13 4/4

"They returned home, and the Yamanaka clan was left with nothing but the clothes on their backs and the paltry possessions they had managed to grab. With nowhere to go, they wandered. They continued east. For months they wandered. More members lost to disease, injuries they sustained. They pressed on. Many, weaker clans, would have broken. But not your clan, Kenta. Yours was a hardy clan full of strong men and women. Their determination paid off. Wandering through the forests of The Land of Fire, a land that resonated with their souls, they stumbled across a village."

"The people welcomed them with open arms. They sympathized with your clan's plight and took them in. Soon, the Yamanaka settled down in that very same village. Their knowledge of flora an invaluable addition. Soon, the small village grew and a treaty was signed by the Yamanaka clan head and the two other Clan Leaders that graciously took them in those many months ago. A treaty to always look out for one another. To continue to live and enjoy life harmoniously. That day, the treaty of Ino-Shika-Cho was officially signed, and to this day, 1000 years later, those three clans uphold the treaty their ancestors built."

I gaped at the Uzukage. "I knew our clans had a long history, but 1000 years?" I asked in disbelief.

She nodded. "The longest standing treaty in existence. By many years, might I add."

I smiled brightly. "Thank you, Lady Korinna. I know your time is limited, but I'm so thankful you took the time to tell me that story."

She returned my smile with her own. She suddenly winced in pain. "You're right, time is running out. I have one more thing to explain to you. Let's sit down."

"I won't sugarcoat this. I don't have the time. I trust that now you've dealt with those emotions instead of bottling them up your psyche will be able to process this. I need you to stay strong, and don't ask questions. Can you do that?"

I nodded. Game face, on.

"Good. Now listen up. All those dreams you've had. Every vision. Every unexplainable instance of déjà vu. Every gut feeling you couldn't ignore. Everything you've seen and felt is for a reason. You, Kenta Yamanaka, were chosen by The Creators to shape the web of fate for this world. Your fate thread is woven so deeply into the web that every choice you make has an impact on this world. Don't look at me like that, think back to a recent event and you will know I'm right."

I thought back to everything big that had happened. I stared in shock at Lady Korinna as a memory of Orochimaru sinking his fangs into Sasuke's neck. I then remembered MY memory where a head of pink disappeared behind the veil of inky black hair.

"How? Why? I didn't even really do anything to make that change! It was all Saukra!"

"I have theories but I can't get too far into them. The one I think is most plausible is that your very existence can influence the world around you. It may not even be a choice that YOU make that causes these changes. Just your very existence in this world is causing it twist and weave in a way that is different than the course designed by The Creators."

My brain was firing on all cylinders. Theory after theory played in my mind. One thing though kept popping up.

"Then what fucking good are these visions if taking a shit at the wrong time could lead to the end of the world?!" I growled to myself. Quickly realizing what I had just said I clapped my hands over my mouth and nervously glanced at the noblewoman sitting across from me.

Lady Korinna was snickering into her hand. She waved away my concern and sobered up getting back on track. "I can, I believe explain why you have the visions. As for what you do with them is still something that I can't find a working theory for. Your existence is so steeped in the web, that when major choices that spin the web of fate loom, you are seeing threads themselves of what's to come."

"Ok, that does make sense if all that's true. It still doesn't help me know what choices I need to do to steer events to match the threads I see."

"I know, young flower. With that I wish I could help. Everything I've theorize could make things worse if I were to share them with you."

I growled in frustration. "Why do these Creator guys have to fuck with me? What did I do? Do they enjoy torturing people?!"

Lady Korinna laughed loudly. "Oh, sweetie. The Creators don't give two shits about any single person or world. They ARE existence. They don't follow events anywhere. They created everything. They already KNOW what's going to happen. They are neither good, nor evil. Neither benevolent, nor cruel. They just are. They are the epitome of grey morals. They create and then let events play out."

I stared at Lady Korinna in horror. "But, that's. What do you mean "worlds?!"

"Your idol used a seal to travel through space and time. Did you honestly think our tiny little planet was the only in existence? There are not only millions of other planets in our universe with life on them. There are millions upon millions of universes, alternate realities, past and future timelines. The secrets of creation are complicated even for the Gods created by The Creators. We aren't meant to know all."

I was gob smacked. If what she said was true, then were there multiple Kenta's coexisting at this very second. The answer hit me like a swinging log.

"The visions!" I cried.

"What about them?" Lady Korinna asked, curiously.

"Ok, hear me out. If there are multiple timelines running simultaneously, then they all had to originate from some place, right? I mean, even these Creators would need an original blueprint right?"

Lady Korinna nodded her head. "This is my working theory as well. From what I've been able to glean when a catastrophic even occurs, there's a ripple in the universe which causes a split in the timeline. The original keeps moving forward towards its inevitable end, while the new world is created from the first thread. What are you getting at, Kenta?"

"Ok, so I may be way wrong, but… what if they visions I have are the threads from the ORIGINAL world? A world that met a catastrophic end? What if I'm seeing these visions not to follow, but to avoid the original timeline to avoid that same fate?" I rattled off excitedly.

Lady Korinna seemed lost in thought, her face scrunched up in concentration. Another trait Naruto inherited from her. She spoke a few moments later. "Possible. The first half of your theory, the more I think about, is the most logical. The second part, is where I disagree. Remember, you saw for yourself, at each juncture there can be dozens of choices made, not just right or left. You need to use the visions, carefully analyze them, and choose the best course of action."

I nodded at her, her reasoning sound. "I will. I just… How do I know I'll make the right decision?"

She smiled kindly. "Did you forget, you have a soul mate? Yours and Naruto's destines are intertwined. Work together to create the world you envision. You influence the very threads in the web, those threads are other people. As you continue down your path, more threads will be drawn to you. Trust in the friends you make. Work together to shape the world. I believe in you. I'll be watching over you, cheering you on. Keep my Grandson safe. Also, can someone PLEASE open his eyes to the little Hyuga's affections?! He's denser than my late husband!"

I laughed loudly at that and jumped to my feet. "Alright! I'm ready to kick ass and take names!" I looked down at the wise spirit. "Can I, uh, ask you one more question?"

She nodded.

"If Naruto acts exactly like his mother… How are you so intelligent and they're… Not?" I laughed nervously. Lady Korinna let out a bark of laughter.

"That, dear flower, is another trait that Naruto inherited from his Grandfather."

I snickered at that and took a look around once more at the recreation of my ancestral home. I took a deep breathe. I finally, finally had some answers. There were still more questions than answers, and I still didn't feel as if I knew exactly what I was doing or why I was chosen. But it was a start. Take the small victories. I reached out a hand to the Uzumaki Matriarch and helped her to her feet.

"I'm ready" I confidently told her.

She smiled, and like a mirror cracking the world around me shattered. Darkness surrounded me and I came back to reality.

****************************************Ta-Da?***************************************

I blinked a few times to get my bearings. Possessed Naruto was backing away from me. Nothing had changed since I went into my mind what had to be hours ago. Fú was still in my arms and I grinned happily down at her. I had missed her, even if in reality it hadn't been long, it my warped time space it had been hours. She returned my grin with a watery smile and a choked laugh, burying her head back into my chest. I turned to my right and saw Ami.

"Uhhhh, how long did that last?" I asked.

"The cute forehead to forehead moment you had with Naruto?" She snarked. "Only like… 5 seconds?"

I stuck my tongue out at my teammate. Naruto was still in front of us, Violet eyes still in place. Lady Korinna was still with us. Naruto shot me a smile before vaulting backward high into the air. He gracefully spun in mid-air, landing back in the center of the arena. Turning to face Lord Third for what I assumed was the final time.

"I have come what I came to do, Little Monkey. I only have 2 pieces of advice to offer, and a gift for you and your village."

All eyes trained back on the possessed blonde.

"First, you have heard my story and my warning. What you decide from here on out is your choice. As the saying goes, I have led you to water, but I cannot make you drink. I trust you all to do what is right."

Naruto's eyes scanned the crowd, seemingly searching for… something. He continued.

"Second. Prepare yourselves. There are dangers lurking in the shadows. Dangers found only in nightmares. Nightmares strong enough to foil the plans of those even from beyond the grave. There are evils out there that want to see your world burn, simply because they want it. I say, prepare yourselves. Train harder than you ever have in your life. Every single day. Do not get complacent. For the web of fates spins fasters and faster. Faster than I can read it. Something is approaching and someday soon, you may have to face threats that rival Gods…"

Lady Korinna's cryptic warning was met with fearful gazes and silence. No cries of outrage. No claims of fantasy or denial. Fearful acceptance. Everyone in the room finally knew that everything we have heard was not lies or scary stories. It was the truth.

"I now leave you all with a gift. When I first took over my Grandson's body, many of you noticed the 358 seals I made. Each seal was slowly spreading Uzumaki chakra over the entirety of your village. The ground is saturated now with my Grandson's potent chakra. Every square inch of your village. Every training ground no matter how remote has been touched by royal chakra. The Creators punishment is cruel, but I accept my fate. My last chance to kill the traitor was stolen from me, so I leave it to you all."

A brave soul behind Lord Third raised his hand to get Lady Korinna's attention. She acknowledged him and he stepped forward. "Pardon the interruption my Lady" Lord Hiashi's respectful tone called out "But you keep mentioning this traitor. I doubt no word in your story. If Konoha is to begin the process to atone for the sin of letting our allies perish, the traitor's name would help a great deal. Or are you testing us and our resolve?"

Lady Korinna's eyes studied the Hyuga Patriarch a moment before answering. "A good question, Lord Hyuga. My desire for justice fills every pore of my essence. To see his head on a spike would free me of my hatred. To one day find him in the pure land to unleash my fury upon for the rest of eternity would let my kin rest in peace. Despite all that, I've spent 50 years in insolation. Watching the world's threads spin. In that time I've gained great knowledge. Sending an angry mob on the traitor could corrupt pure souls. I will suffer for eternity for eternity. I've made my peace. I will not, however, condemn anyone else to my misery. I told Lord Third. I trust him to make the best decisions. He is old, but with age brings wisdom. It is also my punishment to him. For allowing his judgement to be erred by seeing the person of the past, not who they've become and where their dark path is leading them. I leave it up to Hiruzen to make that call."

Lord Hiashi bowed to the powerful spirit. "Thank you, for the explanation Lady Korinna. I pray that you find comfort in knowing that the Hyuga stand behind the Uzumaki. My clan mourned for a year after hearing the fate of your kin. We honor them every year to this day. The world may have forgotten the Uzumaki, but the Hyuga will always honor our blood debt until it is fulfilled." He bowed once more and retreated back to his previous spot.

Lady Korinna smiled softly. "Your words bring comfort to me, Young Lord. The Hyuga always have and always will be a clan of honor."

Lady Korinna closed her eyes as if listening to something. "Yes I understand" she said out loud. "The time is nigh. I must now atone for my deception of The Creators. My gift to you, Young Monkey, and all of Konoha. Though the rat has fled the village with all his underlings, there are still many in your great village that would see it burn. I have asked The Creators to judge them. Within the hour, your village will be purged of all whose loyalty has wavered. Within the hour, you can sleep with peace of mind knowing that the enemies of Konoha will be in the pure lands."

"Pardon the interruption, Lady Uzukage, but what gives you the right to Judge, Jury, and Executioner?" Lord Aburame Spoke up.

"Aburame. A valid question. Your clan is one whose decisions revolve solely on logic. Another clan I've admired for my life. Loyalty is a value you cherish as well. I will answer you. Take everything I say from here on at face value. For it is true, whether it is logical or not."

He nodded, letting her know he understood. A clan of few words.

"Every God, in existence, which was ever worshipped through all of time, is real. When enough people start to believe, their faith reaches The Creators. Their faith is rewarded, and their god is created. Hundreds upon Hundreds of Gods exist simultaneously. When we think of a God, we think of all-knowing, all-powerful, invincible. That's what we, as mere humans see. Those same Gods view The Creators in the same fashion that we view them. Do you understand the power that The Creators possess?"

"Taking your advice and taking this at face value that is the most terrifying notion I could comprehend. Ancient texts speak of vengeful gods that with a snap of their finger annihilated cities and killed thousands instantly. I am starting to get a picture that some of these stories may hold more truth to them than what I initially believed." Lord Shibi surmised.

"You are wise, Young Bug. With a snap of their fingers, The Creators can erase our entire planet from existence. You asked why I think I have the authority to Judge, Jury, Executioner? I never have and never will. I am asking The Creators to judge them. I am simply the conduit and payment of their service."

"…I see. A dangerous technique indeed." And he stepped back.

"I cannot delay, it begins!" Lady Korinna cried instantly. She slammed her palms to the ground.

"Uzumaki Forbidden Sealing Technique: Commune with Creation. Stand Trial, Ye Sinners!"

An ominous blood-red light erupted from every surface of the room. My body seized up. Every single muscle, frozen. I couldn't move anything except my eyes. Top to bottom, ceiling to floor, every surface covered by flowing script. The characters seem to writhe as though reaching and searching. Without warning, a crushing presence filled my head. I closed my eyes, the pressure was too much! It was gone. I took a shuddering gasp, I wasn't the only one. I felt Fú, who was still in my arms gasping for air. I couldn't move to comfort her, so I only prayed that this nightmare would end.

"What you all are experiencing so is every single person in the village. From the oldest elder, to the youngest child who's soul as fully resonated. No one will escape Their judgement."

Lady Korinna still in Naruto's body closed her eyes and began muttering to herself. A few moments later her eyes slowly opened. "I agree!"

The script covering my body vanished, giving control of my body back to me. I took a deep, shuddering breath and pulled a shaking Fú in close. I glanced around at my peers and superiors, they all seemed to be trying to shake off the effects as well. I then looked down at the stage where Lord Third and the majority of the village council all stood. Most of them were also shaking off the powerful forbidden techniques effect. Most, I say. Five people still stood frozen. I heard a cry of alarm from behind me. 3 from the civilian council, 2 from the shinobi. I only knew 1 person who was still under the effects. Lord Kurama, head of the small but powerful Kurama clan was among those still frozen. All those freed from the effects were backing away from the 5 in horror. I squinted my eyes to try and see what they were seeing. In moments I didn't need to strain.

The frozen councilmen had begun turning different shades of red. Sweat rolling off them. The visible veins from head to toe were slowly darkening. The sight was unsettling, but I couldn't look away. My morbid curiosity wouldn't let me. This was the power of The Creators.

"The 5 of you have all been tagged by The Creators as dangerous to your village. You will now be given an opportunity to sway Their judgement. I bid thee luck.

Naruto's hands began rapidly flying through more handseals. He finished on yet another unfamiliar one. A halo of light seemed to engulf him.

"Uzumaki Forbidden Sealing Technique: Commune with Creation: Ye Sinners, Have Faith! True Words Bring Salvation!"

The light was blinding now. When it became nearly unbearable, the light rocketed upward, through the ceiling and into the sky. Naruto collapsed to hands and knees, panting. He wearily twisted his body into a sitting position, closing his eyes and sitting there. We sat in silence for the next 10 minutes, no one daring to speak. No one even daring to breath louder than necessary.

Naruto finally opened his eyes and Lady Korinna's tired voice spoke clearly to the room. "The Creators have listened to the pleas of all 653 men and women tagged as dangerous to your village, young monkey. The Judgement will begin shortly. Those who couldn't sway Their judgement will be reduced to ash. For traitors do not deserve a funeral. They do not deserve to be remembered. In the ashes you will find a scroll with the crimes they were condemned for. After I perfrom the final technique, my spirit will leave, young Naruto."

She looked tiredly around the room. "The only thing I desire above all else, even justice for my clan, is that my Grandson remains happy. I beg of everyone in this room, please, take care of him."

We all nodded our agreement and Lady Korinna smiled one last time from Naruto's body. "Then let judgement commence."

Once more, and for the last time, hands flew through ever more complicated seals. None of the standard 12 was used in the final technique.

"Uzumaki Forbidden Sealing Technique: Commune with Creation. Fall to Holy Judgement, Ye Sinner!"

With a cry of deviance, Lady Korinna threw Naruto's hands towards the heavens. She held them there as that awful presence once again filled my mind. It wasn't as intense as before, as it didn't feel as though I was being stripped down at the cellular level, but it wasn't comfortable either.

What followed next was The Creators explaining to everyone they had touched today what was about to happen. They didn't speak in a traditional manner, it was more in terms of images, emotions, and feelings. Regardless about the method of communication, the message was clearly received. The presence left as quickly as it appeared. Silence.

Long story short. 653 judged, 653 found guilty.

"Disappear from this world, Sinners!" Lady Korinna's cry cut the silence like a knife. She brought both arms crashing down in a slashing moment.

Instantly, all 5 on the stage were pierced through the heart by a blade of light that had come thundering down from heaven. The smell of burning hair and flesh quickly filled the room. Sounds of retching were the only sounds being heard. The guilty made no sound, as they were burned from the inside out by righteous fire. Not even 30 seconds later, there was only 5 piles of ash where 5 adult humans stood.

*******************************END THE CHAPTER ALREADY*******************************

Pandemonium quickly broke out after. Lord Hokage regained control of the situation and began issuing his orders. ANBU were sent to discover all the victims while retrieving the scrolls from their ashes. The rest of the preliminaries were postponed until tomorrow. Naruto was rushed to medical wing. We all stood on the observation deck, minds still trying to process the day. An angry voice suddenly rang out.

"Lord Hokage, with all due respect, sir, what just happened was not an everyday occurance. I agree we need to move quickly to stop the public panicking. But after everything I just went through and hearing the real fate of the Uzumaki, I NEED to know who the traitor is and what the plan to bring him to justice is. We deserve it, sir!" Lady Tsume Inuzuka growled out. Being a clan that specialized in techniques with their specially trained ninja dogs, they believed in a pack mentality. Breaking trusts and betrayal were just as bad as murder in an Inuzuka's eyes.

Lord Third studied the feral woman before him. He glanced around at everyone else on the stage. Knowing now, that every single person here, while they may have some ulterior political motives was 100% loyal to him and the village. He then turned his gaze to us in the balconies. He opened his mouth but Lord Jiraiya cut him off.

"Lord Hokage, I know what you're going to say. They may just be genin. But they heard everything we heard. 3 of them probably know more than we do if my suspicions are right about the little cuddle sessions before the massacre." He barked a laugh at his own joke, easing some of the tension that still permeated the air. "So I think they have a right to know. Besides, I have a feeling that every single person in this room has sword an oath to Naruto to help bring his clans murderer to justice." A round of affirmations from everyone in the room met this declaration.

Lord Third eyed Jiraiya warily. "Had I not just witnessed, with my own two eyes the spirit of a woman 4 decades dead perform a forbidden technique and incinerate all the traitors in the village, I'd have you hauled off to T&I right now. Never call me Lord Third again. It sounds wrong."

Laughter, a little less forced this time echoed across the room. Lord Third pondered Lord Jiraiya's words before nodded. "You are right, my pupil. I will be brief, we have a lot to do and a small window of time to prevent disaster." He then flickered to the front of the room.

He stood there several moments, collecting his thoughts. "I realize what happened today shouldn't be possible. What we just witnessed today is something you'd only read about in a fantasy novel. But it did happen, we cannot pretend otherwise. I've carried the guilt of not mobilizing my forces fast enough to aid our closest ally every day for the last 4 decades. The guilt was crushing enough thinking my inaction was the cause of the near extinction of one of the most ancient and noble clans to ever walk this earth."

He cleared his throat and continued. "Lady Korinna whispered many things to me when she approached me in young Naruto's body. One of the things she told me is that I need to start being a leader to this village, not the loving grandfather. As if reading my mind she told me until my heart and mind are in sync, no, I cannot be both. Her words cut deep. I love this village. The only thing I ever loved more than my village was my late wife. But to me, the village isn't the infrastructure. I cold wake up tomorrow to an empty space where our home once stood and feel nothing, so long as all my citizens were safe. The village to me is every single soul that calls Konoha home. From the babe that was born just hours ago, to the 1 or 2 citizens I can still claim are older than me."

Everyone laughed at Lord Third's joke.

But she was right. I've grown soft. I began second guessing everything I did in regards to what was best for the village, vs what made people most happy. That will end today. Change will be coming. Lady Korinna gave us a cryptic warning. We must be ready. We will be ready. For as long as the Great Tree stands, Konoha shinobi will be there to defend her with its last breath. We are called tree huggers, the "soft" village, weak, all because our citizens and shinobi desire peace above all else. If that makes us weak, I'll proudly boast to the world how weak I am."

"We desire peace, yes. But the other villages, for 15 years have done nothing to openly provoke us. If they think we're weak, why not challenge us and prove their strength? Because they know, as much as you and I, that we are indeed the strongest. We will always take the road to peace, but will annihilate any enemy who dares threaten what is ours!"

"We are The Village Hidden in the Leaves, shinobi village in The Land of Fire. In ancient texts it is said that many millennia ago, dragons roamed the land and soared through the skies. Though the mythic beasts are no longer, there is still one dragon that remains alive today. It is the collective force of Leaf Shinobi. A slumbering beast that wants only to be left alone and in peace. There's an old saying, "Never wake a sleeping dragon." I do not know what our future holds, no one does. But as Lady Korinna warned us, we will heed her advice. We will prepare for any and all threats, so that when someone does come to wake the sleeping dragon we will bathe them in righteous flames! We are Konoha shinobi! We are weak, peace loving tree huggers! Wear that badge with honor! For we know the truth! We. Are. KONOHA!"

Thunderous roars of approval met Lord Third's inspiring speech. The pride in my chest threatening to burst. I'm finally able to witness the "God of Shinobi," inspiring his troops. Lord Third held up his hands, beckoning for silence. We complied immediately.

"I am old, my warriors. I'm old, and I'm tired. When Minato died and I took up the hat once more, I told myself it was only temporary. 13 years is a little longer than temporary. I'm old, and tired, and my bones ache daily. Despite all this, I will continue to lead you to the best of my ability. In peace time, and in the dark times. Never question my love for each and every person in this village. Changes are coming."

"I thought that I would take all this bone crushing guilt with me to the grave and into the pure lands. I will still take that guilt with me. The guilt has actually increased exponentially since Korinna told her story to us all. However, she also gave me a name. The name of the single man solely responsible for such a senseless tragedy. She gave me the name of the man that will at least let me atone for a small portion of my guilt in the genocide." He held up his hands once more as calls of innocence of our leader were being cried.

"No, my children. I am just as guilty. Had it been any other individual that betrayed our village I could have been freed from my guilt. Any other person, I would swear an oath to Korinna to bring justice to the Uzumaki clan, and afterwards I could finally rest without the pain I feel every night. When she first told me, I immediately dismissed the notion. But as her story continued and I reviewed what I learned, the truth was impossible to ignore. Every act of sabotage was familiar. Every action taken by the Uzushio plant, I was intimately familiar. But what really was the final nail in the coffin was the cursed seal placed on the tongue to prevent information leaks. Only one man in Konoha goes to such inhumane with his personally trained troops to keep his secrets."

Light bulbs were quickly flipping on in the minds of the older shinobi. The tension of the room was mounting, tinges of bloodlust filled the air. Whoever this person is, he's a well-known Shinobi judging by the reactions.

"It is time for me to admit it. I didn't see how far he has fallen into his delusions, simply because I didn't want to see it. I refused. The same way the night I confronted Orochimaru, I didn't see the inhumane science experiments he had been performing on my own citizens. I didn't see the glint of madness in his eye as he regaled me with his desire for immortality. I didn't see the cruelness he was capable of to achieve his goals. No. I saw a scared, 10 year old little boy who had just lost his parents, asking me what he was supposed to do now."

"That is why my guilt is even greater than when I simply thought I was too late. For even 4 decades ago the signs were there. I refused to see the increasing signs of paranoia. I didn't want to listen to the voice in my head telling me to shut down his private sector of ANBU. Because, I told myself, his ANBU kept our village safe from the shadows, while my ANBU were out in view keeping the peace in the sun. That was, and has been my excuse for too long. He protected from the Shadows, while I protected from the Sun. I simply brushed off his constant desire to expand our borders, taking the land from our defeated enemies to grow our power. I ignored all of it, all of it, because every time I looked at him, I still saw my childhood friend. The man I trained with, learned with, competed against, and spent all my life standing side-by-side with. Because of my refusal to see the paranoid warmonger that he actually was, I may have doomed the world."

He signed, seeming to deflate slightly and age right in front of us. He took a deep breath and steeled his resolve. Back again was the "God of Shinobi."

"But Konoha will NOT be the only ones to take the blame for this tragedy. I will be calling for a 5 Kage summit after the Chunin Exam finals. I will tell them of what we learned today, and give all 4 great nations our updated bingo book personally, with a new entry not for a simple missing nin… No, he will be marked as a war criminal. His deeds will be broadcasted to the world about his perpetuation and key role in the genocide of an entire nation of people. He will not be able hide for long with the 5 greatest military powers out looking for him. And after all is said in done, I will throw their own crimes in their faces. Kumo, Iwa, and Mizu will all take responsibility for their own actions in the potential end of our world. I will not let Konoha take all of the shame for this crime. For while I turned a blind eye to what my shadow was doing, allowing him to single handedly ensure the genocide was successful, at the end of the day, he didn't spill the blood of innocents. They did. Their Coalition ruthlessly cut down civilian men, women, and children. They slaughtered the wide-eyed Genin without remorse. They then marched on Uzu herself and finished the deed. I will remind them of their cruelty. And I will also remind them of their almost complete failure against a measley force of 200 vs their 10,000."

Lord Third looked around the room one last time. A fire, raging in his eyes.

"From this day forth, let it be known. That the war criminal, Danzo Shimura, is hereby charged with Adandonment of his village, High Treason, Raising an Army against a sitting Hokage, and Genocide of an entire nation."

Gasps erupted from the room. Lord Shimura?! I always thought he was just a bitter man, holding onto a grudge that he was passed up for the hate. After hearing all this, Lord Second must have been a prophet. Konoha would probably not exist with him as our leader. He'd lead us into war after war until there was no fight left. Pure hatred burned deep in my gut. Danzo would pay for his crimes. I would personally see to it if I had, with Naruto right at my side.

"Many of you had already guessed who it was. And now I confirm it. Danzo Shimura will be listed as an S-Rank threat enemy of the shinobi world. Preferred captured alive to be tried for his crimes. We'll take his head though if it's the only way. 500 million alive, 100 million dead. I would rather our coffers go dry and our economy suffer than let than man walk around a free man a day longer. Finances can be restored, the Uzumaki clan WILL. HAVE. JUSTICE!"

Another round of cheering, even louder this time, was our response.

"Genin, you will stay here in this tower. I will send escorts to your families to be brought here. I estimate we'll be on a hiatus for at least a full day, maybe more. But the exam will continue once I've stabilized the panicking population and explain, in detail, everything we learned. I will not hide our shame any longer, for the Uzumaki deserve better! You are all dismissed! Council, on me! We have much to do! Mouse, Rabbit! Secure the perimeter! Lord Third and his council made their way out of the arena, he stopped abruptly however.

"I almost forgot. Naruto would raze the village himself if he woke up and didn't have an answer. Since his opponent is no longer able to battle," All eyes followed his gaze to the forgotten pile of ashes that was once Misumi, "Naruto Uzumaki will advance to the finals. Good night. Get some rest! The coming days will be hectic."

And with those words, The God of Shinobi left the tower. Orders flying from his lips, ANBU taking off to perform their assigned tasks.

I gentley pried Fú off me and stepped back, much to my reluctance. I turned to Ami and spoke to both girls "Let's go check on Naruto, then then grab some food and try and get some rest." Both girls agreed. The preliminaries weren't even halfway done, I didn't even get to fight yet! We left the arena and made our way to the medical ward.

I retreated into myself, going over everything that happened today. So much information to process. I decided to sleep on it. The only things I could control right now was my situation. With that singular thought I marched on. One step at a time. Small Victories. Control what you can control and leave the rest to whatever force controls them. The only thing on my mind now was one thing. Master my Clan techniques, crack the code of my ancient ancestor's soul crushing techniques, become more proficient than Great-Grandmother in 'Storm Release,' Master Water and Lightning, Discover more and more potent and painful toxins. The list was a tall order, I knew that. But I would get it done, I always do. Now I had a goal, one that lined up perfectly with my own personal goal. To fight an S-Rank threat, you had to become one. Good luck, Danzo, you're going to need it when I find you. I internally smirked to myself, excited to get started. First thing first? Pass the Preliminary round!

**************************************FIN********************************************

HIIIIIIIIIIIIIII! :D Ta-Da? How do you feel? Pumped? Disappointed? Enraged? Sexually-Confused? I my story made you feel any type of emotion I'll take it as a win!

Oh. My. God. My hands are cramping, my fingers are sore and my brain hurts, but I finally finished this beast of a chapter. I told y'all, it went way off canon storyline, but will jump back on the tracks next chapter. I just got this entire idea stuck in my head and I had to do it. I apologize if you didn't like it. I warned you though. So if you didn't read the top A/N, then that's on you ;). Couple quick explanations for WHY I did this.

The story of the downfall of Uzu was complete and utter bullshit if you ask me. The Uzumaki were as important and prominent as the Uchiha, Senju, ALL OF THEM. And canon is just like, "heyyyyyyy. You had a home once. Your entire clan was ruthlessly murdered. They were our biggest and most loyal ally, butttt we kinda let them die. Oops. Well, here. Your clan symbol on our shit. You're welcome no need to thank us. Oh and we kind of cut out teaching you all about them and their rich history cuz we don't want to be all embarrassed, since ya know, we still kind of let them die." So the idea started just as Naruto basically calling out everyone's bullshit after reading the journal. But then I thought, Minato was able to bend time and space and do some unreal shit with the the training he got from Jiraiya and his own genius. A full trained Uzumaki seal master? They could probably do whatever they wanted. So then I thought about their story, and how loyal and trusting the few Uzumaki we're introduced to are. And how they value family about everthing. And what happens when a powerful Uzumaki is betrayed and someone they love is killed? You get mother fuckin Pein. That's what a powerful pissed off Uzumaki is capable of. So blending the limitless possibility of sealing with the vengeance of an Uzumaki who's entire clan was wiped out due to a hurtful betrayal? Korinna Uzumaki was born in my mind. Please tell me y'all at least like Korinna? I loved writing her and sad she's gone. Alas, she's suffering for eternity. R.I.P.

Second big item – Danzo. FUCK. THIS. GUY. He's my most hated antagonist in any series, ever. He's literally a petty piece of shit. He goes off the deep end because he didn't get the hat. Loses his fucking mind and starts seeing enemies everywhere. All for "The Greater Good." Which the greater good was only what was good for Danzo. His death was most satisfying, and I have horribly painful plans for him, but it saddens me to say that he will be in hiding for quite some time. He'll be back though. Oh, the reason I picked him? I just blamed every single horrific event that happened during any point of his lifetime on him. Because it's not at all that big of a stretch. He's literally the reason the actual canon pissed off Uzumaki exists. He created Pein. He almost turned Ninja-Jesus Sasuke against Konoha by murdering his clan due to paranoia. Y'all. There were newborns and toddlers there. Remember that!

Final Item – I know I made up some details about Naruto's Uzumaki lineage. But, as I've said, I do what I want. Did you at least think it was believable or made sense? Or was I stretching a bit? It's too late to turn back, but for the future.

Thanks again for all the support you all have shown me. If you're a fan so far and haven't left a review, PLEASE do so for this chapter since it's such a big risk for me. Or PM me! I reply to all the comments I've gotten so far (I think, if not, call my ass out) so if you have questions or anything.. yeah! Anyway, seeya next time!