16 Chapter 15: Behind the Scenes 1/2

Wow, major response to the previous chapter. Quite a lot of hate on Neji, though it's to be expected, isn't it?

Also, lots of thoughts on my OC Mukei. Guess we'll see what becomes of him here, won't we?

And also, please take a look at the poll on my profile. It might determine the eventual birth of a new fanfic in a brand new category for me, so please vote on it.

For now, let's get on with the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Assassin's Creed. They are the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Ubisoft respectively.

Chapter 15

Behind the Scenes

Hirzuen Sarutobi quietly stared at the man sitting opposite him. "I hope you understand the gravity of this situation, Hiashi-san," he said. "Because of your nephew's actions, an Academy Student and even the village itself were put at risk."

Hiashi seemed unconcern. "I was under the impression that the seal holding the Kyuubi was intact, and that the jinchuuriki was still alive and was not crippled in anyway," he said indifferently.

Sarutobi's eyes narrowed at Hiashi. "That is beyond the point Hiashi. The fact is Neji disregarded the rules put in place to ensure the safety of the Academy students, and in doing so, he put us all in risk. This situation must be dealt with, and he must be punished."

"Very well, what punishment do you deem worthy?" Hiashi asked, smirking slightly.

Sarutobi growled softly, knowing what that smirk was about. "If I could, I would charge him with treason," he said. "But doing so would mean having to repeal my law regarding Naruto's burden in order to properly charge him with treason for attacking the village's jinchuuriki, since he is a minor and unaware of Naruto's status. However, I can still punish him for disobeying the orders of an Academy teacher and assaulting a fellow Academy student with malicious intent. I hereby decree that Neji Hyuuga will be suspended from the Academy for no less than five months, will be sentenced to community service during the duration of his expulsion, that he'll not be allowed to train in any ninja OR Hyuuga arts until his expulsion is over, and that half of the earnings he gains from the D-ranked missions given to Academy students will be given to Naruto Uzumaki as compensation."

Hiashi's smirk disappeared, replaced by an angered scowl. "Surely you cannot be serious. Neji is showing great progress in the Jyuuken. You would cripple his advancement?"

"I will not see someone who is willing to attack a comrade rewarded," Sarutobi said. "And speaking of crippling his advancement, unless Neji shows a change in his attitude, he will also be barred from advancing in rank beyond genin for at least three full years after graduating."

Hiashi snarled. "Hokage-sama, this is ridiculous!"

"No Hiashi! What is ridiculous is you and your clan's belief that you are somehow superior to the other people of this village. Be thankful I cannot charge Neji with treason or else he would be placed in prison for just that!" Sarutobi snapped, causing Hiashi to cower slightly. Sarutobi sat back, sighing angrily. "If I find out that you've been training Neji in secret, then any Hyuuga who trained him will be arrested for disobeying the Hokage's orders, and Neji will have his chakra sealed away permanently. Dismissed," he snapped.

Hiashi just stifled stood and left, as Sarutobi sighed in annoyance and exhaustion. He quietly sat in his chair for several moments, before there was a knock at his door. "Come in."

A chuunin ranked shinobi entered, bowing to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, I have a status update on Naruto Uzumaki," he said in a neutral but respectful tone. Sarutobi straightened up and nodded, so the chuunin continued. "Currently, patient Uzumaki is stable and recovering. The doctors believe he'll be up and awake sometime tomorrow. A member of the Fuinjutsu corps also took a look at the seal, and to the best of their knowledge, it still is intact and stable, though they do say they may have detected a slight weakening of it. Not enough to threaten the seal though."

Sarutobi let out a sigh of relief, before nodding. "Very good. Thank you for the report. Dismissed," he said.

As the chuunin left, Sarutobi set out writing a note, before summoning a small monkey onto the desk. Holding up the note, he handed it to the monkey. "Please see to it that this is sent to the toads and through them to Jiraiya," he said.

The monkey nodded and disappeared in a cloud of smoke, as Sarutobi turned to his desk, and began working on his paperwork once more.

Unknown Location

Naruto groaned as he slowly sat up, rubbing his head. "Ugghh, what happened?" he murmured, his eyes closed. When he opened them, he blinked in surprise.

He found himself sitting in the middle of the warehouse the Assassins used to train in and meet when they had things to discuss. Surprised, Naruto slowly got to his feet. "How did I get here?" He mumbled in surprise.

"I have to say, this is much better than my previous prisons." A deep, booming voice rumbled behind him.

Naruto whirled, his eyes going wide. Where there should be a wall with the door leading out of the warehouse, there instead was a massive gate made up of thick steel bars, with a small piece of paper with the kanji for seal keeping the gate sealed shut. Beyond the bars was utter darkness, though Naruto felt like there was something massive hidden away in the darkness.

"W-who's there?!" He demanded, taking a step back.

The voice let out a rumbling chuckle. "Who indeed, little ape," the voice said mockingly. "So you're my new warden, are you? Not much to look at."

Naruto trembled in fear, confusion, and some anger at being insulted. "Who are you?! Show yourself!" He demanded.

The voice now growled in anger. "Do not make demands of me, welp!" The voice roared, the wind from its voice knocking Naruto off his feet. "If I were not held behind these bars, I would destroy your pathetic soul before bursting free into the world, to take my revenge on your pathetic village!"

Naruto trembled in fear, as he slowly got back to his feet, as the voice spoke in a softer, though still angry tone. "You ningen are all alike, thinking you can demand and take anything you want. Well you will get nothing from me unless I decide to give it, is that understood WELPING?!"

Naruto trembled but nodded. "I-I'm sorry," he said in a quieter voice. "I-I'm just confused and scared, because I don't know where I am."

The voice snorted. "This is your mindscape, a representation of your mind. You are unconscious and in the hospital."

Naruto looked around. "My mind? I'm in my mind? B-but who are you then? How are you in my mind?" He asked, looking back at the cage.

The voice rumbled in amusement. "Who am I? That is the million ryu question, isn't it? Who am I is simple," the voice said, as something moved from the shadows of the cage.

Naruto's eyes widened as he saw a massive pair of blood red eyes with black slit like pupils open up in the darkness. He trembled as an evil looking grin full of sharp pointed teeth leered down at him.

Slowly, the shadows in the cage faded, revealing a massive, orange-red furred fox with long, almost rabbit like ears and black markings around its blood red eyes that ran back into the insides of its ears. Its body was lithe, with massive clawed paws that were almost like hands, and nine massive fox like tails whipping around from its backside.

The massive fox grinned even more as it stared at Naruto's trembling form. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune, mightiest of the nine biju!"

Naruto's eyes were wide with terror and shock, as he stumbled back, falling on the floor. The Kyuubi laughed at his display, enjoying the fear the young boy was emanating. "That is more like it," he rumbled. "The fear on your face, far better than the looks of defiance and contempt on their faces." He spat out the word 'their', his grin fading away.

Naruto just stared at the fox. "Y-You can't be here," he finally whispered out. "My father killed you!"

The Kyuubi let out a howling, derisive laugh. "Kill me? Pathetic boy, I'm a biju! No one Kage could ever hope to kill me. But seal me…that is a different matter," the Kyuubi said, slowly lowering its head to stare at the boy. "Do you not begin to understand now, little welp? I'm not dead…I'm merely trapped. Trapped here inside your mind and body. Locked away, like some common animal!" It roared, slamming into the barred gate.

Naruto yelped in fear, scrambling back, but the gate didn't even tremble, as the Kyuubi sneered. "The Hokage knew his seals, I will give him that much. But when your wife is an Uzumaki, and your sensei is a master of seals, what do you expect?" It groused, before settling it's head on its front paws and stared at the boy. "Stop your cowering and stand up. I'm not going to hurt you, unless you wander closer. I could probably gut you with one of my claws if you did," it said, pushing the claws of one paw through the gaps between the bars, but coming nowhere near Naruto's position.

Naruto slowly got to his feet, as the Kyuubi huffed. "There now. So, little welp, what brings you here? Decided to finally meet your burden?"

Naruto trembled, staring at Kyuubi. "I-I didn't even know you were here," he said softly. "I don't know how I got here…I was sparring against the jerk Neji, then he hit my stomach and I…I felt really hot, and in pain."

Kyuubi snorted. "I see now. Somehow, when he hit you, he disrupted the seal slightly. I was wondering about that sudden drain of my chakra. And that disruption led you here to finally meet me. So the real question now is what do you intend to do?"

Naruto bit his lip. "I-I don't know," he said. "What do you mean?"

"Do you intend to demand my power? Do you expect me to be your little ace in the hole?" The Kyuubi snarled, watching Naruto intently. "That is what you apes do, isn't it?"

Naruto looked up at him. "I…I don't think that'd be a good idea," he said. "Y-Your chakra really hurt when it came out of the seal. A-and you don't sound like you want me to use it anyways."

The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow at that. "Surprising. The last time I was stuck in one of your kind, they yelled and blustered at me, and forced me to give them chakra. Of course, they were older then you are, and they knew about me in the first place. Still, I expect with time you'll be no different than them," it said, studying him.

Feeling a little embolden, Naruto stepped forward. "You were in someone before me?" He asked.

"Yes. I was sealed into two jinchuuriki before you. But if you want to learn more about them, ask your leader," Kyuubi said, before closing its eyes. "Now I think it's time you left. I am tired, and have no patience for your inane questions. Perhaps we'll speak again in the future," it muttered, eyes still closed.

Naruto blinked at being dismissed, before looking around. "H-How do I leave?"

The Kyuubi opened one eye, staring at him in annoyance. "Simply will it and you can leave. And in the future, you can will yourself here as well. Though doing so will more than likely annoy me," it growled, closing its eye again.

Naruto just blinked, before closing his eyes and soon fading form his mindscape. As he did, the Kyuubi opened one eye again, watching the spot where he stood.

"…intriguing," it mumbled, before closing its eye again.

Naruto slowly opened his eyes, before groaning as he closed his eyes against the bright white that had greeted his vision. Blinking a few times, he found himself staring at the white ceiling of a hospital room. He slowly looked around, finding himself alone, before he sat up. He slowly placed his face into his hands, as he thought about what he had just encountered.

'Was that real? It felt real. Or was it a dream?' He thought to himself, trembling a bit.

He looked up as the door opened, and a nurse entered. Said nurse blinked, before nodding. "I see you're awake. Please remain in the bed," she said in a neutral tone, as she turned and left, closing the door behind her.

Naruto just sat there, before lying back in bed, sighing quietly as he looked over at the window. The sun was shining brightly, and he smiled a bit at that.

Several minutes later, the door opened against and this time the elderly form of the Hokage entered. Naruto glanced at him as he smiled at Naruto. "It's good to see you awake Naruto. How are you feeling?" He asked.

Naruto slowly sat up, sighing. "Tired…achy…and confused," he said softly. "Jiji…do I have the Kyuubi sealed in me?" He asked.

Sarutobi kept his face neutral as he sat down. "Why do you ask, Naruto?" He asked as he watched him.

Naruto looked up at him, looking him dead in the eyes. "Because I just talked to him," he said softly. "In my mind, while I was asleep."

Sarutobi's face remained neutral, even as his heart sank. "Are you sure it wasn't just a vivid dream?" He asked.

Naruto looked down. "M-Maybe it was but…w-when that Neji jerk hit me…I felt like I was on fire. And I saw that red chakra coming out of my stomach. Jiji…please tell me…is the Kyuubi in me?" He asked, looking up at Sarutobi, his blue eyes fearful.

Sarutobi sighed quietly as he stood and went to the window, looking out it. Finally, he spoke. "Yes…you do Naruto," he said quietly.

Naruto shuddered at the confirmation that what he went through wasn't a dream, as Sarutobi turned to him. "It was the last secret that I hadn't told you yet," he said. "I believed that you would be mentally prepared for such a revelation after you graduated and became a genin. However…much like with your parent's identities, it seems the truth must come out sooner than expected."

Naruto looked up at him, tears falling from his eyes. "W-why?" he whispered. "W-Why me?"

Sarutobi slowly sat on the bed, looking at him. "There are several reasons why Naruto, though I don't know if any of them will help ease the pain and fear you're feeling," he said. "I suppose one of the easiest reasons to explain is that it has to do with your Uzumaki heritage. The Uzumaki were famous for their mastery of Fuinjutsu, their longevity and strong life-forces, and their unique chakra and extremely large chakra reserves. And it was this unique chakra that allows those of the Uzumaki heritage to successfully contain the Kyuubi within them. If anyone else were to try and seal the Kyuubi within their own bodies, the Kyuubi's chakra would poison them and lead to their death."

Naruto looked up at him. "D-Does this mean t-there were others before me? O-Other people holding the Kyuubi?"

Sarutobi nodded at that. "There were, Naruto. It goes back to the time of Hashirama Senju, the Shodai Hokage. He fought the traitor Madara Uchiha at what became known as the Valley of the End, and there, Madara somehow took control of the Kyuubi. But Hashirama was able to free the Kyuubi from Madara's control and drive the Uchiha away. Afterwards, he deemed the Kyuubi too much of a danger to let it go free, and so he and his wife, Mito Uzumaki, sealed the Kyuubi within her, making her the first jinchuuriki, the term used to describe people like you," he said. "When Mito was nearing the end of her life, another Uzumaki was called upon to hold the Kyuubi…your mother, Kushina."

"M-My mom?" Naruto asked in stunned silence, his eyes wide.

"Yes. When your mom was young, she was made the Kyuubi jinchuuriki, to keep the Kyuubi from escaping into the world and more than likely destroying our village. And then, on the night of your birth…the Kyuubi escaped, and your father had to seal it within you Naruto," Sarutobi said.

Naruto looked down at the sheets still covering his lower body, gently gripping them in his fists. "H-How did he escape?" He asked softly.

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow at Naruto calling Kyuubi a 'he', but answered. "It's hard to explain Naruto, due mostly to you needing to understand where babies come from to truly understand what happened. What I can say is that due to your birth, the seal holding the Kyuubi in your mother weakened. Your father was there to reinforce the seal, but from what I understand, they were attacked, and your father was forced to protect you, leaving your mother vulnerable to the attacker. He extracted the Kyuubi form her body, and then took it over, forcing it to attack Konoha. Your father, after securing your mother and yourself, fought the man controlling the Kyuubi and defeated him, releasing the Kyuubi form the man's control. However, the Kyuubi was enraged, and attacked Konoha, leading to your father and your mother working together to seal the Kyuubi within you. They sacrificed themselves to protect you, and the village."

Naruto shuddered, tears falling from his eyes. "S-So it's my fault they're dead," he whispered softly.

Sarutobi reached out, pulling him into a hug. "No, Naruto," he whispered, his heart aching for this small boy. "They fought and died to protect you Naruto, because they loved you. Because you were their joy. It wasn't your fault. It was the fault of the man who attacked, who took your mother away and extracted the Kyuubi from her. Do not blame yourself for what he caused."

Naruto just kept crying, hugging his grandfather figure, as Sarutobi held him there, letting him cry himself out against him.

Eventually, Naruto's sobs subsided, and he remained against Sarutobi, shuddering softly, before eventually pulling away. "S-Sorry jiji," he said, wiping a few stray tears away.

"Don't be Naruto. It's alright, Sarutobi said quietly. "How are you feeling?"

"A-A little better, I guess," he said softly.

"Naruto…I want you to understand two things. Two more reasons why your father chose to seal Kyuubi inside of you," Sarutobi said. "Your father, as Hokage, was charged with protecting the village. As Hokage…it is our responsibility to ensure the welfare and safety of everyone in the village. When your father had to seal the Kyuubi away…do you think it would have been right of him to ask someone else to give up their child so the Kyuubi could be sealed in them? Do you think it would be fair for him to ask someone else to do what he, the leader of the village, was unwilling to do himself?"

Naruto looked down at that, shaking his head. "N-No…t-that wouldn't be fair," he said softly.

"But…and I think this is the true reason above all else, Naruto…I think your father and mother sealed the Kyuubi in you, because they saw in you the potential for greatness. And they believed that you could keep the village safe, by holding the Kyuubi at bay. They believed you would be a great hero Naruto. As do I," he said.

Naruto looked up at him, some life returning to his eyes. "Y-You really think so?" He whispered softly.

Sarutobi touched his shoulder. "I know so, Naruto. I know so," he said.

Naruto looked down, before nodding. "T-Thank you, jiji-san. I-I have a lot to think about."

Sarutobi slowly stood. "Before I go Naruto, I need to tell you two things. First of all, this is a very important secret. Other than myself, Anko-san, Raphael-san, and Yugito-san, you can't tell anyone or talk to anyone about this. At least not yet, okay?"

Naruto blinked at him. "Y-You mean they know as well?" He asked softly.

"Yes, but they couldn't tell you Naruto. It's part of a law I put in place to try and protect you. But now, you can talk to them, if you want to. And Yugito might surprise you," he said. "The other thing is this Naruto. If you and the Kyuubi start talking, be careful. The Kyuubi might try to trick you, in order to escape."

Naruto nodded softly. "I understand. Thank you," he said.

Sarutobi just smiled at him. "Try and get some rest Naruto. I'm sure Anko and Hinata will want to visit you soon," he said.

Naruto just nodded again, as he lay back in bed. Sarutobi watched him quietly for a few moments, before sighing and leaving. He hadn't wanted to burden the boy with this knowledge, but the situation had forced his hand. Now, all he could do is pray that Naruto could handle the burden. Shaking his head, Sarutobi returned to his office.

Lake Sokonashi

Sokonashi was one of the largest inland lakes of Mizu no Kuni, and was a large supplier of fish and other aquatic based foods for Kirigakure no Sato. This was made possible by the large fishing town built along the banks of the lake, with the fishing docks and some buildings built on raised platforms over the shallower part of the lake. At least three roads entered the town; two of them running north-south into the town along the banks of the lake, and the third entering into the town form the east.

The wagon full of weapons was rolling into town, coming up from the southern lake bank road. The southern part of the town was made up of warehouses and workshops, and it was here the weapons taken from Buru Jinkoukou were destined.

One of the drivers winced, as under the cloak he was wearing, he was heavily bandaged around his right arm and left calf. He tried to steady himself on the wagon seat, looking to his partner. "Steady there," he said.

The other driver sighed but did slow the wagon a bit. The pair had been released by their captors to bring their weapons to their destination, but had been ordered not to reveal anything about what had happened.

Behind them, two figures entered the town as well, dressed in civilian traveling clothes. Raphael and Yugito were chatting like two normal people, not letting on that they were subtly following the wagon. They knew that Mukei and his crew were outside the town, the crew dividing into several smaller groups that had scattered around the town, and would slowly enter in small numbers over the course of the next day or two.

Raphael glanced around as they walked along the road. "This place seems quite prosperous considering this land is in the middle of a civil war," he said.

Yugito nodded softly at that. "It makes sense. This place is of importance to Kiri, and therefore they probably make sure things run smoothly here. Not to mention if the Kekkei Genkai rebels attacked here, they'd draw the ire of the daimyo upon them. So this place probably hasn't felt the effects of the civil war."

Raphael was about to respond when they saw the wagon turn onto a smaller street. As they passed by the street it turned onto, they saw the wagon stop outside one warehouse. The pair stopped at the corner and Yugito pressed up against the wall of the building, watching around the corner as the doors to the warehouse were opened, and the wagon rolled in. Yugito quickly began scanning around, before pulling back. "One person on watch on the rooftops. By his appearance I'd say he's a common thug," she said.

Raphael risked a quick glance, before pulling back. "That's no thug," he said quietly. "His posture is too good. He has training, either samurai or shinobi training," he said quietly.

Yugito blinked. "You can tell? Just from one look?" She asked.

"When tracking a target, it pays to be able to quickly gather details with a glance. When a target is hiding, even the smallest thing can give them away. A noble posing as a merchant or peasant will flinch away from things he considers disgusting or uncouth, and will still hold himself proudly, as he was trained to do from a young age. A warrior or soldier can blend more easily in a moving crowd, but they will always hold themselves at the ready, body tense and ready to fight at a moment's notice. Whoever that is, he's a well-trained fighter," Raphael said. "For now, we've got the location. We'll need to study it later. Let's go," he said.

Inside the warehouse, the uninjured driver helped his partner down, only for both of them to look up as they heard a voice coming from a walkway above them. "You are late," the voice said.

Above them on the walkway was a figure shrouded in shadows. The uninjured driver spoke. "We were attacked by bandits. We managed to escape but he was injured," he said, indicating his companion. "We got all the weapons here safely."

The figure remained where they were, studying them, before answering. "Your payment will be in the usual place at the usual time. We will not be requiring your service again for some time," they said. "Now leave."

As the two drivers left, the uninjured one helping the limping injured one, the figure turned and headed down the walkway to an office. There another figure was waiting. "Keep an eye out. Our location may have become compromised and we may need to shift our base of operations elsewhere."

The second figure nodded, before handing a piece of paper to the first figure. "The mission into Kiri was successful. The subject is currently sedated and locked away. They'll be ready for transit within five days."

The first figure read the paper, before handing it back. "Ensure the subject remains secure and silent. The buyers from Kiri will be here in three days."

The second figure nodded and headed off, as the first figure sat down to begin filling out a report. As they did, the bottom of their face was illuminated by a candle on the table they sat at, revealing that they were wearing a blank mask.

The next day, Yugito quietly laid on the roof of a warehouse a few buildings over from the target warehouse, and quietly studied the building with a pair of binoculars. She had made sure to put the sun to her back so the light wouldn't reflect off the lenses of the binoculars. She slowly passed her gaze over the building, seeing nothing suspicious except for the thug on roof. It was a different person, so Yugito could now guess that her target had at least two helpers. And after studying the way the man moved and stood, she could understand what Raphael meant. She had been around shinobi enough to recognize the subtle stance of a ninja trained fighter.

She lowered her binoculars, chewing her lower lip in thought. Last night Raphael had told her that this was her show. He was here only to advise her, and to handle the target if she failed. So basically, it was up to her how she investigated the target, and how she dealt with him. Hence her current dilemma: she could move in closer to investigate, or she could continue to investigate from a distance. Moving closer would give her far more details but increase her chances of being seen or caught. But she couldn't get enough information hanging out at a distance.

She kept watching the building for a few moments before making up her mind. Slowly sliding backwards, she moved out of view of the sentry on the roof and climbed down to the ground, before slowly making her way to the target warehouse.

She slowed as she neared the warehouse, and began carefully searching for any signs of alarms or traps, as well as additional sentries. Finding nothing, she slowly approached a door, and began to examine it. She stopped as Nibi sensed a small patch of chakra on the inside of the door near the door knob.

'An alarm seal, huh? Definitely shinobi then,' she thought. Standing up, she glanced along the walls of the warehouse until she saw a small window higher up. Slowly looking along the wall, she didn't see any real footholds or ledges she could use. She didn't want to risk using chakra either, as that might alert anyone inside, so instead she slipped her hand into a supply pouch and pulled out a few new toys Ganzo had made for the Assassins. She grinned, sliding on small leather gloves with spikes on the palm, before sliding coverings over her zori that also had small spikes now covering her toes. Testing them to make sure they were all secure, she slowly and as quietly as possible reached up and pressed her left palm into the wall. Feeling the blades there sink into the wood of the building, she did the same with her left foot, then her right foot higher up, and finally levered herself up, reaching higher with her right hand.

Ganzo had developed these implements as a stealthy, non-chakra based way to scale the side of walls that didn't have many hand or footholds. The blades were designed to easily sink into wood or soft stone, though they were far less effect on harder types of building materials. The blades were designed to easily enter walls, and then be pulled free just as easily. They also could be released instantaneously with a small burst of chakra to the hands and feet.

Now Yugito, as stealthily as possible, began to climb the wall, heading to the window. Reaching it, she very slowly reached up and peeked inside.

What she saw was the main interior area of the warehouse, which was mostly filled with boxes. The wagon that had carried the weapons was sitting in the middle of the warehouse, most of its contents stacked nearby. A masked figure was busy unloading the last of the crates.

Yugito was forced to duck down as two figures moved in front of the window, stopping for a moment. One of them was speaking, so Yugito tried to listen in.

"…and we'll need to move our base of operations after the buyer has come to receive the merchandise. I want everything ready to move within three days, is that understood?" One of the figures said.

"Understood sir. Everything will be ready to move the day after the buyer arrives. What about the package?" The second one asked.

"We'll send the package to headquarters before we move to our next base. For now, keep the package sedated and secured," the first responded.