The Roots Come Out To Play!

It had been a week since naruto started helping iruka at the academy and he was beginning to notice something weird. Whenever he was by himself or out training alone he felt like he was being watched, he didn't know by who or why but he knew he was being fallowed. Whenever he attempted to lock onto the chakra signatures, itd seemingly vanish. Whoever was watching him was truly skilled.

It was around 8 in the afternoon and naruto was taking a stroll through the village. He had a long day of grading papers and after visiting with the hyugas for a bit he decided to take a quiet stroll.

He could feel it, as if someone was breathing down his neck. He could feel someone watching him and it was starting to irritate him. Thinking quickly naruto stopped in front of a clothes shop and looked into the window, acting as if he was window shopping.

Instead the blond was looking at his surroundings through the windows reflections. He saw a small bit of movement and narrowed his eyes at the reflection.

On top of the building directly behind him, hidden in the shadows of a overhanging ledge, naruto could see a figure crouched down. He could see a plain white mask and narrowed his eyes. That definitely wasn't a regular anbu mask. He focused closer and saw a kenji written in black writing directly on the forehead of the mask. It read one simple word that made narutos stomach drop a bit. Root.

Turning away from the window, carefully hiding his emotions behind a face of boredom. Naruto made his way down the street.

He knew what root was. It was a special section of anbu that were under the council member donzo during the second and third shinobi wars. The man had trained his 'students' harshly. Wiping away every last strip of emotion from them and turning them into mindless silent killers. After the wars the third hokage ordered danzo to disband the root organization because he deemed it 'non-human'.

And just as the third ordered, root vanished off the face of the elemental nations. Or so everyone was told. Most shinobi chunnin or higher had their suspicions about danzo keeping the organization alive but underground. But the third couldn't do anything about it without having any proof.

When naruto was a fresh gennin training under kakashi while jiraya was away, the white haired anbu captain had warned him about danzo trying to get the third to turn him into a cold mindless weapon the night of his birth. He also knew that danzo never really gave up on his dream of controlling naruto.

'Is he gonna try something soon?' Naruto asked himself.' I need to warn he hokage, but how?' he needed a plan, so raising his hand and forming a single handsign, naruto vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Appearing on top of the hokage mountain naruto quickly pulled out a piece of chakra paper and a pen and quickly wrote something on the paper before summoning a clone that turned into a small red fox. Quickly putting the note into the foxs mouth, the fox jumped over the edge of the mountain side and began scaling the rock faces with chakra infused paws.

The fox had left just in time too as right when the fox went over the edge, the root ninjas chakra signature appeared somewhere behind him, continuing his assignment to watch naruto. Naruto just sat on the ground and looked out over the village.

-with the clone-

The fox had quickly made his way into the hokages tower and dashed into the shadows before molding its chakra and turning invisible. It was one of the first jutsus jiraya had taught him. The sennin invent the jutsu to peak on chicks in the bathhouse but had also used it to spy inside other villages.

Silently making his way up the tower and through the secretaries room, he waited in the shadows until the women entered the hokages office to bring him more paperwork and slipped through the open door.

The anbu stationed around the room didn't react so he assumed he was still hidden. Crossing the room and sliding under the desk, naruto looked up to see the hokages feet. Quickly ending the invisibility jutsu, naruto smacked the mans foot with his paw.

The hokage yelped out in shock, his leg hitting the desk which knocked a few papers down. He slid his chair back and looked under the desk. He locked eyes with the fox and before he could say anything, the fox motioned for him to be quiet. The fox dropped the note from his mouth and gave the hokage a hard stare.

Seemingly understanding, the hokage coughed and began picking up the papers he dropped, quickly swiping the note up with them.

"Are you alright hokage-sama?" Came the voice of one of his anbu guards.

Hurizen nodded his head." Yes bird, I just stubbed my toe." He chuckled out. The anbu nodded before vanishing again.

Lifting the papers he quickly looked down at the note that he had put in front of the other papers. His eyes hardened as he read what was write on it.

' old man, danzos root is watching me. What do I do? If possible can you send someone over to watch over hinabi and hinata? I don't want danzo to use them as leverage.'

"Anbu." His four anbu guards appeared, kneeling down in front of his desk." Get me kakashi, yugio and anko. Now." He ordered.

"Yes sir!" The four anbu vanished.

Sliding his chair back he knelt down in front of the fox and began giving it orders." I want you to act normal naruto. If you are surrounded then you have my authority to kill them all. If danzo shows himself then try to kill him as well. Ill have kakashi, anko and yugio secure hinata, hinabi, hashi and hitome. They will be safe. If you cant handle them all then flare kuramas chakra and I will come to help you myself. Now go my boy. May the will of fire burn bright within you." He finished.

The fox gave him a nod before it popped away into smoke. Quickly getting back up into his chair and burning the note to ashes, he watched as his personal guard along with kakashi, anko and yugio appeared in his office.

"Guards, leave us." Said guards vanished out of the room.

"Hokage-sama, whats so urgent?" Kakashi asked in his usual lazy tone as he continued to read his icha icha book.

"Put the book away, this is about naruto." The third stated. In a blur of motion the orange book was gone and a serious kakashi looked back at him.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked, his tone was hard.

" as we speak hes currently being fallowed by a member of root." The third began.

"Where is he? We need to get to him-" anko was cut off by the third.

"He managed to get a note to me via clone. Right now the root member doesn't know that he was able to inform me." The hokage stood up from his desk" I already gave him orders to kill all root that tries anything, I also gave him the order to try and kill donzo if the man shows up."

"Are we his back up?" Yugio asked curiously.

"No, I need you three to go and secure hashi, hitome, hinata and little hinabi." He ordered.

"But sir-"

Hurizen cut kakashi off." You will fallow my orders kakashi. I know you don't like it- hell I don't like it!" The man raised his voice." But if needed, naruto will flare kyubis chakra and I will personally assist him! Right now all we can do is keep his close ones out of danzos hands. If danzo has no leverage then he cannot force naruto into joining him." Hiruzen explained to them.

"But why us, sir?" Anko asked. She was only a chunnin while kakashi and yugio were both anbu.

"Because naruto trusts kakashi and I trust the both of you more than most of my other shinobi." Hiruzen told them." No go!" He ordered.

The three ninja vanished in a swirl of leaves.

- With naruto-

Naruto closed his eyes as he felt his clone pop. Quickly receiving the old mans orders he stood up from his seated position on top of the fourths head. He felt better knowing that his loved ones would be safe from danzo, now he could go all out if needed. He may only have one arm but that doesn't mean he wasn't training to cover that weakness on his way back from kumo. He was ready to kill these root anbu if needed.

He didn't even turn around when he felt twenty more chakra signatures appear behind him. He heard the sound of wood tapping on stone and turned around with an eye smile.

He faced the crippled one eyed man with a happy demeanor." How can I help you tonight, council men danzo?" He asked curiously, playing the innocent card. 

Said man stood a few feet away from him, resting his only free hand on his cane." Naruto uzumaki, ive come to give you an opportunity.." danzo replied with an emotionless tone.

Naruto let out a mental groan. He really hated killing. Inside of his mind though, kurama was ready to kill these foolish humans who dared to possibly harm his container.

-with kakashi-

Kakashi along with yugio and anko raced past the hyuga gate guards and sprinted right towards the clan heads house.

Kakashi didn't even stop to knock, he quickly threw the door open and entered the house." Lady hitome!" He shouted out. There was a startled yelp as he ran into the living room. Hitome was sitting on the couch watching tv.

"K-kakashi?!" Hitome shouted in surprise. She quickly stood up with an angry look on her face." Who do you think you are busti-"

"Theres no time!" Kakashi shouted." Where are hinata and hinabi?" Kakashi asked hurriedly.

"W-what? They're playing in hinatas room, whats all this about?" Hitome asked, worry seeping into her tone.

"Yugio, anko. Secure the children." Kakashi ordered and the two female ninja ran off deeper into the house. Kakashi walked over and put his hand on hitomes arm." Right now your family could be in danger." He stated.

"What? Whats going on kakashi, I need answers!" Hitome ordered.

Sensing movement behind him, kakashi – in a blur of motion- sent a kunai flying. Both of them watched a masked body fall from a shadow on the ceiling and land on the ground with a 'thump'.

Hitome looked at the now dead masked man in shock. She got a good look at the mans mask before his body was lit on fire and burned to ash. On his mask was the kenji for 'root'.

"Root?" Hitome asked in shock as yugio and anko came into the room holding hinata and hinabi.

"Mommy, whats going on?" Hinabi asked as yugio passed her to her mother.

Hitome hugged the girl close to her chest." Its okay hinabi-chan, these ninja are gonna take us somewhere safe for a bit okay?" She soothed the small girl.

"W-what about father and naruto-kun?" Hinata spoke up softly, even she was starting to get scared.

"Your fathers currently surrounded by the hyuga council and branch family guards. Hes safe and I don't know where naruto is." Hitome answered truthfully.

"Narutos alright." Kakashi lied. He needed them to stay calm and telling them that naruto was possibly fighting a death match right now wasn't what they needed to hear.

There was movement behind them and anko spun around and brought a kunai up, just in time to block the tanto blade that was aimed at her neck. She pushed the root anbu away and yugio cut the masked women in half with her sword. The kids began crying as they just saw someone die.

"We need to leave!" Anko told them. Quickly, the three shinobi grabbed onto hitome and the children before they all vanished.

-with naruto-

Naruto looked at danzo and the twenty root anbu that were standing behind the man, each had a kunai or tanto in their hands.

"What kind of opportunity are you offering?" Naruto asked curiously.

Danzo took a step forward and began speaking." You love this village yes?" He asked.

"Of course." Was the blonds answer.

"Well right now the leaf is weak. A former shell of itself if you will. Just waiting for a village enemy to come along and crush it. I wa-"

Naruto cut the man off." Yes, confident dialog aside. Just get to the point danzo, what do you want?" Naruto asked in a bored tone.

Danzo looked at naruto." I want you to join my anbu, become one of my soldiers and I will train you. I watched your chunnin match and you managed to take down a partially unsealed bijuu. I want you to join my root organization and we can make this village strong again." Donzo told him passionately." We can destroy the other villages and keep konoha strong!" He told the boy.

Naruto stared blankly at the man before speaking." So let me get this straight. You want me to betray the third hokage just so I can join your little ninja club and have you train away my emotions until I become a brain dead drone like your little friends there-" the boy pointed at the assembled root anbu that were behind danzo.

Danzo narrowed his eye a bit at the boy." Lets face it naruto. Youre a smart boy so im sure you've already figured it out. You're nothing but the villages weapon. The third hokages only close to you because he needs to make sure that you stay loyal to the village." Danzo told him plainly.

Naruto didn't show it but that comment hurt him a bit." So you want me to be your weapon instead of the thirds?" Naruto asked before he eye smiled." Oh man I figured you out already!" Naruto let out a chuckle.

Danzo was stone faced as the boy laughed." Explain?" He asked.

Naruto pointed at the man." Youre a control freak." The boy stated with an eye smile." You wanted to be the third hokage in order to gain power to control this villages shinobi, you want me so you can control the villages weapon. Let me guess, you either try to recruit or kill someone that you cant control, huh? Im right arent i?" Naruto asked with amusement in his tone. Naruto activated his rinnegan and looked at the man in front of him with slightly widened eyes.

He could see seven points on the mans body where chakra was being focused at. One was behind the mans bandaged eye and the other six were along his 'disabled' arm. Hed only ever seen this type of chakra behavior when kakashi had used his sharingan during a few of their spars.

" so, what will your choice be? Join me or I can order the root anbu that's currently watching over your little hyuga family to kill them all. Its your choice." Danzo spoke plainly. If persuasion didn't work than blackmail usually did the trick. He watched the boys ringed eyes widen a bit and internally smirked. He had the kid right where he wanted hi-

"Nah." Naruto snorted, danzo almost stumbled a bit.

"W-what?" Danzo questioned out.

Naruto gave the man another eye smile." You see donzo, I just don't think we can be business partners. Its not me, its you." Naruto spoke in a saddened tone.

Danzos face hardened." I see then. The deaths of the hyuga heads family will be on your hands then." He told the boy.

"About that-" naruto let a chakra rod slid out of his palm and into his hand"- im afraid that im gonna have to kill you all." He told them.

Donzo let out a snort." You think you can kill twenty root shinobi and me?" Danzo asked.

Naruto shrugged lazily." Wont know until I try will i?" He asked curiously.

Danzo motioned towards naruto." Kill him." He ordered. The root anbu charged past their master and right towards naruto. Danzo would stay and watch before removing the boys eyes from his head after the kid died.

Naruto let out a tired sigh." I hate killing." He told them before dashing towards the root anbu at high jounin speed, his chakra rod was ready to cut through anyone that stood in its wielders way.

-cliff hanger!-