.

One was a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He had shoulder-length white hair green eyes, and pale skin.

To contrast, the second had almost no part of his body. He wore a bandana over his head as well as a mask that covered his face. He wore sunglasses so that his eyes weren't Visible and had it not been for his ears and forearms that poked out you wouldn't be able to tell that his skin was tanned in color.

Fluorescent lights ignited the room, although the lights seemed to only light it to the bare minimum, leaving plenty of shadows for the fox to blend into.

"What do you know, alright as usual." The white haired one complained as he ran up to a monitor.

"Let me see that," The fully covered one said as he pushed him aside. "Knowing you, Mizuki, the base could be collapsed, and you wouldn't know about it." He stated.

The now named 'Mizuki' scowled, "Damn it Yoroi, one day, once our lord recognizes my strength, I'll kill you."

The now names 'Yoroi' waved him off, "yeah, yeah, I'll add you to the list of people who've said that before."

They then continued their conversation, slipping in ideal threats every so often. All the while, the continued to watch the monitors.

'Kurama! What are you doing? I told you to get out of there.' Naruto told him through their communication.

'I know, but I think I should stay a little longer. I just have this feeling that…' Kurama trailed off.

It was then that Mizuki gained a strange look within his eyes.

"Again with that, Mizuki?" Yoroi complained.

Mizuki gained a sadistic grin, "Heh, I just can't help it. Every time I see it I just…" he trailed off, he was too excited to continue his sentence.

He went over to a large switch on the wall. It was close to where Kurama was, although he couldn't see him as he blended into the shadows.

He flicked the switch, and the room lit up, much more than the lights ever did. It revealed that it wasn't a wall Kurama was hiding under at all, but it was in fact a large window.

'Is that?' Kurama realized.

It was the rooms… cells, he now realized.

Each cell looked to be filled with at least two people within them. There was no discrimination for the occupants inside. Men, women, children, elderly, yokai, demon, devil or human, this place seemed to have it all.

But there was one thing that they all had in common… their eyes were all dead. It was as if they'd lost hope. And judging by the conditions of their cells, it wasn't hard to guess why.

It had been hard to tell due to the poor quality of the monitors, but these people lived in horrible conditions. Many of them were covered in dirt and grime, some even in blood. Each one looked pale due to lack of sunlight, and they were skinny enough that you could almost see their skeletons, likely due to malnutrition.

But there was one figure in particular that caught the fox's attention.

It was a young girl, who looked to be around the age of ten. Her long brown hair hung wildly behind her back. Bandages wrapped her arms and her clothes looked more akin to rags more than anything. But her most distinct features were probably the set of raccoon-like ears atop her head and a tail around her back.

To contrast the other prisoners her eyes still had a semblance of life within them, it was obvious she had only recently been put in here.

"Haha," Mizuki laughed, "it gets me every time."

"Honestly, you're just sickening" Yoroi told him.

"Yeah, and what are you?" Mizuki shot back.

Yoroi just shrugged, "fair enough."

Mizuki continued to stare at the confined occupants before he finally had enough. "I'm going to go and… pay them a visit." He said with a sadistic gleam within his eyes as he left the room.

"That guy is a total lunatic," Yoroi sighed. "I have no idea why Lord Orochimaru keeps him around." He stated.

And such a name didn't go unnoticed by Naruto.

'Orochimaru?' Naruto realized, knowing the significance of that name. 'Kurama, you need to get out of there. Now!'

However, the fox was more enraptured by a set of keys that hung loosely across Yoroi's belt. Their silver shine gleamed within the room.

It was unexpected when those same keys fell loudly onto the floor. Along with the limp body of the now-diseased Yoroi.

He hadn't expected an attack at all.

But there was one thing that was expected, hearing a single curse from his master as he cut their connection.

As he ran off with the gleaming silver keys within his maw.

'Damn it…' he heard his master say, but it was already in too late.

XXX

(Some time later)

Alarms blared within the halls of the facility.

For the fox, making his way out the prison was child's play. He'd just needed to follow the map, and it led him straight there. The little guards they had within the faculty were more focused on quelling the prisoners returning towards the cells in which they came. None of them expected an attack from behind.

It had happened so fast he was barely able to recount it all.

But now it was just the simple matter of leading the prisoners outside, and they were home free.

They just needed to make their way down the hallway and…

His thoughts were halted as he gazed across the hall. The reason for such little contention was because they had been preparing… and now their preparations are coming to fruition. For at the end of the hall, the hall that led to each and every prisoner's last chance at freedom, was a multitude of guards. They numbered in about half as many prisoners, which put their count at just a little under a hundred.

This wasn't good. Each of the prisoners were malnourished and frail from their time spent within their prison they called a home. If they fought, the fox wasn't sure which side would come out on top.

That meant all his efforts would be wasted, worse he might end up in serious trouble.

Master was strong, but he wasn't at a level to contend with a hundred enemies. Worse is that, from what he could sense, his opposition was as diverse as the prisoners had been escorting.

One thought came to the forefront of the fox's mind.

"Fuck"

BOOM!

XXX

(Earlier)

It was official, he was going to kill his familiar… if the fox survived, that is.

Orochimaru

That was the name that the lackey had said.

Orochimaru of the Densetsu no Sannin, the legendary three. Legends that almost single-handedly stopped the devils of the Satan faction from invading Kyoto during the civil war.

But that wasn't why he'd known about Orochimaru.

It was common knowledge that at some point, Orochimaru had strayed from his duty of protecting Kyoto and sate his own lust for knowledge. He was among the underworld's most wanted for his crimes against life itself. He was known to abduct practically every species from their homes, and at that point they would never have been seen from again.

It was rumored that he had bases practically everywhere, and yet somehow he eluded the capture from some of the most prominent factions within the known world.

Orochimaru was undoubtedly a genius, just as he was undoubtedly dangerous.

… And now his familiar was within that snake's lion's den.

He'd contemplated leaving the fox.

Kurama had dug his own grave.

He closed his eyes. Kurama would surely be dead within the hour.

All he had to do was walk away.

The mission was already blown out of proportions. They'd been only hired to observe, not interfere. Orochimaru was cunning, one he realized a base was compromised he'd abandon the entire thing.

That means the mission was ruined the moment Kurama was compromised.

Perhaps he'd put too much faith in his familiar?

And now he was no closer to 'that' man.

It was better to cut his losses now and leave while he still could.

Surely he could survive losing one last person. He'd lost everyone already, what was one more?

Absent-mindedly, he'd finger a scroll within his pocket. It had been filled with explosive tags, enough to blow out a considerable hole in the mountain's side.

Something that Kurama could surely use.

But alas, the fox would never get that courtesy.

Because surely, he was going to walk away… but his body did not move.

A dry chuckle erupted from his lips… there had never been a choice after all.

And so, he'd got to work, the guards would be more focus on the internal battle to worry about an attack from its exterior.

But who knows, when this was all said and done… he might just kill Kurama for all the trouble he'd caused him.

XXX

(Later)

BOOM!

An explosion shook the mountain, the flames bright enough to cause many of the prisoners to shield their eyes.

It was surely a miracle that the halfway hadn't caved-in by now, crushing all that lay within. Surely they all would die.

And as the dust settled, it was as if the end of the hallway was no more, being barricaded by fallen debris. However, just like the hallway, the ceiling was also no more, revealing the bright daylight that many of the prisoners had not seen in years.

But the little hope the sun might've risen was quelled by the guards who'd somehow survived the explosion, and the falling debris that followed.

Perhaps the explosion had been dialed back as to take out a majority of the guards, but leave themselves in good health.

A flicker of movement caught his attention. As black metallic blades embedded themselves within a majority of the skulls of the guards.

The explosion earlier had disorientated them enough to where they didn't even see them coming.

A figure made itself known, his blue cloak billowed out in the wind and his red eyes bored into the souls of each and every person there.

But the most intimidating part of his visage were his wings.

Unlike most devils, his did not resemble an ebony bat's wings.

No… his wings were a flaming crimson.

He stood atop both the rumble and dead bodies alike. His visage was not unlike an angel of death sent to punish the damned for their misdeeds.

The fox cowered before him, "M-m-master I-"

The cloaked figure interrupted the canine. "Silence." It was a bit of a whisper in which he spoke, but the message was clear.

A sharpened blade appeared within the cloaked figure's grasp, as an ethereal blue glow in case it, honing the blade and making it ever sharper.

Kurama whimpered, he knew there would be hell to pay when his master got like this.

In many ways his master was much the same since 'that' day, but in others he was very different. And he knew the reason, for Naruto Uzumaki now carried a darkness within him. And it was darkness that threatened to encapsulate everyone and everything. Honestly… it scared him.

In but an instant, the wind enhanced blade left his master's grasp, as it flew through the air. But the blade wasn't aimed towards him.

No, Naruto had aimed the blade towards another guard who'd been nearby. And like before, the blade had pierced clean through the captor's skull, sending a shower of blood through the air.

"Go… get the prisoners out of here, there's a village east of here," Naruto instructed, as a grin fell over the canine's maw. "We'll talk later" Naruto added, and the fox had somehow managed to pale at the thought.

He wasn't looking forward to that conversation later.

XXX

It wasn't long after that Kurama had managed to lead all the prisoners out of the base. He'd provided support by taking out a majority of the remaining guards.

And now it was just a matter of dealing with the stragglers.

He pulled a knife out of his sleeve. And it was not a second later that he'd thrown the knife into the air towards a demon, who'd thought it was in his best course of action to attack from his blind spot.

He eyed the fresh corpse with no small amount of disgust.

Too many, killing would prove to be rather difficult, impossible even. But he had no such qualms.

These men were scum, who'd decided to ally themselves with a madman such as Orochimaru. That made them just as bad as that masked man.

They had no mercy for the numerous amount of souls who'd found themselves abducted into this facility. So why should he show them any mercy?

In his mind, it was utterly foolish to do so.

He pulled the blade out of his previous target. Blood leaked into the air, but he paid it no mind as he continued to search for his next target.

A figure made itself known, as he exited the tunnel.

"Hold it right there!" The figure shouted as he stepped out from the inside of the hideout.

Naruto recognized him… It was that Mizuki-guy he saw through Kurama's vision.

But what troubled him more was what the figure was holding…

"Let me go!" A young girl squirmed, as she was held harshly within Mizuki's arms.

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the figure, as he recognized the girl he was holding.

"Quiet you!" Mizuki ordered, as he tightened his hold on her. It was then that the henchmen turned to the masked figure. "Y-you see… I have this girl! N-now put your weapons down." He stuttered out, as he tightened his hold on his hostage, clearly terrified at the masked individual in front of him.

Naruto eyed the man, contemplating which course to take.

He could just straight up kill this man.

It wouldn't take much effort. This man was likely about as skilled as all the other men he'd faced within the base. It wouldn't even be hard, all he had to do was throw his knife at the man, and he'd cut straight through him, like all the other opponents he'd faced so far.

He eyed the girl within the man's arms… and his resolve broke.

He recognized the girl, it was the same girl he had seen through Kurama's eyes earlier.

The girl appeared to be a Tanuki yokai, with a set of Tanuki ears and a tail. Her clothes seemed to be more akin to rags, and she had long brown hair and eyes… her eyes.

His initial perception of her was wrong.

Those dull brown orbs seemed to be contradicting themselves. They seemed to be devoid of life, as if she had seen harsh times, and judging by where she came from it was no doubt she had seen great turmoil. And yet, they still had a will to fight, to press on and to rebel.

It was admirable.

But more so, he recognized the look in her eyes… for it was the same look he'd seen in the mirror.

His grip tightened his hand around his kunai, so much so that his hand began to turn white.

But…

Clang.

He still managed to force himself to drop his kunai.

"Okay… go now, before I change my mind." He ordered.

Mizuki's face split into an ear-splitting evil grin.

"But leave the girl." He added.

And Mizuki was happy to oblige, and as he leaned down to set the Tanuki girl down.

"Gak!" Mizuki shouted in pain, as he began to collapse onto the ground, as blood leaked from his mouth.

XXX

(A few minutes earlier)

Confused Green eyes surveyed the area.

Up until now, he'd been making his way to the west hideout.

But as soon as he'd arrived, he'd come to find that the entrance was more akin to a battleground.

Had Lord-Orochimaru sent someone else to deal with this base?

No, that couldn't be it, lord-orochimaru has specifically assigned him to this task, there was no other reason to send someone else to do this job.

That one meant one thing…

A third party?

Lord-orochimaru had mentioned that the position of the west base had been compromised.

Well it didn't matter, his lord had instructed him to leave no survivors and that was what he was going to do.

He extended his pointer finger, aiming it as if it were akin to a gun.

Readying his technique, finding a target…

And then he fired.

XXX

(With Naruto)

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise, as Mizuki's body crashed straight onto the ground, crushing the girl beneath him.

In nearly an instant, Naruto crossed the distance between them.

He rolled over Mizuki's body, inspecting the wounds, he saw a hole that seemed to shoot straight through both Mizuki and the girl within his arms.

He surveyed the surrounding area, but spotted no person in sight.

Just what happened to them?

Mizuki seemed to die at the moment of impact.

But the girl…

Images of another face overlapped in front of him.

Long brown hair morphed crimson.

Brown turned violet.

His surroundings began to change.

Every time he looked at her, he seemed to be gazing once again at the face of his mother.

His breath started to quicken.

"H… help… me," the young girl spoke out, barely clinging onto her life.

Naruto's eyes widened once again, there appeared to be a hole blown straight through her, but she still had the ability to speak, just how was this girl still alive?

"I…" she started to speak once again, knocking Naruto out of his stupor.

"Don't worry, you will be fine," Naruto tried to reassure, but even he could tell it wasn't looking good.

He wished he had the foresight to bright even one vial of Phoenix tears along with him.

"I still… have things to do…" she told him, but it seemed like she wasn't fully talking to him.

"No, you'll be fine." He told her.

"I don't… want to die." Fear seemed to be leaking into her voice, as she used all her strength to try and grasp onto his hand.

Naruto gripped onto her palm tightly.

"You… promised." She said, as one final act of desperation.

He needed to do something quick, or she was going to die.

He needed to do something.

Quickly summoning a magic circle beside him, a pure black crystal appeared beside him. Its color seemed so dark that it appeared to cast no reflection whatsoever.

It formed into the shape of the chess piece of a [knight].

The wind seemed to pick up, as flames seemed to coalesce around him.

Time seemed to slow down.

Bang.

It was a pure chance that he was able to dodge even slightly out of the way.

He felt a small projectile penetrate straight through his shoulder, moving through muscle and skin alike. But as soon as the pain came, he felt the injury slowly knitting itself back together.

The girl next to him wasn't so lucky.

In dodging the oncoming projectile, its trajectory led it straight through to the girl next to him.

Her eyes seemed to fade completely.

Quickly turning his head, he gazed upon the perpetrator.

"Who are you?" Naruto asked, his voice becoming much colder than it had previously been before.

"I was aiming for you, a shame I wasn't able to hit you." The young teen said, as he lowered his pointer finger.

"You killed her…" Naruto stated, as he brought his fingers up to shut the girl's eyes for a final time. What were once brown orbs filled with vigor were now cold and lifeless.

"It appears I did," the white haired teen stated, as he stared at the lifeless form of the yokai girl below the masked figure.

"It appears that you are responsible for the main destruction within my lord's base," Kimimaro surmised.

But Naruto only stared at the girl's limp body, as he gripped his knight piece tightly. He could no longer revive her, her body was too damaged.

Naruto turned towards the white haired teen, showing that his shoulder had fully healed. However, his cloak was not stained with blood, from both himself and the yokai girl he'd previously been clutching within his arms. But his eyes seemed to be completely shadowed within his mask.

"Interesting, you seem to possess a unique healing ability" The white haired teen assessed, as he tilted his head inquisitively. "Now, I must ask… Who are you?" He asked.

"Why I am is of little consequence," Naruto answered. "Because there is no use telling my identity to a dead man," Naruto said, and he quickly tossed a volley of kunai at the pale teen.

However, Kimimaro only needed to raise his forearm to block the projectiles, as the blades merely bounced off of him.

"Such small projectiles will never be able to harm me. You and I have no reason to do battle." the pale teen stated. " And so I must ask you to inform me of what happened to the other subjects within the base."

"And what would happen if I told you?" Naruto asked as he narrowed his eyes.

"I have been tasked by my lord with eliminating prisoners within the area." The teen informed.

Naruto turned back towards the impaled body of the girl. "So, if I told you, all those would end up like this girl?" Naruto questioned.

Kimimaro turned towards the girl he was referring to, as he saw blood leaking onto the floor. "I suppose they would." He told him.

And Naruto's vision began to blur. Kimimaro's white kimono began to change into a black cloak. And Kimimaro's pale face changed, becoming faceless, and twisting into what looked like an orange-spiral mask with only a single eyehole.

His Sharingan spun violently with all the burning hatred he felt behind his mask.

And no matter how much he disagreed with Kurama's rushed decision… he just couldn't allow that to happen.

"I see," Naruto said in a cold tone, as he raised another kunai in front of him as he conducted wind chakra through it. "I cannot allow that to happen." He told him.

"I see," Kimimaro repeated, as he slowly raised his other hand as he pointed directly at Naruto. "Then let our battle commence."

And so, they both let their projectiles lose…

XXX

(With Kurama)

The small fox had been leading the small horde of prisoners, only he suddenly stopped and looked behind him, towards the direction of where Naruto was.

"What's wrong?" The closest prisoner asked, noticing the fox's sudden halt in movement.

But the fox only continued to stare off into the distance. "No… it's nothing," he said as shook himself off from his previous thoughts.

"We better get moving, there should be a village nearby," he told them. Although inwardly he was more worried about his master, because if when he amended was true, he'd gotten his master in deep trouble.

He only hoped Naruto was strong enough to overcome this obstacle… both physically and mentally

XXX

(With Naruto)

As their projectiles met, Naruto's kunai sliced right through Kimimaro's. However, the clash knocked Naruto's wind enhanced knife of course, and as such, it hit the ground right next to his target.

Naruto took the momentary lapse in the battle to observe what the pale teen shot at him. It looked like he shot a small stone out of his fingertip. No, that wasn't what it was. It was more like…

"You have the ability to control your bone structure." Naruto surmised, as he unsealed a fresh pair of kunai within his bracers.

"You are correct," Kimimaro confirmed, as he then got into a fighting stance. "I belong to the Kaguya clan of demons. My clan has the ability to control their own osteoblasts, osteoclasts and their bone's calcium density." He explained, as a pair of short pointed bones came shooting out of his palms, tearing straight through his skin.

After that, he only spoke one word, "come."

And on that signal both of them charged at each other.

As Naruto ducked below Kimimaro's slash, as he went to swipe at his opponent's stomach, he was forced to block an oncoming kick that Kimimaro had sent his way.

He saw that Kimimaro decided to thrust forward, Naruto retreated back just enough to dodge his initial strike. What he didn't expect was for Kimimaro to send another slash at his shoulder, and he barely managed to bring his kunai up to block it.

Their blades met, both clashing together, it was clear that Kimimaro was the superior in combat. And it was only Naruto's superior eyes that kept him alive.

Kimimaro pushed forward, and Naruto was once again forced to step back.

Among the two of them, Kimimaro had the superior strength. If he were to guess, the white haired teen appeared to be 3 or 4 years older than him and could see the outlines of his opponent's hard-earned muscles beneath his clothing.

Naruto quickly channeled with chakra throughout his blade, as his blade slowly cut through his bone, Naruto was able to use Kimimaro's momentary surprise to thrust his kunai forward. But the Kaguya was able to quickly react and block with his other hand.

They continued on trying to get a decisive bit on each other , but neither were able to.

Naruto decided to back off for a moment. Kimimaro hadn't been able to land a decisive blow, but he had been able to land a few small cuts along his arms and shoulder. But he could faintly feel his body slowly healing itself after receiving the faint slashes from his opponent.

"Interesting, I thought I observed something strange about that blade you threw earlier. It appears you are able to coat your blade in some energy, significantly sharpening it." Kimimaro analyzed his previous move.

Naruto narrowed his eyes.

This 'Kimimaro Kaguya' appeared to be of a different skill level than that of Orochimaru's other henchmen. And it was clear who was the superior between the two in close combat.

He needed to change up his strategy. Quickly summoning a magic circle, a black symbol with three-tomoe appeared right in front of his palm.

"Wind Release: Gale Palm," Naruto called out, as he quickly clapped his hands together and a gust of wind shot straight at Kimimaro.

But the small blast wasn't even able to knock the pale teen back. It was, however, able to pick up enough dust from the nearby debris to momentarily blind the Kaguya.

Naruto was able to use this opportunity to launch another wind enhanced kunai at his opponent's chest.

This time the blade landed, but Kimimaro was able to form a layer of bone underneath his skin.

What Naruto didn't expect was for Kimimaro's fingertips to extend, nor for Kimimaro to shoot a small volley of bone-like bullets towards him.

"Ten Finger Drilling Bullets," Kimimaro stated the name of the technique.

Naruto was only barely able to maneuver around most of the high-speed bullets. He, however, was as lucky as he thought he was… as he felt two bone-like bullets penetrate through his shoulder.

"Doesn't shooting bones through your fingers hurt?" Naruto asked through gritted teeth, as he inspected the blown apart skin along his fingertips.

"Every time." The kaguya answered. "Although, I should ask you the same thing, given your regenerative abilities." Kimimaro retorted, as he witnessed Naruto's shoulder healing right before his eyes.

Agony

Sure, feeling the pain of being penetrated by Kimimaro's bullets hurt. But feeling every muscle, each skin cell and end of a bit of his shoulder's bone knitting itself back together. It felt excruciating.

Blood dripped down his arm, as he pulled out another kunai.

But he honestly thanked his Phenex blood. It was extremely useful to possess such a healing ability… but still, it hurt like hell.

"It appears I need to cut this battle short," Kimimaro told him. " I still need to track down the rest of the escaped prisoners." He said, as he quickly threw a projectile towards his direction.

"Bone Bomb" Kimimaro stated the name of his technique. The projectile exploded as it launched hundreds of small senbon into the air. Each made from hardened bone coming directly from Kimimaro's skeletal system.

Luckily, Naruto was able to quickly form another magic circle and after a quick application of 'Wind Release: Gale Palm,' he was able to deflect the volley of senbon.

Kimimaro, however, used this as a distraction to close the distance and slash at Naruto.

"Dance of the Willows," Kimono stated, as Naruto saw that the Kaguya had formed long pale spikes on his knees, elbows, and shoulder blades. He even managed to repair his broken dagger-like blade that formed along his palm that he had previously broken.

And Kimimaro's speed began to increase, and his onslaught became even more ferocious.

Naruto continued to fight on the defensive, but even then he was barely able to keep up. And he was barely able to read Kimimaro's movements.

But what he hadn't expected was for his footing to be disrupted by a small piece of debris halting his path. He was barely able to keep his balance.

And he was forced to jump up, right over his opponent.

However, Kimimaro was ready for this and was able to slash across Naruto's leg.

Which caused Naruto to fall onto his back.

Naruto's breath was ragged, he had been fighting with Kimimaro for a long time.

'This isn't working' Naruto realized. Kimimaro both had superior fighting capabilities and experience over him.

If this continued on, he knew he wasn't going to win this battle and likely perish.

He checked his magical reserves, and truthfully he had barely used any within this entire fight. If he were to use 'that' then he could surely win this.

If he were to use the same technique he had previously he would surely be able to burn straight through anything that Kimimaro could pull off and defeat him.

As he readied to evolve his Sharingan into its next state, he hesitated…

It was the Mangekyō Sharingan that got his mother and father killed.

"Yes, you, this has always been about you."

"Do you even realize how much power you have within your eyes?"

"Of course you don't, such power does not belong in the hands of a child."

That is what that masked man told him, the same man who killed his parents.

As Kimimaro stalked forward Naruto saw what was directly behind him. It was then that Naruto suddenly realized where he was.

Right behind the Kaguya was the same corridor that Kurama had led Orochimaru's former prisoners through.

And he couldn't keep the smirk from reaching his face. He didn't need the Mangekyō to defeat Kimimaro, and he didn't need it to be strong.

He'd prove him wrong.

Naruto quickly hoisted himself up on shaking legs. Kimimaro had slashed him good, and he only hoped he would be capable of performing his next move.

Naruto rushed forward. 'He's still coming at me?' Kimimaro thought in confusion, as he got ready.

Kimimaro performed a quick slash along Naruto's masked face. And Naruto flinched as Kimimaro sent a harsh kick towards Naruto's stomach, sending Naruto careening back.

Naruto clutched his stomach as he was sent to his knees. But that's when Naruto suddenly launched forward.

Naruto's mask broke.

And Kimimaro's eyes widened in shock, as Naruto had formed a discrete magic circle.

"Wind Release:Great Breakthrough," Naruto called out, as he blew a large blast of air out of his mouth.

Kimimaro, who was so close to Naruto's jutsu was sent flying, as the trajectory knocked him straight into the ruined tunnel of Orochimaru's former base.

That's when Naruto fully excited his plan.

He quickly formed another magic circle and yelled, "Kai!"

Booom!

And the hundreds of explosive tags Naruto had previously laid out all detonated at once.

And Kimimaro was fully buried under a mountain of dirt and rubble.

Naruto was left panting on the ground as he felt blood drip from his face, where Kimimaro had previously cut. It was a shame really, he really liked that mask.

He resolved that he would have to fix it later, that, or make a new one.

After a few minutes of rest he decided that he would have to regroup with Kurama… at which point he'd decide a suitable punishment for his disobedience.

He felt a small sadistic smirk at that thought… Kurama's life would not be getting any easier in the future.

He cast one final glance at the destroyed mountain.

Where the now buried, and likely dead Kimimaro now resided.

XXX

(Somewhere outside Konoha)

Naruto sat within the same clearing he'd trained in and met the toad that had started this whole mess.

He watched as a few fish cooked on top of a makeshift campfire. He had tasked Kurama with retrieving enough fish from a nearby river to fill an entire lake, what he thought was a suitable punishment for his familiar's failure to comply with his orders.

Kurama had obviously protested, trying to say that "there weren't any rivers, or water for that matter, within the underworld."

But he didn't want to hear it.

If he was right, Kurama was still looking for a nearby water source at this very moment.

"If you leave those fish like that, they'll catch fire." A man spoke from beside him.

Naruto turned around in surprise with a shocked look on his face.

He didn't even sense anyone there!

The sitting next to him appeared to be an elderly old man with gray hair, and whose hairline had receded several inches back, with a small goatee in front. His face was gaunt, and he had wrinkles and liver spots of old age. He wore white robes, with a red shirt underneath.

Quickly reaching into his kunai pouch, he pulled out a knife and pointed it at the aged man, but the elder didn't seem to pay the pointed object any mind.

He just raised his hand in a placating fashion. "Don't worry about me, I'm just an old man who smelled your meal and decided to have a friendly chat." He said, as he faintly heard a grumbling stomach to accentuate the man's words.

Naruto eyed the man, seemingly trying to discern his actual intentions. Before he finally decided to put away his knife and slowly hand the aged man a piece of slowly cooked meat.

"Why thank you," the old man said in gratitude, as he slowly took a bit off of the stick. He then nodded as he hummed in satisfaction." It's not too often that you eat fish in the underworld, finding any bodies of water is rare nowadays." He mused.

Naruto stared at the old man for a long time, as he ate his meal in silence.

That was…until the man gained a serious expression across his aging face, before he finally spoke… "You know, I can't just condone a child spying on my Shinobi." The old man stated.

Naruto's face contorted with faux confusion, "I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Third Hokage… Hiruzen Sarutobi." He said, identifying the old man before him.

And it was not surprise that the now named Hiruzen's face showed, but mirth as he gave an amusement filled chuckle. "Ha, well I suppose it should be no surprise that you are familiar with my name… Naruto Uzumaki." The old man stated back, as he eyed the boy for his reaction.

But Naruto wasn't surprised that the old man knew of his identity. "As interesting as it is to know that we are both familiar with each other, I fail to see your reason for being here. If I'm not mistaken, Konoha has no official shinobi enlisted."

"You are correct," the old man conceded. "Konoha has no official enlisted shinobi, but some of the retired shinobi like to train in some of the training grounds from time to time, to brush up on their skills. Some of those shinobi have stated that they've spotted a child with peculiar red eyes overlooking their training," he explained.

"I see… well, you know as well as I do that I have no use for your demon's techniques," Naruto defended. "I just so happened to also be using those very same training grounds at that time, it may very well be sheer accident that I may have been testing my eye's capabilities at that time," he defended.

"Is that so?" Hiruzen questioned.

"It is, but you know very well that the Uzumaki have had a long-standing deal with konoha, to enter and leave this village at will, it has been like that ever since konoha fell to the state it is now."

"I do, but it seems you are mistaken." Hiruzen stated.

"Am I?" Nauto questioned.

"Yes, while Konoha is located on the edge of the underworld, and it is true that we rarely hear news from the outside world… We were notified of the Uzumaki clan's death. Although, we were informed that the clan currently had no survivors. That is why it was so peculiar to see a wielder of the sharingan, especially with that disguise, one would be led to believe there was an uchiha within our midst. " The old man explained.

"Well, you caught me," Naruto held his hands up as he crossed them together. "Now what are you going to do now?" he questioned.

"You aren't worried that I found out your secret?" Hiruzen surmised.

"There's no point in trying to stop you if you truly want to reveal this information. As much as it pains me to admit it, I stand no chance in combat against you. The title of Hokage is given to the strongest shinobi in the leaf, after all." Naruto surmised."But It is as you said, 'Konoha is located on the edge of the underworld,' there isn't anyone you could tell even if you tried. Besides, the Uzumaki Clan have a multitude of hideouts I can relocate to across the underworld, nobody will even know I was ever here. And Konoha's already fragile reputation will plummet once again. " he told him.

Hiruzen eyed the young boy, his opinion of him changing dramatically, and as such the only thing he could do was laugh." It seems as though you have it all figured out, were you expecting a meeting like this happening?" he questioned.

Naruto only shook his head,"I hadn't known you were coming," he admitted. "But you know as well as I do that it is best to be prepared for any situation."

Hiruzen nodded his head, as he stared at the now festering fire. "How about an offer then?" he questioned.

The boy only raised an eyebrow, "And what would you have to offer?" Naruto questioned back.

Hiruzen didn't answer immediately, as he viewed the fire, as it started to encroach on the cooking fish, but neither of them made any moves to stop it."You stop spying on my shinobi," the old man started as he turned to the young boy. "And I will start to train you," he finished.

The offer seemed to take Naruto fully by surprise, but he quickly regained his composure."What would be in it for you if you did?" he questioned.

"What? Don't tell me the offer does not sound enticing, to be trained by the strongest shinobi within the hidden leaf village, I am still the Hokage after all." HIruzen stated, as he tried to dodge the question, as he then stood up.

"Be that as it may, no matter how enticing the deal is, I would still like to hear your reasoning for doing so." Naruto told him.

HIruzen turned away, as he started to head back from the direction of where he came from. "Let's just say I'm curious to see where your journey will go." he said over his shoulder as he continued his exit.

Naruto closed his eyes in thought, seeing vestiges of his mother once again. But there was a new face he saw beside her, it was that tanuki girl.

It was now two people… two people he failed to save.

"Wait," Naruto called out, stopping Hiruzen in his steps, "I accept your terms."

Hiruzen nodded, "Very well, then we shall see each other at this location tomorrow, at sunrise." the old man informed, as he vanished within the shadows.

XXX

Naruto stared out at his burning meal, making no moves to stop it.

Reaching into his kunai pouch and quickly pulling out a blade and hurling it to a nearby log, he heard the startled yelp of a toad.

"Hey! What was that for?" Gamakichi howled out in surprise, as he saw the kunai had landed just inches from his figure.

"You neglected to inform me just who that base belonged to, frog," Naruto said, as he eyed Gamakichi in front of him.

"Okay, first of all, I'm a toad," he stated, as his face morphed into a worried expression as he saw the pointed stare Naruto had gazed at him. The toad then began to quickly placate the situation. "Woah, woah… there's no need for violence," But Naruto only began to slowly reach into his kunai pouch. "I'm only a measly messenger, I was only trying to do my job, please don't try and hurt me!" Gamakichi pleaded.

And much to his surprise, Naruto actually listen to his demand, as the boy sighed as he released his hold upon the knife he was holding."Alright, but I want to know just why this information was withheld from me." Naruto demanded.

"Of course, there's only one slight problem with that…" The toad cringed as he saw the young Uzumaki's firm glare." No, I don't know, but my master, he was very happy with the outcome of the events. He…" Gamakichi was surprised that someone so young could terrify him so much, especially with such a glare.

"He wants to continue hiring your services," the toad finished out quickly, as he let out a breath of air he hadn't realized he was holding.

"And why should I continue to work with someone who has proven to withhold information from me?" the boy questioned.

"Look, my master has promised to give you all the information you want. You can even meet him, he just wants you to do just a couple more jobs for him." the toad told him.

And Naruto began mulling over the situation, but as he reached into his pockets, and felt the highly insulated shred of fabric that had started this ordeal, he began to make his decision.

XXX

(Unknown location)

"I don't like this," A woman spoke out.

"I know you don't, Yasaka-hime, but you know as well as I do that Akatsuki is going to make its move soon, sometime within the next decade." A man spoke out

"But why does it have to be him?" the now named 'Yasaka' questioned. "Why him Jiraiya? He is but a child, a few years older than Kunou in the grand scheme of things. He's It should be our job to defend the current generation. Not damn them." she prodded.

"It can only be him," the now-named 'Jiraiya' defended. "It is his destiny. That 'boy' has already been through more than most can saw within their lifetime. That 'boy' just took on out of Orochimaru's research bases, and nearly defeated one of his top officers. You saw I brought him into this, but it was Akatauki that killed his family. You call him 'but a boy' but that boy, but he hasn't been a boy in a long time." he told her.

"But he's Minato's son." The fox lady defended.

"I know he's Minato's son," Jiraiya refuted. "But it's because he's Minato's son that he's the only one who's capable of standing up against them."

Yasaka just stared at the toad sage for around a minute. "I still don't like this." She huffed, as she turned away.

Jiraiya only nodded somberly, "I know you don't, Hime, I know you don't."

XXX

(Back at Orochimaru's base)

Pushing hard, he forced the ground upward.

Rising from the dirt, he looked more akin to a skeleton than that of an actual human being. He had large patches of pale stone-like plating on his arms and legs. And there appeared to be a large hole on the right side of his cheek.

'If I hadn't had grown a membrane of bone under my skin, I would have surely been crushed beyond recognition.' Kimimaro realized.

He had underestimated his opponent, and that is what led to his downfall. Whoever his opponent was he had been here for some time, he should have been expected for there to be traps that had been previously laid out.

And now he had wasted too much time, at this point he wouldn't be able to track down all the prisoners. They were likely long gone by now.

He frowned, he would have to report to his lord that he had failed.

Kimimaro thought back to then of the fight, as he caught a small glimpse of his opponent's face.

He witnessed crimson red eyes, with three tomoe encircling his darkened pupil.

Just who was it that he fought earlier?

XXX

(Orochimaru's base)

Kimimaro knelt in front of his snake-like master

"I apologize my lord, my mission was a failure, when I arrived at the base, it had already been destroyed." Kimimaro said with his head low, not meeting his master in the eyes.

At first, Orochimaru had been furious, had that perverse toad infiltrated his base? But then he'd heard the last part, Jiraiya had never been so bold, that only meant that it had been someone new.

So it was with no small amount of curiosity that Orochimaru asked;" Oh, do tell, Kimimaro-Kun?"

End Chapter.