ABOUT US

[Gekihen]

Date and Time: July 20th, 2:00am
Location: Atop the statue of Madara

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His presence in Fire Country was one of purpose. Matters of importance had drawn him here and with expected drive and determination, most of his work had been completed effectively. There were some problems that he had to deal with about a day or so ago, but they were minor delays at best. Taking out a small paper with the names crossed out, the vengeful ghost noted who was left. He was on assignment to kill seven members of a royal family within the time span of one week. Apparently if even one was left alive for longer than the given amount of time it'd be bad news for his client.

Though he didn't know the specifics, Onryou assumed that his client had made a bet with his own life on the line. Whether he did this to gain respect, or was forced to take on the challenge because of his own mistakes, the former Ame-nin didn't complain about the sum of money he was being paid for the mission's completion. With just two more targets to go he should have been able to finish with three days to spare. However, for the past several hours he was being followed.

By the movement and presence of his stalker Onryou could tell that they weren't very skilled in the arts of tailing. For a moment Onryou thought that it wasn't a shinobi, but when he tested this theory he was surprised; using the reflection from a particularly glossy store sign, he saw that his cloaked pursuer was indeed a shinobi. From the angle of the sign he couldn't be entirely sure, but it looked like they were a shinobi from Konoha; had he been recognized?

Continuing to move normally and smoothly Meido used the reflection in the mirror of a passing construction worker to see the face of his unwanted accomplice. He was surprised by his discovery and disappointed at this individual's lack of skill. Hours later he had led the trailing shinobi all the way to Shuumatsu no Tani. Stopping and looking at the power of the rushing water fall, Onryou spoke.

"Does this place bring back memories, Uzumaki Naruto?" Onryou's tone was calm, though loud enough for the orange haired shinobi to hear over the sound of the falls. He didn't turn to where Naruto was located, giving the impression that he knew Naruto was there, but not exactly where.

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Naruto had become increasing annoyed on Jiraiya for not sharing information he had gathered about Sasuke. He knew there was something up with his sensei because had that look about him. He had also noticed that he had been talking to Tsunade more and more without him. He felt if there was any news on the location of Sasuke or any of the people that he had been rumored to be traveling with that he had a right to know.

Finally where Jiraiya had told him no too many times, Naruto finally snuck into Jiraiya’s room and started to fig throw his scrolls of information. He sighed when all he found at first was more plots about his next novels. He made a mental note about getting Kakashi another copy before it come out and continue on with his search. He grabbed a scroll and scanned it and went to toss it in the other pile before he stopped at the word ‘snake’.

The boy’s blue eyes read the entire scroll over two or three times. He bite his lip wondering if he should copy any of this down and stopped when he saw pictures of someone and continue reading. ~Passing through the Fire Country~ Naruto read with dates. He grabbed the calendar on the desk and scanned it and grinned. If he wanted to act now he needed to there was no time to ask for permission. He could chalk it up to going out to training later when asked. He had to do something now. Getting information on Sasuke was important to him. How could he become Hokage when he couldn’t even save his friend of Orochimaru?

Naruto quickly scrolled up all the scrolls and placed them back where they were and darted out the open window he had come in through. He jumped down onto the street and left the village as carefully has he could without being seen and head towards the location the scroll said.

Just before midnight on July 19, Naruto had caught sight of the person in the pictures. He had stopped and watched the man for a few seconds before darting after him. He tried to keep his appearance unknown for now making sure he kept the man in eyesight of him. He felt like he was doing a pretty well job has he continue trailing the man. As he followed the main questions about Sasuke kept coming in his head and about this Wave 8 he read about. If he could get information than perhaps Tsunade and Jiraiya would not be too angry with him when they found out exactly where he had gone?

As Naruto came into the clearing he saw stone feet and blinked and stopped short of coming out in the open. He had not been here since Sasuke left those years ago. There was still damage to the surrounding mountain side caused by their feet when he looked around at it. ”…We did this damage just when we was twelve…”

”You had my help in it. Don’t forget that!”

”Ugh, no one asked you to say something. Now shut up, Kyuubi.”

Naruto was drawn out of his mind when the person addressed him. His eyes widen and he moved closer to the tree truck on the branch he was standing on. So he had been spotted?! When?! How long had this captain had known?! Naruto felt angry with himself when he realized that he had been lured to this spot now. Of course nearly everyone knew about the fight with Sasuke and him here. It was where that he had failed his best friend and someone that he felt like a brother too.

He wanted to rush in now and started to ask his questions, but the man had not turned to face him just yet. Perhaps he was just thinking to himself or he did not know where he had got to? However Naruto pulled out a kunai just in case this man decided to ask on knowing he was there.

He placed his hand together and created a shadow clone. The clone darted around to another branch about hundred feet from his location and jumped onto the water holding the kunai in his hand. ”Hehe, so you knew huh. You are from Wave 8 aint you?”

[Gekihen]

Onryou stared at the roaring falls. This place--Shuumatsu no Tani--it was legendary. Onryou had heard the original story when he was...still alive. It was here where the two most powerful shinobi in the history of the entire shinobi world--since the Rikudou Sennin himself--battled and destroyed each other. The whole landscape had been deformed since their fight and the endless river was the result of the deep wound in the earth. In commemoration of their confrontation two statues were erected at either side of the falls. It symbolized the dichotomy of two shinobi equal in power and fame yet so different.

Nearly a century later and this historic environment was once again visited by two with great potential: Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. While not knowing much of Naruto's heritage, it was no secret that Sasuke was a member of a legendary clan that had nearly been wiped out by one of its own. From the looks of things their battle had also scarred the earth, though not nearly as much. By reports Sasuke followed the legendary Sannin Orochimaru whereas Naruto fell under the tutelage of the other Sannin Jiraiya. Onryou was not one to believe in religion or destiny, but he couldn't deny the supernatural conveniences that seemed to be guiding these two along some predetermined path.

He rarely ever spent time musing about such things, but being here gave him the opportunity. He had never met Madara or Hashirama, but for some reason he could feel the presence that they left lingering in this place. It was telling.

Hehe, so you knew huh. You are from Wave 8 aint you?

A confident young voice said as a figure landed atop the falls just in front of Onryou. So this was Naruto? Being the disciple of one of the Sannin Onryou had expected Naruto to have a kind of presence about him. While he did feel something from this shinobi, it wasn't the imposing aggression or dominance that he had been expecting. He just seemed...normal, somehow.

"You are well informed" Onryou said in a slightly amused though calm tone. Perhaps Naruto had the same skill in information gathering that Jiraiya did. "I assume you're following me for a reason?" Onryou questioned. He wasn't going to tell Naruto anything that Naruto couldn't figure out on his own, and he wasn't going to give much personal details. Onryou himself--while he was in the Bingo Book--was still little know most mainstream shinobi, especially those of Konoha who regularly spoke of tranquility and peace.

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Naruto watched from the tree branch he stood on at the clone and Gekihen. He was not sure how he felt about the man standing there staring at his clone. He did not want to attack the man that he knew nothing about, but at the same time was able to find and trail him this far. He knew he could not follow Gekihen any further than this without a good cause. He watched him closely and took a small breath for a moment. He needed information and wanted to get it.

The clone watched Gekihen and reached up and placed his hands behind his head as if debating his next words closely. He took a deep breath. ”Yes, I do have a reason to be following you. You have information that I need about a few things.” He was calm and watching the man. To him it did not seem that he was going to fight him yet, but he would have to be careful to which questions to ask right?

”So hm where to start,” said Naruto who drew a smile on his face for a moment, before it disappeared again. ”You asked me if this brought back memories for me. It does…to me it brings back the memories of my failure to my friend. It reminds me how far I have come since then. It also reinforces my goal and promise I made.”

Naruto listened to the clone and bit down on his lip for a moment or so before releasing it. Giving the enemy a bit of information to gain some was something he could live with, but it brought back everything to him as well. He glanced around the damage and the statues of the two famous shinobi of Konohagakure. ”They were never friends though…always at ends with each other right?”

”Now you are asking me questions boy?” The fox snarled and with a laugh.

Naruto winced some. Sharing the body with the demon fox tended to be a nagging problem sometimes. This time he decided to ignore the fox and fix his attention on the ninja and his clone. He needed to focus if he was to gain the information that he was seeking. He just hoped his clone didn’t do anything that would cause a fight just yet.

”So now I gave you the information you asked me! Now its time you answer my question!” He pointed his finger at Gekihen that held the kunai in it and dropped his other arm down to his side. His blue eyes stared into the face of Gekihen with determination. ”I want to know what you have on Uchiha Sasuke and Orochimaru!”

[Gekihen]

It was interesting that Naruto happened to say that Onryou had necessary information. There were indeed many secrets, rumors and truths that he was aware of. Whenever someone uttered those words it usually meant that those in question were well informed about an issue that mattered to both parties in some way or mattered immensely to the asking party. While Onryou didn't know much about Naruto--between his war-torn childhood and his constant travels with Wave-8 there was rarely time to pursue personal inquires--he could infer.

"Friends...failure" Onryou said in response to Naruto's statements about Shuumatsu no Tani. Onryou's mind drifted elsewhere, to years in the past. His senses vividly remembered everything. He could still hear the screams. He could still see the blood. He could still smell the rotting flesh. And then there was...that night.

Reality quickly flooded back to Onryou, the ever present sound of the waterfall causing him to return. Due to the fact that Onryou was completely clad in his full attire it would have been impossible for most people to notice that he wasn't present for just a few seconds. Perhaps Naruto, with his natural intuition, might have felt it, but Onryou doubted that.

Clearly though the mood would have changed. Originally Onryou was calm, slightly excited and even a little aloof during his conversation with Naruto. Now the presence that he gave off was deadly serious. His mind was filled with images of an orange haired man of a different sort. Though proficient as a shinobi it was problematic for Onryou to hide his boiling blood lust. It wasn't directed at Naruto, however. It merely arose and lingered around Onryou.

" Shouldn't you know?" Onryou questioned bluntly to Naruto. It wasn't that Onryou was being harsh, but what could know about Sasuke that Naruto didn't know. "Weren't you two once from the same village?" Onryou asked. He didn't know that Naruto and Sasuke were once friends, but they were at least former teammates.

[Uzumaki Naruto]

The clone could not tell that Onryou had wandered inside his own head has he spoke about what this placed meant to him. He grinned slightly when mentioned that he should know about Sasuke and that they were both ‘once’ apart of the same village. Sasuke was still a member of the village to him and nothing no one said was going to rip that idea from him. His friend was just lost in darkness at the moment and needed to be rescue from that path he had chosen in life.

”Sasuke is still a member of the Leaf Village! Don’t you forget that!!” Naruto yelled out of frustration. He was tired of everyone trying to keep him safe and protecting him. He wanted to be out there doing something against the people that wanted war and destruction. He made a fist with the hand that had been dropped to the side and took a deep breath for a second to calm himself.

”Now answer me! What last location do you have of Sasuke!” He said still holding the kunai out and not dropping his finger from point on Onryou.

Naruto bit the inside of his lips when Onryou had spoken and questioned his clone that he should know. He decided now was the time to come out and join the clearing. He moved and jumped onto the water and glared at the man. ”You know you sound very cocky to me! And that mask you are wearing makes me want to break it against your face! You are trespassing into my country land! And from the records I read you are just as dirty as the Akatsuki. No better either it seems. Why are you doing this?!”

Both hands were in fist at this point and he was trying to remain calm and think things out, but his temper was rising as well. ”All I want is information on Sasuke that you seem to have! And you are questioning me about not knowing. Don’t you think if I knew where he was I would be there instead of wasting my time with you?!”

”You know fool, at this point you should go right up and hit him. That might get him to talk and spill his brains.” The Kyuubi growled slightly.

”SHUT UP YOU DAMN FOX!” More and more the fox seemed to want to make him lose control and use him in battle. He wouldn’t do it. He couldn’t lose control of himself to him. ”You are not getting out!”

Naruto and the clone focused their blue eyes on Onryou once more. This time Naruto drew closer to him. ”Now are you going to answer me or are you just going to spill shit again?” Naruto consider throwing the first punch at him, but held off for now. He didn’t feel like fighting in this location if he could help it and the man didn’t seem to want to fight either, but it was hard to tell what the man’s next move was.

[Gekihen]

Onryou wasn't being obtuse or overtly sarcastic to Naruto. His question was just that, a question. It was a reliable piece of common knowledge that Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke were once from the same village. Onryou knew general information on both of them, but he had only met the Uchiha recently. By all rights, Naruto should have known a much better answer to his question than Onryou. To have followed him so far, and so amateurishly just to ask him--what seemed to be--a rhetorical question was a waste of time for them both.

The outburst that came from Naruto sounded of naivety. By reports it had been over six years since Sasuke abandoned the Hidden Leaf. So unless Naruto was remarkably stupid, the yellow haired ninja was supremely delusional. It was quaint really. Naruto should have been approaching the age of eighteen and yet he still appeared to lack maturity. In Onryou's case the true brutality of the world was something that he learned at a very young age. In fact, it had killed him.

Naruto threw another angry question at Onryou, but most of his shouts would be met with the same cloaked and masked appearance that disguised Onryou's true face. Thinking back it had been on a mission to Ta no Kuni that he had run into the Uchiha. There he learned of some intriguing facts and had the enriching opportunity to evaluate both his own skills and the infamous abilities of Sasuke.

Onryou's head tilted slightly when the real Naruto appeared from the forest behind him and landed next to his clone atop the waterfall. He had been wondering why he was feeling two presences. It made sense now. Whether or not Naruto had sent out his clone as a contingency of attack from Onryou or if he was simply afraid wasn't something that the former Ame-nin cared for.

Naruto's rant about Onryou's mask and the Akatsuki didn't affect him, but he was particularly perturbed by the leaf ninja's use of the word dirty.

"And I suppose you are clean?" Onryou started off, his tone cold, his words blunt. " You can sleep happily with your hands stained with the blood of others, the muck of your own village and the reality of being a shinobi, and you dare to call me dirty? " Onryou's reference to Naruto's village came from the fact that it had produced some of the worlds greatest criminals--by international standards: Madara, Orochimaru, Itachi and yes, Sasuke.

" All villages are the same." Onryou started off as he spread his arms slightly, symbolizing the shinobi world in its entirety. " You train killers, you train monsters, but when your grand designs fail you cast them aside and hide your own brutality under a veil of indictment." Onryou's words and tone became darker and more piercing as he went on.

"You preach peace and justice but really desire control and despair. No one in this world can really look themselves in the mirror and claim vindication. None of us are pure." Onryou's words rang true. Though he didn't know if Naruto had ever killed anyone it was more than likely that he did at some point; shinobi were trained to be murderers, to destroy lives to secure the stations of the wealthy and fortunate. Perhaps he had excused it as a necessary action for his village and painted his opponent as some kind of evil villain for his own pride and reassurance.

" You who deny this, are far worse monsters than we could ever hope to be" Onryou said. His meaning was obvious. A murderer that killed a child but denied it is much worse than a murderer that killed a child and confesses to it. Yet it's always the former that lead societies. It was ironic since Naruto was a carrier for one of the most heinous monsters known to shinobi: The Kyuubi.

Onryou didn't even flinch at Naruto's shouts to how the ghost was wasting his precious time or at the demand for Onryou to tell Naruto what he wanted to know. Onryou tilted his head up slightly, his eyes tracing the clear and cloudless sky.

"Countries are just imaginary lines in the sand that shinobi selfishly defend. Everywhere is the same, only the faces are different" Onryou said, a cryptic answer to Naruto's question. "Your country, her country, their country. None of it matters to me."

With that said Onryou started to turn and walk away. He had more important matters to attend to.

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Naruto stood there watched Onryou closely after he spoke if he was going to speak. He didn’t see much of a change in him, but when the man spoke it was somewhat cold to a point. At least from his stand point. He did not interrupt Onryou has he spoke about the word dirty and how the villages were if not worse than the Wave 8 and Akatsuki. He stood there his and made a fist as he spoke.

Death. He had seen his share and his first had been the two Demon Brothers, Haku, and then Zabuza. It was Haku’s death that shocked him the most when he was a child. Young naïve was what Naruto was then. He nearly took Haku’s life that day, but in the end it was Kakashi that took that life. Is first experience of taken someone’s life was when he was determined to save Gaara from the Akatsuki. Gaara was like him and had a demon inside of him. He used his Rasengan. It was only late that he found that the man had been from the Sand and a spy being controlled by Akatsuki.

Then there was the death of his own parents to save him and seal the demon inside of him. Death was all around him. He had never once stopped and realized the death toll in his life and now it seemed to be rising. Then war caused many deaths for the Leaf and the growing threat of Akatsuki, Sasuke, and Wave 8 now.

”….Death…is something we cannot escape…” Naruto muttered to himself.

”Now you are catching on fool. Let me out and I can make someone’s death quick in painless.”

Naruto ignored the fox and looked at his clone for a moment and then back at Onyrou. ”I will not cover up what Sasuke has done! You don’t understand him! He lost everything to his brother! I am trying to save him…I am going to save him from himself! I have too! I made a promise and I will not break that promise! I fight for those I care about! Those that cannot rise and defend themselves! I do not go killing people out of the joy of it or to better myself! There no pride or justice in that!

YOU! And the Akatsuki on the other hand…make black market deals…pin one nation against another for what?! For war for profit! Can you sleep at night knowing the fact that you started something that could lead to a child’s death that doesn’t deserve it?”

Naruto shook his head and closed his eyes tightly for a moment. He did not know all the Leaf secrets and doubt that anyone would really tell him if he asked. He always had the notion of trying to make things right. It was exactly why he was out here confronting this man. He let go of his first and grinned at Onryou when he moved and walk away from him. The clone moved and jumped in front of him and held out his fist clinching the kunai in it. He was still not ready to make the first move into a fight.

”I am not a back stabbing weasel. If and when I need to kill someone to protect the people I care about I will. I will not harm a person that will not fight or a child sleeping in their beds even if the Hokage told me to do that! Not only are shinobi train to fight and kill, but they have to have limits….or this world…” Naruto spread his arms out around him like he had seen Onyrou. ”Will be lost in darkness…like Sasuke….those that do turn to darkness…needs to be stopped….”

[Gekihen]

Onryou had all intentions of leaving the area and Naruto to his own naive contemplations. He was still on the clock for his current assignment and even though he was three days ahead of time, he detested wasting anything just for the sake of wasting. All that he did had to have a favorable outcome for him and, in part, aid him in the pursuit of his singular driving purpose. Naruto's clone had jumped out in front of Onryou as he started to walk away, both of them talking to him. In truth Onryou was going to ignore Naruto's every word and just vanish from the area, but he happened to hear Naruto's first sentence.

"Don't understand him?" Onryou spoke, interjecting after Naruto had finished the first part of his rant. It was true that the former Ame-nin didn't know Sasuke personally, but Naruto's words felt like accusing spears that stuck into Onryou's already wounded soul. "What the fuck do you know about me!?" Onryou would say as he turned to face the real Naruto. It was still impossible to ascertain any of Onryou's facial expressions, but Naruto should have been able to feel the mood shift. That bubbling hatred that Onryou had swirling around him was now directed straight towards Naruto; it would have the ironic tinge of the words that Sasuke said to Naruto in this very place all those years ago.

"Your fucking nations have been fighting each other from the beginning" Onryou said. There had been the clan wars and three shinobi world wars fought before Akatsuki or Wave-8 even existed. This was the truth. "You slaughtered millions. You've raped, enslaved and tortured and yet we're the only one's at fault!?" Onryou's tone started to rise. There were atrocities committed during the shinobi world wars that leaders and rich barons would rather the world forget, but Onryou had been raking that muck for years.

"Do you have any idea what your village has done? DO YOU!?." Onryou's words were brutally indicting. What exactly did Naruto know about the secrets of the shinobi world and his own village for that matter? "Nothing. That's the answer. You just nod and wave like a good little dog whenever your Kage tells you to do something. Whatever bullshit they tell you, you take as truth. Blind and mindless sheep." Really, had Naruto ever asked Jiraiya or Tsunade some of the more difficult questions that he could have asked them? No.

Onryou let out a small chuckle as he once again looked up towards the sky. "This world is already lost in darkness. You're just pretending that it's not." Onryou said, turning once again. "Villages and countries that fight each other over petty land and pride. Those missions that you're going on, what exactly do you think your village gets from it?" Onryou was now facing Naruto's clone.

"Money. Do you think that they'd protect an old man from bandits if they weren't getting paid? Do you think they'd rescue a puppy from a well if they weren't getting paid? Do you think they'd give two shits about someone's lost cat if they weren't getting paid? Do you think your village acts out of selflessness? No, they simply want to Profit." There was also no denying that villages also took on black market deals and underhanded assassinations; so long as the pay was good. Onryou finished, lowering his hands back to his sides. He wanted to get one thing across the Naruto:

Everything that Naruto hated Akatsuki and Wave-8 for, he and his village had done the same--or worse. They were all the same, the only difference being which side of the fence each decided to stand on.

With that said Onryou would start to walk. Even if Naruto tried to stand in his way, Onryou would just walk past him. It'd only be if Naruto tried to attack that Onryou would care enough to react.

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Has Onryou spoke once more Naruto felt angry and frustration at him for not listening. His lip twitched slightly and he felt the Kyuubi’s chakra start to mix with his own as if he was about to lose control. He could not get upset like this because if he did than the Kyuubi would win this round and go off on him. Did the man know what was inside of him? That he was somewhat of a ticking time bomb?

Naruto focused his attention on the man and his eyebrows tightened somewhat and grinned. He did want to punch him in his know it all face. He was treating him like Sasuke and many other villagers use to do. This only caused him to want to prove to them that he could do it and show over, but as he listened more and more he knew Onryou was right about a few things. He didn’t know what was in Konoha’s past nor did he ever ask what they had done as a nation towards other nations in recent years. Everyone now seemed to be moving against the Akatsuki before they had gathered up the other Bijuus.

He shook his head and the clone disappeared. He would not raise a hand to Onryou. It would only attempt to prove him right and that was something he would not do. Not today at least.

”…You know…I bet you was once that blind and mindless sheep as well…a village trained you. Just like Konohagakure trained Sasuke and his brother. Secrets and lies…for the better of a nation...you are right. Villages were formed to fight among each other, but during that many non shinobi come and sought their protection. The village grew into those nations. You probably called one home once didn’t you?”

Naruto looked up towards the sky and watched it closely for a moment and then smiled and relaxed for a moment or so. ”I spend my time training, searching, and helping people out at home. Its not about those missions anymore. If a mission leads me to Sasuke than good I will take it. Being what I am and what is inside of me, it was never for the money that I wanted to be a ninja. I wanted acknowledgement and people to treat me like someone they could say hi to me. I was lonely and scared, but I never gave up my hope that I would get that one day from them people. Now I do.”

Naruto laughed slightly to himself and raised his hand up and scratched his cheek with a grin. He was not sure why, but it was easier to control his angry when he was laughing. He looked back to Onryou and tilted his head slightly. ”There is still a difference between us…you know. Wave 8 and Akatsuki…and the villages. There still a difference. The nations have a lot more to lose than both of you…and yet we continue on…there are some corrupt people in the nations…but I will tell you why I fight now.

I watched my best friend get sucked into darkness wanting revenge. All I did was fight him at every turn and he didn’t like me getting stronger and learning from my mistakes. Then Orochimaru come and lied to Sasuke and Sasuke believed him. I made a promise to someone I care about that I would bring him back. Going back on that promise means I am worse than scum…worse than Akatsuki and others them. Looking her in the eye reminds me of that promise I made each and every time. I will get stronger and find him no matter what.” Naruto was not sure why he was telling him this, but it helped him calm him down. He slipped his kunai back in its pouch and slipped his hands in his pocket.

”I didn’t find you for a stupid mission for money. Though from what I read there a nice big bounty on your head. Someone else is going to have to collect that. Fighting you here is not worth my time. You are not going to give me what I want and it seems you are dead eager to get away from me at this point. Next time we meet probably wont be for the same reasons as this time.”

[Gekihen]

Naruto's clone had vanished soon after Onryou finished talking and started to walk away. At first it appeared as though Naruto had no counter to what the ghost had said, the only sound being the waterfall roaring through the environment. If the conversation was over then there was no reason for Onryou to be here anymore; he still have a job to do and pay to collect. It was not over just yet, however.

Naruto started to speak again and his first sentence brought back a wave of memories for Onryou. It was true that Onryou once belonged to a village just like Naruto did now. There was a key difference between the two though; at no point during Onryou's childhood had he been a mindless sheep. He'd just been a naive child trying to have fun in his home. Playing with his family, tinkering with small clocks and toys and messing around with his friends. No, Onryou hadn't seen the light when he was younger, he just saw the truth.

"You know nothing about me" Onryou would say as he looked towards Naruto. Onryou didn't know what Naruto had to go through growing up, but by his naivety it was clearly nothing compared to what Onryou had weathered. Still, Onryou listened to the words of the orange haired kid. At some point, years in the past for them both, they had come to know despair. Perhaps it wasn't at the same level, but the feeling was mutual.

"You're right" Onryou said in response to Naruto's statement of the villages having a lot more to lose than he did. It wasn't him saying that Naruto was correct about everything, but rather a darker truth that belied the origins of the members of Wave-8 and possibly those of Akatsuki; it was also a confirmation of sorts about Sasuke.

They had nothing left to lose. Everything that had meaning to them had been lost long ago. It would convey the depths of darkness that Onryou, and by association Sasuke, had gone to. You didn't just rescue someone from that kind of darkness, no matter how much you convinced yourself you could.

"You talk of darkness and revenge as if they are the greatest 'evils' in the world." Onryou said as he walked closer and closer to Naruto with the intention of walking past them. "But once you have lost everything I wonder what you'll say?" Onryou continued. What would Naruto do if someone dare to him was taken away; what would he do if Haruno Sakura was killed? Preach his bullshit? What of the possibility of losing Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi and even Konohamaru? What would he do then? Onryou knew little of Naruto's relationship with any of these people but it was clear to him that Naruto still had those he cherished.

"If you want to remain a child forever, then don't leave the bosom of your village" Onryou said. He had no idea that Naruto had come out here on his own, or that everyone had already been treating him like a child; Onryou wasn't treating Naruto like a child though. He was saying: But if you want to become an adult then keep moving forward. "As for Sasuke" Onryou said as he passed Naruto. "He'll just crush you" Onryou's words might have seemed a condescending send off, but if Naruto turned he'd see the afterimage of Onryou pointing across Shuumatsu no Tani. Ironic right? Sasuke was a lot closer than Naruto could have imagined, and in the same place that they'd met before no less.

Ta no Kuni

[Exit Onryou]

[Uzumaki Naruto]

Naruto could not argue that he didn’t know anything about Onryou, because the older ninja was right he didn’t. However for him to be this cold and ideas twisted like they were he knew something in his past turned him that way. It always seemed to be something someone did or didn’t do that drove people into the greatest darkness in his eyes.

”I wonder if I would have gone the same path as Gaara and Sasuke if I knew all along…what I was…it was hidden from me for so long…it was only when I wanted to achieve being called a ninja that I found out what was inside me…and why all the villagers hate me. Would I been like them if I knew?” He was sadden and confused by these thoughts now and wanting some answers and the best place for those answers was back in the village. Now he was clinging to the friendships he had developed and the promise he made to Sakura.

He would make Jiraiya or Tsunade speak and he will get them. Though from what he remembered Tsunade might not know the details about when he was born and the beast was sealed inside of him, but Ero-sensei would. He would punch it out of the pervert if he had to when he got back. He took a deep breath and pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He would deal with all that later, not he had to get back to reality.

When Onryou spoke that he was right he tilted his head slightly in a bewilder way before he heard the Kyuubi laughing at him and he grinned. Why was the fox laughing at him now? ”You know you are damn annoying when you want to be. Hush or tell me what is so damn funny.”

”You really are a fool. Even now the man giving you hints about stuff and you are just too damn dense to read him….you being called a Jounin now is just as stupid.”

Naruto grinned more and pushed the thoughts of the Kyuubi out of his head and watched Onyrou and glared slightly when he said that Sasuke would crush him. It was always seem like Sasuke was training more than him. He would not lie in the last meeting between the two it seemed like Sasuke had grown better and leaving him in the dust. He needed to get stronger and he was going to start doing so.

He blinked slightly when he saw the image Onryou left and pointed to the Land of Sand. ”….Did he just tell me where Sasuke was?” It could be a trap or the truth. However, he knew going after Sasuke alone was stupid, but there was also a chance that he would not be there when he found Kakashi and Tsunade and admitted to what he had done.

He jumped onto the head of the First Hokage and looked towards the Land of Sound. He was wondering why Sasuke went back there. Orochimaru was dead because of Sasuke, but then again Sasuke knew more about the snake demon than what he did all the same.

Naruto sat down letting the cool air of the night hit his face and watched the land for a few hours. There was no denying it. He wanted to go and chase Sasuke down, but he knew Sakura would never forgive him for being that stupid. Hell she probably would punch him in his head once she found out about this as well. It was something he risked and willing to get punished for. He knew were Sasuke was, but not it was more about the people back in his home.

He slowly got back to his feet and yawned slightly and shook his head some. ”I will Sasuke bring you back home…just you wait a little longer….” With that promise Naruto jumped down onto the water and darted back off into the trees.

[Exit Naruto]