Sold

"Damn it. All this over a jinchuriki that lord fourth left here." Hiruzen grumbled at his desk as he sifted through the pile of complaints about the young child. Four years into this mess and the complaints have yet to stop. Danzo stood in the room looking at a few of the scrolls that had the issue's written in them.

'what happens when the ninetails gets loose?'

'Why is the brat even still here? Why isn't he dead?'

'Why is the ninetails aloud to wander around like that?'

'Why haven't you locked him up yet? The ninetails could get loose again and destroy the village! Lord fourth didn't die for this brat to live freely like this'

The complains rained on in about a dozen other scrolls, all about how they haven't killed the young boy yet and why he's even in the village still.

Danzo had been keeping an eye on the boy and to his surprise he showed quite a bit of promise of molded by the right person. The evening was in full swing and most had gone to bed already when he decides to go check on the child that had caught his eye.

"Hmn?!" The boy wasn't in his home. So where was he? 'Where did Hiruzen place the brat?'

The smell of copper and the sound of liquid dropping answered his question as he laid eyes on a blond haired, blue eyed boy that had three whisker like birthmarks on his face; who's leg and arm was covered in blood.

The terror in his eyes amused the old man who stared at him with curiosity. Why the child was dripping blood and up at this hour was answered by a small shout that sent the child running onto the next building and continued the chase by ducking into an alley.

A small gasp of pain was heard when Danzo ducked into the same alley, keen on watching this event finish. Upon further inspection, the blonds leg seems to be on the brink of breaking unlike his arm that was already broken.

Scrabbling to hide behind a box, the pursuer jumped over unaware.

'What is this boy doing?' Danzo watched as said boy placed his hand just around his leg and began illuminating the area in a light green glow. 'So he knows medical ninjutsu at this age'

In a flash the boy was pulled up by wire around his waist and grabbed by his near broken leg in a tight grip. He swallowed the pain, not going to give them his screams. That didn't go so well last time.

"Did you think that you could really hide from an elite ninja like myself, ninetail brat?" The man asked with aggression in his voice "ANSWER!!"

The boy hung there, dripping blood onto the gravel below. "Let this be a reminder of what you are, demon" A kunai was shoved into his stomach and breached the back of his shirt. Simply letting go, he let the child fall before jumping off to who knows where.

"Naruto. Not Demon. Naruto" The boy whispered as he slightly caught his fall. The blade tugged from inside him. The consequence of it caused him to hack up a sickly amount of blood before breathing heavily. Not one tear was shed though. No he gave up crying a long time ago, learning that it earn him any empathy or anything except more pain and those awful looks. "Why are you hiding there mister?" He asked in a lower tone as he got back up, now with a hand over his wound and a kunai in the other.

'As I thought, this child shows some potential after all' The poisoned words seemed into his mind as he stood up in the shadows, towering over the frightened boy. Curious on what reaction he would get, he released a small amount of chakra more or less as a way to scare the child.

Blue eyes widened at the feeling, though he stayed in the same spot. Over the past few months he has learned how to control his fight or flight instinct and recognize when to do both. When the situation could call for both he would usually attempt to hold his ground as long as possible before judging whether or not it would be worth it.

The bandages that covered Danzo's face slightly shocked the child, who shifter his weight backwards. As quick as a breath, the boy leapt away and ran for his home; praying that it would grant him at least some form of security. At least enough to heal his wounds.

"Excellent" And with that the alley was left cold and empty as Danzo returned to the foundation. The next day would be quite the day as Danzo had a plan.

**Time skip: The next morning**

Hiruzen agreed to meet with Danzo to discuss the matter of the jinchuriki, who was on both their minds albeit for different reasons.

"Have you come up with a solution?" Danzzo enquired as he drank some of his tea.

"Yes." No remorse was held in his voice when he gave his answer that shocked even Anbu leader himself.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. I won't have this village and my reputation destroyed because of one child and his antics. It will only be for one year until I come up with another plan."

"Once that year is over. I would take him off your hands and place him into the Anbu black ops. He will train and serve under both you and myself. As such for certain things it will require both our names for confirmation." Danzo's snake like tongue worked to persuade the Hokage into the decision where it benefitted the both of them.

Where he planned to sell the boy didn't concern him in the slightest as there was now another tool that was promised to be added to the arsenal. The feeling he had about this one was unchallenged and he would be sure to use it to the full extent.

"Where will you be selling the jinchuriki too?" Danzo's curiosity got the better of him once he heard the answer and the numbness that he used to feel around Hiruzen returned once again. 'The will of fire has died in him and yet has also been rekindled do to this boy.'

Once the year had passed, the outcome was not what the third had expected. Not at all. The child still held his antics and innocence. The buyer didn't do as promised, though it was to late to go back now so he gave him over to Danzo who snapped him out of his façade and created the perfect tool out of him.

Seven years would pass before Naruto would appear again, not like his old 'friends' missed or expected him to appear in the most unexpected of places. The amount of missions between then outnumbered even the legendary Sannin themselves.