Perfect

Itachi was standing on a tree limb about twenty feet away. He was wearing his ANBU armor but no mask. He did not have a weapon out and was just looking down. Naruto casually put his hand on his sword but didn't draw it.

"So why is an ANBU captain here in the middle of an academy training exercise?"

"I am here because of you Naruto-kun."

"Yeah I kind of guessed that. So are you going to attack me or what?"

Itachi's eyes flickered to a spot behind Naruto. "Move." Itachi was gone from the limb instantly.

Naruto yanked out his sword and leapt to the right ready for an attack from any direction. As he did so, he sensed movement and chakra coming from behind him. Naruto glanced back to see a ninja he didn't recognize burst out of the forest. Moreover, as he looked Itachi appeared right behind and drove a kunai into the base of his skull. The new arrival let out a gurgle and pitched forward dead. Itachi came to a halt and stood there looking tranquil. Naruto landed and turned to face him with his sword ready. Whoa! He took that ninja out like it was nothing! "What's going on here? Whose side are you on?"

Itachi looked at him. "There is one more." And disappeared.

Almost immediately, another ninja burst out of the forest. Like the first one Naruto didn't recognize him and he wore no hitai-ite. "Grella!" The ninja screamed out. "You bastard!" He began tossing shuriken and Naruto was forced to move fast to avoid them. He leapt behind a large tree to gain some temporary cover.

This guy is definitely Jonin so I'm not fooling around with him. "Shadow Clone Technique." Twenty Narutos appeared in a large puff of smoke. As a group, they rushed out to surround their opponent and come at him from all sides.

The enemy ninja used a jutsu of his own. "Rock Garden Technique." All around him jagged slabs of rock shot up out of the ground. The clones were all struck and immediately puffed out of existence. The original was also struck and wound up being knocked to the ground. The ninja quickly ran through some more hand signs. "Domu Barrier Technique." Before Naruto could even get back to his feet the earth around him leapt up to completely surround and trap him. "You're finished now." Yuzuki called out. "I can drain your chakra while you're trapped in there. Once I've sucked you dry I'll finish you off. Don't bother trying to break out it's…" Without warning, half of the earth made dome exploded.

Naruto stood there with a sword in his right hand and his left hand glowing with chakra. He grinned a bit and looked at his left hand. Thanks godmother so much more useful than stupid medical jutsus. "I don't know who you are and I don't really care. But let me show you my power." He rushed forward eager to end it.

He really is the Yellow Flash's son. "Living Colossus Technique." His body transformed from flesh into solid rock. Naruto launched his attack just as the technique took effect. He aimed his sword's strike for the middle of the chest. The strike hit perfectly and as Naruto drove the sword home, the blade snapped in half. To his credit Naruto was able to improvise immediately. He dropped his broken sword curled his left hand into a fist and swung that. With his chakra enhancing the blow he could have certainly destroyed his enemy's rock body as easily as he has the rock dome. But fortunately for Yuzuki hisjutsu did not slow his reaction time. He was just able to catch Naruto's fist in his own hand before it could reach him. Yuzuki held Naruto's fist firmly trapped in his rock hard grip. He looked at the eight year old who had killed his best friend and partner. "You really are the Yellow Flash's son aren't you?"

"Yes I am." Even in the situation, he was in Naruto answered proudly.

Yuzuki nodded once respectfully and then proceeded to crush the boy's hand. Naruto screamed out in pain as the blood began to flow down his left arm. "If you lived you'd be as powerful as he was. It's a good thing we were sent here." He yanked Naruto up by his now useless hand and let him dangle in front of him like a fish caught on a hook. "Just so you know you little bastard all the power in the world is worthless if you can't reach your target. Now, no more jutsus for you and I get a little payback for what you did to Grella." With that said, he whipped Naruto about like a sack of potatoes and threw him full force into a tree. Naruto hit with most of his side and felt and heard his ribs break with a sickening, 'snap.' He was crying out in pain as he dropped to the ground. Yuzuki casually walked up to him and kicked him in the belly hard enough to send him flying about ten feet.

XXXXXXXXXX

Itachi watched and frowned as Naruto was being beaten to death. It seems I overestimated you Naruto-kun. I guess you weren't as strong as I'd thought.

XXXXXXXXXX

She heard her son scream and it was like a kunai slicing into her heart. She damned herself for letting this happen. She damned herself for not being able to do anything but listen as her poor boy was being killed. She was more than halfway there but her fear told her there was no hope. Naruto wasn't fighting anymore he was just being beaten. That sick bastard Itachi was just playing with him and it couldn't last long. Not long enough for her to save him. Her son howled and she screamed out in pain as well. If he died, if she lost him because she had let him go on this stupid exercise she would find and kill Itachi and then she would kill herself. She couldn't bear, couldn't stand to live without her poor son.

XXXXXXXXXX

Yuzuki held the boy up at arm's length and looked him over. His nose was smashed and his face covered in blood. His left arm was broken, left hand smashed, from the way he was struggling to breathe all his ribs were probably broken, and he thought the right leg was broken too. Every breath was an agony for the boy, yet he was still able to look up at him and speak.

"Who are you?"

"An enemy of your father's that is all you need know. You haven't suffered enough for what you did to Grella, but if I did this to you for a year it wouldn't be enough and I don't have all day." He put one hand around Naruto's throat. "Now before I end this I would like to hear the son of the Yellow Flash beg me for mercy."

"Beg?"

Yuzuki smiled. "That's right. Beg me to spare you. Beg like the pitiful dog that you are." He began to squeeze. "Better start begging before it's too late."

He knew he was about to die. He felt a great deal of fear, a lot of regret, and even some shame. However, as the hand began tightening around his throat, what he felt more than anything else was anger. Anger that his life was ending now, like this. Anger that he was being denied the chance to achieve his destiny. Anger at what he knew this would do to his mother and to Hinata-chan. It can't end like this! I can't just die here like this, for nothing! NO! NO! NO! And as his anger became white hot, he felt something deep inside him come to life.

Yuzuki watched as the boy's eyes turned from blue to red. Despite the situation, he hesitated for just a moment. "What are you?" And it was that momentary hesitation that killed him. For as he stood there he saw red chakra begin to flow around the boy and he felt an evil and malevolent power coming from it. "What the hell are you?" He squeezed his hand but the red chakra was now between it and the boy's neck.

Naruto looked at him with hatred and screamed his answer. "I'm a future Hokage! And until I become Hokage I will never die!" Acting on pure instinct, he reached out to grab his attacker and the red chakra bent to his will. A gigantic paw flowed out from around him and clutched around the ninja's chest lifting him roughly about twenty feet into the air. Holding up his own right hand, he brought his fingers together and made a fist. "Die!" The gigantic paw crushed Yuzuki like a bug between two stones. Yuzuki's body exploded into a shower of rock which reverted to flesh and became a shower of blood and meat. Seeing what he had just done, he smiled and was glad to have killed him. With the threat now removed though his anger bled away and the chakra did as well. When the red chakra left him, he collapsed to the ground broken and powerless. "Mom." He whispered, too beaten to do more than that.

XXXXXXXXX

She'd heard him scream out that he would never die until he was Hokage. Heard him command that Itachi die and then silence, nothing at all. Then she'd heard him call out to her. She didn't know what had happened but she had hope that she just might make it in time. She was less than a mile away, less than one minute from him. "Hold on Naruto-kun, just a little bit longer." Though he couldn't hear her, she prayed he knew she was close.

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto watched as Itachi approached him and wondered if he was still going to die today. He couldn't even move. "You going to finish the job?"

To his immense relief Itachi shook his head. "No Naruto-kun. You are truly extraordinary and to deny you the chance to develop your full power would be a tragic shame. I want to see just how powerful you can become."

"Glad to hear it." As Naruto watched, his mother suddenly appeared behind Itachi. Her katana was out and already swinging for his neck. "Mom no!"

"Die!" Kushina screamed.

He didn't seem to move. One instant he was facing Naruto and talking to him. The next he was looking at Kushina her right wrist caught by his hand. Her blade had been brought to a halt a bare inch from his exposed neck. "Please do not attack me Kushina. I did not harm your son."

Naruto stared not believing he had just seen someone block his mother's attack with nothing but his bare hand. "Mom it's true Itachi-kun didn't attack me. He killed one of the ninjas who did."

Kushina stared at Itachi, clearly just as amazed that he had stopped her. She still did not trust him but was willing to believe her son. "All right, I won't attack you." He released his hold on her and she swiftly moved to her son's side staying between him and Itachi. Her blade remained up and ready.

"I thank you." Itachi said politely.

"If Naruto says you helped him then I believe it." Kushina eyed him warily. "But I would still like to know what you were doing here in the first place."

"The explanation is simple. I was ordered by my father to assassinate your son."

"What?!" Kushina's killer intent spiked and her katana twitched in her hands.

Itachi held up a hand. "I chose to disobey the order and came here to deliver a warning to Naruto-kun." He looked to Naruto. "My warning is simple Naruto-kun. Never trust any member of the Uchiha clan, and that includes my brother." He looked to Kushina again. "You should also be aware that had I actually killed Naruto my father intended to arrange your death as well."

"What?!" Naruto cried out, far more upset at the thought of his mother's death than at his own.

"Fugaku is a dead man." Kushina said flatly. "Will you go with me to the Tower and testify to all this before the Hokage?"

Itachi shook his head. "No, for you see while I chose to protect your son I have all ready committed murder. I will be leaving Konoha to become a missing nin." A slight grin touched his lips. "I trust that you will not try to stop me."

Kushina shook her head. "After what you've done today, no."

Itachi looked back down to Naruto. "You have great power within you Naruto-kun. Work hard to develop it and reach your full potential for I intend to do the same. One day I intend to test myself against you and see which of us is the stronger." He gave a slight and formal bow. "Until that day Naruto-kun, good bye." With that, he disappeared.

With Itachi gone Kushina finally knelt beside her bloodied and broken boy. She quickly performed a basic medical jutsu to check his vitals. "Oh Naruto-kun, my baby! Everything is going to be all right! Mommy is here and I'll take care of you." She was relieved to find that despite the beating he had taken his heartbeat and breathing were both steady. Her son would live!

"Mom… I hurt." He said quietly.

She knew how proud and strong he could be and how much pain he had to be in to admit that. "It's all right dear! I have something to help!" She quickly opened one of the pouches on her belt and went through it. She finally found what she had been looking for. She removed the needle's cap and squirted out just a little of the creamy white drug. She then stuck into a shoulder and pushed down the needle's plunger. "Here my darling one, the morphine will take the pain away and help you sleep. I'm getting you to the hospital right now." She dipped her sword in a puddle of blood, then quickly wiped it clean and holstered it. She then took her precious little boy into her arms.

"Thank you mom that helps." His voice was already sounding sleepy. "Mom, I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough."

"Don't worry about that! It's not important! You survived that's all that matters."

"It wasn't me mom…" His mind was beginning to drift. "The red chakra…" he fell into sleep. She cradled him close to her and moved as fast as she had come. She wasn't worried about what he'd said there would be time for him to tell her everything later.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hinata!" Iruka's voice called out loudly as he landed nearby.

Hinata quickly got to her feet. "Yes Iruka-sensei?"

"Please gather all your things. Mizuki, I and some other instructors are gathering all your classmates. The exercises are over."

"But why Iruka-sensei?"

Her teacher looked at her with deep unhappiness. "I am afraid one of the students was attacked. We had a perimeter set up around the forest but it looks as though a pair of foreign ninja were able to penetrate it."

A terrible thought made her stomach turn to ice. "Iruka-sensei it wasn't Naruto-kun was it?"

He looked at her and sadly nodded. "I'm afraid it was." Hinata felt her entire world disappear. Iruka caught her as she fainted.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hello father." A calm voice spoke from the shadows.

Fugaku stared at his son as he stepped out into the light. "Itachi what happened? I've heard reports that Naruto was attacked but survived. He is in the hospital under ANBU protection. How did you fail?"

"I did not fail. Naruto was attacked by a pair of foreign ninjas. I did not attack him."

"You watched as a pair of foreign ninjas attacked him and you did nothing?!"

"Actually father I killed one of the two ninjas."

Fugaku looked at him as though he were insane. "You helped him?"

Itachi nodded calmly. "That is correct."

"Why? Why would you do such a thing?" Fugaku demanded.

"Because Naruto has a power inside of him that I want to see grow and develop. I want to see him become a truly powerful ninja so that I may one day test myself against him and learn what I am truly capable of." And saying that he took out his sword from his back and drove it into his father's chest. Fugaku gasped and choked out blood. "You are too determined to kill Naruto, so I am afraid I cannot leave you alive." Itachi stood there and watched the light leave his father's eyes, and felt nothing. A moment later, his mother entered the study and began screaming. Itachi appeared behind her and silenced her with a punch to the back of the skull. She fell to the floor unconscious, but very much alive. He then calmly walked out of his home. As he walked into the night a few people recognized him, he politely returned their greetings. He had considered killing them all as a service to the village. In his opinion, the entire clan had degenerated to the point of being a disease that would only sicken Konoha. He had thought of performing the service of curing Konoha of this disease prior to leaving. However, he had reconsidered. If so many of the villagers and shinobi wanted to harm Naruto then the entire village was already diseased and perhaps terminally so. Besides, with the Uchiha clan intact Naruto would have a powerful enemy always right outside his door. That would give him excellent motivation. Thinking of motivation Itachi smiled.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Sasuke."

"Niisan!" Sasuke hurried up to his big brother.

"Did you hear? Naruto got attacked by a couple of ninjas and is in the hospital right now."

Itachi looked at him consideringly. "Do you hope he survives?"

Sasuke looked shocked by the question. "Of course I do! Even if I don't like him I don't want him to die."

"Come with me Sasuke there are things I must tell you." In short order the two of them were in a dark alley not far from the Uchiha compound. "I am leaving the village tonight little brother. After tonight I will become a missing nin and the disgrace of the Uchiha clan." He said it as calmly as he did everything else.

"What?!" Sasuke looked at his revered big brother. "Why would you do that?"

"Because three days ago I murdered Shisui and less than an hour ago I murdered our father." He answered calmly. Seeing Sasuke was about to start screaming he planted a hand over his mouth. "I have no intention of harming you little brother. However, should you begin to scream I will. Do you understand?" Sasuke nodded and Itachi released his hand.

"Why?" he sobbed. "Why did you kill father?"

"To protect Naruto."

"What?!"

Itachi nodded. "Father ordered me to assassinate him. I refused the order and helped him to survive this night's attack. Not that he needed much help. He is already very powerful and will grow more so. Father was a fool and would have kept attempting to kill him. To safe guard Naruto's future it was necessary to end our father's life."

"You killed father to help Naruto?" Sasuke whispered.

"Indeed, but that is not all. Let me show you something." He shut his eyes and activated the power of the Mangekyo sharingan. Sasuke was drawn into a colorless world. He recognized it as the Uchiha compound.

"What is this?" Sasuke asked in fear and confusion.

"Watch." His brother spoke.

As Sasuke watched, he saw a familiar figure walk into the Uchiha compound. Why would Naruto come here? And as Sasuke watched, Naruto changed. It was like watching a snake shed its skin. He began to shake and be covered by visible chakra, and then he began to grow and change shape. In short, order Naruto had become a gigantic nine tail fox. "What is this?!" He watched as his friends and family all began to flee and as the fox began to level the Uchiha compound. "Brother stop this!"

"Watch closely." His brother intoned.

"Mother!" Sasuke howled as his mother was snatched up into the fox's jaws and devoured. He stood there and watched as his home was flattened and as the people he loved were slaughtered by the beast. He was on his knees crying and begging for it to stop.

Itachi could have forced Sasuke to relive it for seventy-two hours. But Itachi's goal in this was to provide his foolish little brother with motivation not shatter his mind. He ended the effect and they were again in the alleyway. Sasuke crumpled to the ground weeping. For him it had seemed utterly real. "Naruto possesses the Kyuubi within him that is why he is hated by so many. That is also why he is so powerful. That is the power I want to help him grow."

"You want that?" Sasuke said in horror, he remembered Naruto's red eyes.

"Yes, I want Naruto to achieve as much power as he can. And if in reaching his potential he should lay waste to this entire village and everyone it that would be small loss. Have no doubt Sasuke that what you saw will come to pass one day."

"If you really believe that then why? Why would you help him and even kill father just to help him?"

"I need a powerful opponent to test my abilities against. Naruto is the only one in this entire village who I think might one day have the power to do that." Itachi managed a tiny smile. "And do you know why Sasuke? Because he knows how to hate. I saw him kill his opponent and felt his anger and his hatred, it was a wonder to behold. To gain real power you must have a deep and powerful hatred to drive you."

"Good! Because I hate you and I hate Naruto!" Itachi did finally see hate in his brother's eyes. "I'm going to kill both of you!"

Itachi nodded. "Remember that you must kill Naruto first, if you are not strong enough to defeat him you will have no chance to defeat me. And in order to gain that strength you will need the same power I posses. You too can gain the power of the Mangekyo sharingan, but there is a cost. You must kill your closest friend. It is the grief of such a loss that will allow your sharingan to reach the final state. But of course, before that day comes you must activate your sharingan. Now remember little brother, you must learn to hate and pursue power at all cost. Only in that way can you ever hope to defeat me or Naruto." With that he hit his brother and knocked him out. Perfect. Naruto will never trust the Uchihas. Sasuke will hate Naruto and try to destroy him. They will be enemies and there is no possibility of either one ever trusting the other. Their hatred and rivalry will help each gain greater power. Whichever one kills the other should make an excellent test of my abilities. I would put my money on Naruto. But at least I have given you your chance Sasuke. I've given you your motivation and a set goal. I have given you the chance to be a great ninja, after all what is an older brother for?

XXXXXXXXXX

Naruto opened his eyes. He was lying in a grass field with many sweet smelling flowers. He didn't feel any pain. He got to his feet and looked around. A little ways in front of him was an old ruined fortress. It had been made of black stone and seemed to have mostly fallen in on itself. Being curious, he decided to explore. As he neared it he saw the arched gateway into the fort was blocked by a huge iron gate, a lot like the one in front of his home. In the middle of the gate, he saw a single seal. Approaching the gate slowly he tried to peer inside, but even though it was day out the inside of the fortress was utterly dark.

"Hello," he called out. "Is there anyone there?"

And he heard it. A low dry laughter that scared him and made his spine tingle. He was already backing away when the two large red eyes opened. He froze. He was terrified but couldn't make himself move. He wondered if this was what a rabbit felt when the wolf's eyes fell upon him. And then the teeth. Two rows of long sharp teeth seemed to grin down hungrily.

[ FINALLY YOU HAVE COME! KNEEL BEFORE ME AND SHOW ME PROPER RESPECT! ] A voice like thunder cried out.

"Who are you?" He whispered.

Laughter thick with malice made his stomach turn.[ I AM THE GREAT AND POWERFUL KYUUBI! ]