beginning

"Great, just great, dammit," he cursed to himself while trying to stand up again.

Things were beginning to change from bad to worst, and why did it have to happen during this mission! The mission where he was a group leader for the first time… It didn't matter that the group consisted of only two people, him and Sakura. It was his mission to carry out as a leader, and now it seemed like he was going to fail. Finally his injured legs stopped shaking, and he was able to stand up in front of his challenger, to stare him right in the eyes. His own dull blue eyes void of any emotion. Inside his façade Naruto was shaking. Fool or not, he felt as if he couldn't defeat this person – there was too much of a power gap between them. The eyes of his rival met his own. A yellow flash was the only thing Naruto saw before collapsing again.

10 minutes earlier…

Naruto hit his mark, and Orochimaru flew over a large earthbound stone.

"You're strong," he told him, still looking at Naruto. "Most likely at Sasuke's level. What a pity that he's not here – we could have a fantastic battle!"

"Shut up!" Naruto roared. Every phrase about the raven-haired boy reflected painfully in his heart. He just didn't know how to fight it – the pain of his stolen friend, imagining him wandering somewhere far away not knowing that his comrades need him.

Just for revenge, just to kill someone who caused him pain? Vengeance became his only purpose in life.

"Rasengan!" He shouted, forming a blue chakra ball in his hand.

Orochimaru's laughing stopped abruptly as he watched blond boy running at him at monstrous speeds.

He was fast enough to sidestep the attack, and the blue ball only hit his hand with a loud crack. The snake master stared dumbly at it. He couldn't believe his eyes. This little bastard had just broken his hand! A sannin's hand!

Naruto's breathing was heavy and quick. This move put him at his limit, and he knew it, but now he had an advantage. A big advantage. If he knocked the snake master out and brought him back to the village everybody would acknowledge him. Eventually they'd know where Sasuke is and then everything would be all right.

Only one thing was in the way. It looked like Orochimaru wouldn't give up that easily.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto spoke nervously, looking at pink haired girl who was struggling with her legs in a futile attempt to get up. "Are you all right?"

"More or less," she smiled, her attempts to stand failing. "Better than this bastard I think, but he did something to my legs."

It was true though, her opponent, Kabuto, looked like he was going to die any minute.

"Looks like Godaime's teachings were useful," he chuckled and then fell, his voice quiet, "You're definitely not that useless scum that you used to be."

"Shut up," Sakura kicked him again causing him to moan. "Just die peacefully and don't be a bother." Obviously her inner self began to show itself more often, and she no longer

"Hehe!" Naruto laughed. "We won, Sakura-chan! Team 7 is the best!"

"Well, thanks to this power draining jutsu that I learned they don't look as bad ass as they used to," she answered with a grin.

They chatted like little kids, and forgot about their surroundings. It was their first major error. Kabuto dragged himself over to Orochimaru using his remaining strength, and healed the broken arm. Doing this he began to pale. Life force was flying out of his body at an alarming rate.

"I don't know what this bitch did to me," he whispered. "But I'm pretty sure it's fatal. In this condition my body doesn't heal itself as usual." he coughed.

Orochimaru's gaze expressed something unreadable. Was it sadness or sorrow? Or was he just thinking about the other plan? It was probably the latter.

"Well, my friend," he told Kabuto. "It looks like you should serve me – one last time."

"Serve in wha…" Kabuto never had a chance to complete his sentence. His body arched as a kunai pierced his heart.

Orochimaru held it tight, and looked at the stream of blood that leaked out of the body of his former comrade.

"I'm pretty sure that you'd enjoyed seeing this a lot, Kabuto," he said, taking a little piece of paper seemingly out of nowhere.

Naruto who was running to stop him felt like he hit a solid wall. All that he could do was stand and watch what was to happen next.

It didn't take long. Clasping his hands in a position that Naruto hadn't seen before Orochimaru smiled.

"I hadn't planned on using this on you. Not now at least, but I think that it suits you well – you deserved such an end, kid."

Sakura's eyes flashed. She didn't even know what jutsu Orochimaru was going to perform, but she had a feeling it would be something fatal for Naruto.

"Naruto, run!" she shouted with all the power in her lungs.

Orochimaru smiled once again.

"Too late, fox boy," he muttered and then exclaimed:

"Kuchiyose, Edo Tensei!"

"What the hell is going on?" Naruto turned for a moment to face Sakura. It was almost as if he was certain that she knew the answer, but he was greeted with her frightened eyes.

He followed her gaze to the direction of Orochimaru, and froze in his place. From the earth appeared a box… no, it was a coffin. Wait, this snake bastard had done a summoning technique, right? But whom did he call? Mist surrounded battleground, and all that Naruto could see was a human form, and Orochimaru putting a kunai with a paper sheet inside it.

An almost deafening silence had fallen on the battlefield. The only sound Naruto heard was a beating of his heart – and it was too loud for comfort.

"Sakura-chan!" He cried. "Are you all right?"

"Yes!" He was relieved to hear her answer because for a moment he felt like he was left alone in the world.

Mist began to disappear and once again Naruto saw two figures. One who was apparently Orochimaru remained in the same place, while the other slowly walked towards the terrified teenager.

"Hey!" He tried in his goofy manner to understand who it was but failed miserably. A flash sparkled in the air, and Naruto felt himself flying across the battlegrounds. This person's hit was strong, and he didn't have any time to dodge it.

"Who the hell are you?" He made another attempt to uncover the identity of the mystery fighter, while getting up ten meters away from where he was previously hit.

It looked like the mist stayed only in his head after this strike. Naruto closed his eyes and shook his head trying to calm down. When he opened them the man was standing directly in front of him. The first moment it was a shock for Naruto. Here… now…in front of him stood someone who he saw almost everyday. Well honest to say, his face anyhow. The one engraved in the rocks surrounding Konoha. The man he respected, feared and hated. This was the man who gave his life for his village and tainted his own. The Yondaime Hokage.

"Uh," Naruto stepped back and shouted at Orochimaru. "And why did you do this? You're so weak that you had to summon a dead man to handle me?"

The snake master's smile became frightening.

"You don't understand, fool?" He asked. "Now he's as alive as you or me. Only, he doesn't have any memories, or regrets thanks to my kunai add-on. All he has is skills, and my command to kill you." Looking at Naruto's shocked face, said. "You should be proud… I used this same technique to kill the Third, you know."

"To kill...the Third," Naruto repeated dumbly looking into the dull eyes of the Yondaime.

'Genius shinobi,' the Hokage-wanna-be repeated soundlessly Ero-Sennin's words about his ex-pupil. What could he do against him? This guy sealed Kyuubi with his powers! He was the strongest Hokage in Konoha's history! Maybe if we run away fast enough…He shocked himself to even consider this. Him, Uzumaki Naruto, who gave the oath never to be afraid, and to never run away, was shaking!

"Well-well," it seemed like Orochimaru saw right through him. " Frightening, isn't it, boy? Maybe if you beg for you life I won't kill you. Then again maybe not," - he taunted.

"Naruto, run away!" Sakura shouted. "You can't win against him. I…I read a lot about his techniques. He's invincible!"

Hearing her voice Naruto stopped in his tracks. That's right! Sakura…He almost forgot about her.

"Even if I run Sakura-chan can't move. I can't just leave her here to die. There's no way," he shook his head.

'It is when you are protecting your important person, that you became truly strong," he remembered Haku's words. The trembling stopped. The blond boy stood up silently, eyeing Yondaime who was watching the scene in front of him. He hadn't even started to move.

"Remember!" Naruto exclaimed returning to his normal self. "The one who'll become Konoha's Hokage will never run! I'll show you my way of the ninja!"

"Words…" Orochimaru yawned. "I'm tired of these words. Every time I meet you I hear exactly the same thing. Teach him a lesson, Yondaime. Show him what a true Hokage's power should be like. Kill him."

Yondaime raised his head almost as if he were getting up from a nap. His eyes flashed.

'Oh, no,' was Naruto's only thought. Luckily his hands being cleverer than him made the correct move almost automatically.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Naruto shouted, creating 10 clones.

The air sparked as the Fourth Hokage began to move. One, two… Naruto couldn't make is eyes follow the inhuman speed possessed by the yondaime.

"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He cried again creating more clones in an attempt to buy some more time. Should he summon Gamabunta… but what could the frog boss do against the yellow flash? The target would be too small and too fast for him. There's no way. To catch him in rendan, he would first need to make him move slower. But how?

"Think, dammit, think," he ordered himself, and created another batch of clones.

"At first it was fun, but now it's becoming boring," Yondaime's voice snapped him out of his trance. It wasn't a very deep voice, but on the other hand it wasn't boyish either. Only its intonation, very strong, but also playful. It didn't sound like they were fighting for their lives. It looked as if Naruto offered some toy, and now the yondaime became tired of it. "You think that you're the only one who can do Kage Bunshin? Well, sorry to say it, brat, but you're wrong."

"Kage Bushin no jutsu!" He repeated Naruto's move and in a moment's time ten hokage finished off Naruto's clones.

"Dammit," Naruto cursed again. The Forth's punch this time didn't send him flying – he was able to block it. Their eyes met for a moment.

It was strange, but the Yondaime's eyes were the same color as his own. This on it's own was not a big rarity, for Konoha had Many blue-eyed children, but for some reason, this fact clicked in his mind. Unfortunately, he had no time to think about it now.

Strike...another strike…

"He's playing with me! It's like a game of cat-and-mouse," Naruto finally understood. "He can kill me in an instant, but he's waiting… but, waiting for what?"

His hands slipped and he caught a strong blow to the face which sent him flying.

"Great, just great, dammit," he cursed standing up once again. This time the Yondaime didn't give him time to recover, and punched him once more. Naruto's vision became blurred. All that he could see was a yellow flash striking him again, and again. He collapsed, and tried to catch his breath.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted, all the while attempting to get up.

Naruto's world which was previously concentrated just on him and his opponent became much larger. Sakura… yes… she was in danger. He couldn't just lay here and prepare to die. He had to find the way to save everyone again! This thought gave him strength. He stood up, blocked Yondaime's kick and created another Kage Buhshin. A few seconds of concentration was all that he needed to create it. A wall of clones began to disappear as the Yondaime moved closer, and closer towards him, but it didn't matter anymore.

"Rasengan!" Naruto shouted facing him, and concentrating all the power he had into the spiral ball of charka that he held in his hand.

But when he expected his attack to meet his opponent, the man was gone. "He dodged it! It can't be!" Naruto exclaimed, and spun around, only to be greeted by another Rasengan to his stomach.

Now he completely understood what Kabuto had felt when he had been stricken by this technique. It was painful…like his whole body was turned upside down. Like nothing in it was left unbroken.

Yondaime's smile was something between triumph and pity. He blinked.

"What the hell?" Naruto cursed. "It's a perfect time for him to finish me. Why… why is he hesitating? Maybe… I'm already dead and he decided to let me die? No! I can't die here… I can't…"

He tried to get up but it was impossible. At last his body refused to listen to it's master.

Sakura couldn't watch. Seeing her comrade, and her friend being beaten…dying. Tears were flowing down her cheeks, and she didn't care.

"Please," she whispered. "Not anymore. Let him live."

Naruto's lips were moving like he was saying something, but from a distance she couldn't hear a word. Yondaime cocked his head looking amusedly at his opponent.

"You're quite an interesting boy," he concluded. "Using my own jutsu against me… Obviously you have guts. Well, now, maybe not" he told looking at Naruto's torn body.

"Shut up," Naruto whispered. It looked like his life would end here, but now he couldn't think about Sakura nor Orochimaru. There was only once question that he could concentrate on. It was a question that he had asked himself many times, but had never received an answer to. Maybe now, before he died, he could finally find out.

"Answer me, why?" he grabbed the Yondaime's shirt with all of his remaining strength.

"Why what?" Asked the 4th hokage, trying to understand what the boy meant.

"Why it was me?" Naruto shouted in desperation. "Why was it me," he repeated. The question was quieter this time. "Of all the kids in Konoha…why did you have to choose me…why did you have to ruin my life? To make people hate me? Was it because I was an orphan? Because no parent would allow you to do that to their child?"

"To do what?" asked the 4th slowly almost as he didn't understand what's going on at all.

"Shit," Naruto cursed. "Of course he wouldn't understand. Orochimaru took away all his memories. He can't answer me. Even he doesn't know the answer."

"To do what?" Yondaime repeated and Naruto felt himself becoming angry. He was angry with himself for being too weak, angry with Orochimaru who ruined his mission and he was especially angry with the man standing in front of him. The one pretending that nothing happened.

"I'll make you remember," he roared calling out Kyuubi's charka. It was all that he had left at the moment. He stood up red chakra enveloping him, and burning bright enough to force Yondaime to close his eyes for a moment.

When he reopened them he saw the boy standing in front of him- crying. "What did he do to him?" His mind screamed. "And why could he almost physically feel the boy's hurt?"

"To do this!" Naruto cried, unzipping his jacket revealing a strange seal on his torn stomach. "To seal Kyuubi into me, Uzumaki Naruto!"

"Uzumaki… Naruto…" this name clicked in his mind, and restored old memories. Images of the past began to return to him at tremendous speeds. A beautiful raven-haired woman, a big house, and many people. Fox eye, and people's screams filling the night. A baby boy with claw like scars on his cheeks... The memories came quickly, but he understood now. He opened his eyes, but they were no longer soulless orbs. They flashed with a power, the power of the Yondaime hokage.

The scream was the only thing that Naruto could do. His strength was leaving him, and he fell to the ground unconscious.

The Hokage just stood there, and looked at the boy unable to move.

"What are you staring at?" Orochimaru shouted. "Kill him!"

'Ororchimaru. Him. Of course it was that man who made him do it.'

Yondaime raised his chin and looked at the snake-master. He disappeared in a flash, and reappeared behind Orochimaru holding kunai to his neck.

"I changed my mind," he said. "I think that I would be able to kill you with pleasure, coward."

"Nice to see you again," Orochimaru smiled. "Well I was right summoning you wasn't very bright idea. You always have an ace up your sleeve. Tell me, what technique you used?"

"And you'd think that I'd tell you?" Yondaime whispered. "I have so much to pay you back for that I just can't wait," He held kunai tighter.

"The same as ever," Orochimaru sighed. "You can try to kill me blondy, but it'll take time you know. I won't give up so easily. Just think for a moment," He smiled again. "What will happen to your precious bastard after you've 'scolded him so painfully. Oh my, I think little Uzumaki has to die…"

"Shut up!" Yondaime shouted loosing his temper.

Of course Orochimaru had his own reasons to say so, but he was right. Revenge could wait… for now.

He loosened his grip around the snake-sennin's neck

"You're free to go. Don't try and do anything stupid. When we meet again I promise I'll kick your ass!"

"Promises," Orochimaru yawned. "You're boring. You owe me Yondaime. I gave you another chance at life."

"You took hundreds of lives releasing Kyuubi, damn," cursed Yondaime. "Get out before I change my mind."

Orochimaru's eyes flashed:

"We'll meet again Yondaime. And then I'll kill you myself, you can count on it." And he disappeared into the earth."

Naruto felt a floating sensation. Somewhere far, far away he heard a voice, but he didn't understand a word.

"Naruto!" He heard a scream and felt someone hold him tightly.

He managed to open his eyes, just for a moment, and saw Yondaime's face. A face that was filled with worry, concern, and shock.

"Don't even think of dying, Naruto," He pleaded. "You…"

Naruto never caught the end of the sentence. He has lost his conscious again.