Unshackled: A Naruto Fanfiction

Chapter 19: Provoke

"What do you know of the Akatsuki?" The words seemed to hang in the air, stuck in the tension as the two were engaged in an eye lock, neither faltering. Hiruzen waited patiently.

He'd get his answers even if it took all night. Just as suddenly as Hiruzen had asked his question, Naruto's blank face faded from existence, being replaced by a small smirk like a switch being flicked inside his head.

Years of experience and living, Hiruzen watched in amazement as the look of boredom and fatigue drained out of Naruto's eyes and out came the eyes of someone who knew what they were doing, the look of a veteran.

The look of someone who knew they were in control.

"I wonder, Hokage-sama," Naruto drawled out the word in a mocking manner, his canines pressing against his bottom lip as his smirk seemed to deepen. "What birdie squealed? You may have been known as 'The Professor', once upon a time, but that time had passed. It's practically an impossibility for you to piece this miraculous puzzle together unless someone warned you."

Hiruzen tried leveling Naruto's aloof attitude with a glare, but the blond's features didn't move an inch, completely unaffected. "You're going to tell me everything about you."

Naruto's smirk grew.

"No."

The answer was simple, but the outcome was instantaneous. Hiruzen showed that his old age hadn't affected his agility much, leaping over the desk with one hand planted on the wood, his feet swinging over the top and aimed directly at Naruto's chest.

But to his shock, he merely faded through the boy and shattered the chair the Genin had been sitting in just moments ago into splinters. He whirled around as the sound of clapping reached his ears.

Naruto was sitting in his chair, his legs propped up on the desk and his hands resting on his chest carelessly. "Your prowess is lacking, in your prime you might have been able to detect the genjutsu that activated the moment you said the name of that organization."

"Itachi taught you his specialty well," Hiruzen said, reigning in his anger and holding his arms by his side. This was something he hadn't expected. He knew that if the boy was truly raised by the group Itachi was spying on, then he would be powerful, but he hadn't even imagined that the boy would be this quick.

Naruto's smirk disappeared and Hiruzen let a glimmer of satisfaction into his heart. "Don't be too proud of catching me off guard by that small piece of knowledge," Naruto told the Third Hokage condescendingly. "The only person you're threatening with that is Sasuke."

"What do you want? Who are you truly loyal to?" Hiruzen's frown deepened when Naruto only raised an eyebrow in response, as if making fun of Hiruzen for expecting him to actually answer the question. "Get out of my village before I call every single shinobi and rain hell down on you."

"Quite a convincing argument, Hokage-sama," Naruto said as he stood up from the chair and looked up at Hiruzen, but for some reason, it felt as if he were looking down on him. "However I'll have to decline that one as well, there are. . ." He trailed off, getting lost in thought as he turned to gaze out at the village from the window.

Hiruzen's eyes widened. "You were telling the truth about wanting bonds," The dawning in his voice caused Naruto to curse mentally. "You've become attached to your team." It was a statement of a fact, not a speculation like Naruto had hoped.

". . ." Naruto didn't speak, not wanting to reveal anything else to the elderly man. Hiruzen's eyes hardened as he glared a hole into Naruto's back.

"However you have other goals as well, important ones. If you didn't, then why hide your history?" Naruto shook his head, amused by Hokage's willingness to display his own thoughts so openly.

"Because," The son of the Fourth began. "I wanted to."

Hiruzen grew angry, finding the answer ridiculous. "This isn't a game, Naruto! Don't treat any of this like a game! You have no idea what exactly you're getting into!"

Naruto whipped around like a flash of lightning, his usual cheerful or cocky persona was gone as if had never existed, instead showing flaring eyes filled with hate as he glared at Hiruzen with a pointed finger.

"No!" He roared as he marched up to Hiruzen, his finger inches away from Hiruzen's nose. "It's YOU who has no idea what's going on, no idea who's in control, and no idea when you're speaking to you're BETTER!"

Hiruzen found himself forced to his knees as a kunai was placed roughly against his wrinkly neck, his body went numb as somebody he couldn't see hold his head up so he could gaze up at Naruto, who was looking at him with disgust.

"So many years as Hokage and yet you can't even see the danger that lurks directly outside your doorstep, unwilling to do what you must." Naruto allowed an evil smile to cross his lips as his hand covered the upper half of his face, hiding his eyes. "You don't even realize just how out on control you are,"

"What are you-" Hiruzen tried speaking, but was forcibly stopped as Naruto's hand shot out like a viper, gripping his jaw and keeping it shut as he was forced to look into the eyes of the Kyuubi, the vermillion red shining with hatred.

"You don't realize that everything, you're village, you're shinobi, you're people," Naruto's voice was dark as he leaned forward, his lips right next to the Third Hokage's ear as the sound of the old man's panicked breathing filled his heart with unbound joy. "They all belong to me. And you know what's even better?"

Hiruzen watched in horror as Naruto's eyes began glowing a dark purple, hazing over the vermillion demon eyes as he felt his mind getting heavy. The last thing he saw was Naruto's smiling form.

And the last thing he heard before drifting off to darkness was. . .

"You're going to hand it to me."

And done. How was it? Good? Bad? Tell me!

Yeah, sorta shorter than usual but think of it as more of a continuation of the last chapter. This was purely to show the discussion between Naruto and Hiruzen, as well as give insight to just how much influence Naruto has.

However nobody but me is gonna know because holy hell do I have plans for this story. I'm genuinely excited.

Anyway yeah

Til next time my lil demons!