Chapter 1 - The Fox's Side: The Departure of Naruto Uzumaki
Twelve years ago, a monstrous nine-tailed creature called the Kyubi almost destroyed the entire village of Konohagakure no Sato. A brave shinobi, known as the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, sacrificed his life for his village. The Hokage sealed the beast into a young boy named Naruto Uzumaki; Naruto was also the son of Minato. For twelve years in his youthful life, people have been treating him like if he was some kind of monster because of the Kyubi inside of him. Every day, he's felt the loath and fear of the villagers mentally, verbally, and physically.
One day was the day he couldn't take it anymore. It was on the day of his graduation test. He practiced Ninjutsu every day for graduation. He's couldn't wait to become a ninja as well as becoming Hokage one day. Unfortunately, he didn't pass. He worked on every jutsu except for one; the Clone Jutsu. He managed to make a clone, but it didn't come out as it should and he received a hard failing grade from his sensei, Iruka. Mizuki wanted to give Naruto a chance of passing the test, but Iruka wouldn't allow it because of the clone Naruto made.
Naruto sits outside on a swing set, looking at the other students who passed the test. As he watched the future ninjas, two women were scowling at him and talked about the things of his troubles. They were close to saying that Naruto contained the Kyubi inside him. It was forbidden for the people of the village to speak that Naruto possesses the Nine-Tails inside him. Later, Naruto is speaking to Mizuki, who is known to be his friend, or so he thought. Naruto asks Mizuki about what happened earlier at the test. He tells him that it's not that Iruka hates him, it's because he wanted Naruto to become stronger; even though he failed the test. Mizuki tells Naruto little secret about the Sacred Scroll of Sealing. He easily got Naruto drawn in and he hides his sinister grin, but Naruto sees it and knows what was going on here.
At night, Naruto has finally found the scroll and read it. The part he got to was the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Shadow Clone Jutsu). Naruto groaned that it was his worst jutsu, but he's going to realize that it's actually easy. As he reads the scroll, the jōnin are searching all over the village, inside and out, for Naruto and the scroll. Mizuki is seen running around the village looking for Naruto as well, but with a evil grin on his face, knowing the plan is going as it should. Naruto is seen exhausted from practicing the jutsu. Iruka finds him and was exhausted as well from finding Naruto all over the village.
"I finally found you, Naruto." Iruka said.
Naruto rubs his head and chuckles, "Heh-heh. Well, you finally caught up with me. Huh, Iruka-sensei?"
Iruka was surprised to see the reaction from Naruto.
'He's been practicing. I can tell by the way he's been working hard.' Iruka thought.
"Listen, Iruka-sensei. I found a way to become a ninja so that way, you can pass my exam and everything will be okay."
"Huh? Where did you get that idea?"
"Mizuki-sensei told me, dattebayo! He told me where find the scroll and this place..." Naruto stopped there, seeing Iruka's face in shock.
'What? Mizuki?' Iruka thought.
Then, a swarm of kunai knives from out of nowhere and almost hit Naruto. But Iruka pushed him out of the way and kunai hits him instead.
"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.
Iruka didn't look good. He had kunai at his legs, arms and chest and was bleeding.
"I see you found our little hideaway."
"So, that's the way it is. I should've known." Iruka said.
Naruto looked confused of what was going on, but on the inside, he knows exactly what's going on. Mizuki comes in standing on the tree bench.
"Naruto! Give me the scroll now!" Mizuki ordered.
Naruto knows what Mizuki had planned the whole time, so he decided to play along and fake it.
"Wait a minute. What's going on?" Naruto asked.
Iruka pulls out the kunai out of his leg, "Naruto, don't let Mizuki get the scroll! It contains forbidden jutsu that could put this village in grave danger. Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself, for his own power!"
Naruto pretended to be surprised.
'I already know that, Iruka-sensei. That's why I'm going to stop him myself...' Naruto thought.
"Naruto. Iruka's just afraid because he doesn't want you to have the scroll." Mizuki lied.
Naruto acted confuse from what Mizuki said.
"Stop lying, Mizuki! Don't let him trick you, Naruto!" Iruka said.
'I know, Sensei. I know! I just have to draw him in to tell me the truth about the decree. If it's true...' Naruto thought.
Mizuki chuckled, "Oh, I'll tell you who's really lying."
"No, Mizuki!" Iruka yelled.
"They've been deceitful to you your whole life, Naruto. Since the decree twelve years ago."
"W-What decree...?" Naruto asked, pretending to be confused.
"Everyone knows it, except you. Iruka's trying to hide it from you, even now. He'd do anything to shut me up."
"What is this decree? Why is it that everyone else knows about it?"
"Don't tell him! It's forbidden!" Iruka yelled to Mizuki.
"The decree is that no one can talk or tell that the Kyubi is inside you!" Mizuki said.
"What...!" Naruto acted surprised.
"The fox spirit that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed our village has taken over your body... You are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"
"Stop it!" Iruka yelled.
"They all have been sneaking around, hiding things from you your whole life. Don't you think it was strange how they hated you? Like crap! Like they hated you for just being alive...!"
Naruto looks down in shock and disappointment, or at least that's what he made Iruka and Mizuki think.
"That's why you will never be accepted in this village! Even your beloved sensei hates your guts!" Mizuki then pulls one of his giant shuriken and prepares to attack Naruto, "Die, Demon!"
He launches it right at Naruto. The young blonde was still standing there.
"Naruto! Get out of the way!" Iruka yelled.
Naruto responded with a smirk on his face.
"Huh?" both the jōnin said, confused.
When the shuriken was close to Naruto, he easily moved out of the way like it was nothing and the giant weapon cuts down the other trees. It surprised Iruka and Mizuki.
'W-What the hell? He... He just moved out the way like it was nothing!' Mizuki thought.
'Naruto...?' Iruka thought.
"So... the truth is revealed. I knew it." Naruto implied, but differently in a calm, mature tone, "The decree of not talking that the Kyubi was inside of me. Man, how pitiful of the villagers to try to hide it. They just simply can't hide the fact that they have to live with a boy who carries a monster inside him. I thank you, Mizuki, for being my puppet of telling the truth of what was really going on here."
"What?!" Mizuki questioned, angry.
"I already know that you were planning to take the Scroll of Sealing, kill me, say that you were a hero, and then betray our village by using this scroll right here."
"You...! You son of a...!"
'I see... Naruto knew Mizuki planned this the whole time and that he would confess the truth. But... Naruto is different right now. He's not the same person I've known before... Now, I want to know what's going on here.' Iruka thought.
"So come on, Mizuki! Don't you think it's time to quit this little charade and fight me like a man?" Naruto asked, "Or is it just that... you're afraid of getting beaten by a kid who possesses the Kyubi?"
Mizuki's expression turns into anger, "You snot-nosed little bastard! I'll kill you right here on the spot! Now, die!" he yelled as he threw his last giant shuriken at Naruto.
Naruto grinned at the shuriken coming right at him. He easily moved out of the way and caught the weapon. Mizuki and Iruka were shocked to see him catch it.
"H-He... He caught it?!" Mizuki asked himself.
"Hmph. You'll kill me right here on the spot? I find it disappointing that it didn't happen, Mizuki. You know what? I'm getting bored already." he stated as he puts the shuriken down, "I think it's time to teach you a lesson. A lesson that you will never forget!" Naruto puts his hands together in a cross sign, "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A puff of clouds and smoke came and disappeared to show hundreds of clones Naruto has made.
'Naruto... Those aren't just illusions, they're solid clones! He's mastered an extremely advanced jutsu.' Iruka thought.
As the clones were taunting Mizuki, he started to tremble in fear and fell sitting down.
"If you're not coming to get us, then we're coming to get you!" one of the clones said.
Mizuki had fear in his eyes and screamed to the sky before the clones started to beat the hell out him. After the battle, Mizuki was battered, beaten, and had a bloody nose. Naruto stood over his opponent as Iruka stood there in shock. Naruto turns to Iruka.
"Hey, are you okay, Sensei?" Naruto asked.
"Yeah. I'm fine, Naruto. Just some scratches, but I'm fine." Iruka replied.
"Good."
Iruka was concerned of what just happened to his student, "Naruto..."
"Yeah?"
"What you just did... That wasn't you at all. It's like as if you were someone else."
"Hmph. It did, didn't it?"
"Yeah, how come you've never shown this true side of you?"
"Because there was no way that everyone would approve of me anyway."
"What do you mean?"
"Nothing. It's none of your business." he replied before he started to leave.
"Wait, Naruto! Where are you going?"
He stops at his steps, "I'm leaving the village, Iruka-sensei. There's no point of staying here with a bunch of people who hate me for having the Kyubi inside of me. But before I go, I want you to do something for me, Sensei."
"What is it?"
"I want you to tell the Hokage that Mizuki was the one responsible for all this; for what happened tonight and tell him that I'm leaving Konoha and I'm never coming back. I'm pretty sure the villagers will be happy that I'm gone. When I leave, don't try to stop me. Also, tell him I said thanks for taking care of me."
"I understand, Naruto. But that doesn't mean that you can just leave the village like that. You stopped Mizuki from using the scroll for his own power. You're a—"
Naruto interrupts him, "I'm what? A hero?! All I am to them is a fucking monster! They don't give a damn what I do anyways! Besides, there's nothing left for me to do here..."
Iruka is stunned to hear that from his student, "Naruto..."
Naruto turns around, takes off his goggles and throws it to his teacher. Iruka caught it.
"This is the goggles that I've worn for a long time. I want you to give this to the old man and if anyone asks for it, I don't care who asks, you can give to them. And the apartment that I lived in... Well, I don't care what the villagers do with it. They can burn it or do whatever the hell they want with it."
Naruto then walks past Iruka and the teacher was confused.
"Wait, Naruto. Why are you going to the village?" Iruka asked.
"I just have to do something first." Naruto answered.
"I thought you said there was nothing left for you to do here."
"I did. This is something personal. I'll be leaving in ten minutes."
With that, Naruto disappears into the air, leaving Iruka with Naruto's goggles. Naruto arrives at the front of the Main Hyuga house, jumps on the window and gently lands. He opens the window and sees only one person inside it. It was Hinata Hyuga. Luckily for him, she was asleep. He walks inside of her room, crouches next her, and watches her sleeping. He smiled at the sight of her. He knows all the times that Hinata has tried to talk to him but was too nervous and shy to do so.
As she sleeps, he whispers, "Hinata-chan... I'm sorry for disturbing you while you're dreaming. I'm here to tell you that I won't be in Konoha anymore. But I want you to remember that, even though I'm gone, I want you to be strong, but still the same kind hearted person I've known. Don't give up on your dreams. Never give up... Good-bye... My love..."
He gets up and walks out to the window. But before he left, he hears the whispers of the sapphire haired girl.
"Naruto-kun..."
He stops and turns around quickly, but only to see her still sleeping. He sighed in relief, knowing she was just saying his name in her sleep. But apparently, she opens her eyes a bit and sees someone near at the window walking out. She thought it was Naruto, but thinks she was dreaming. She closed her eyes and went back to sleep. Naruto jumps on the edge, looks back her one last time, closes the window and leaves the residence. Soon, he arrives at the gates of his village. He was about to leave, but stops at his steps. He looks back at his former home and at the Hokage Faces, and takes a long look at the Fourth Hokage. He clutches his hand into a fist from anger.
'You've put this monster inside of me. I don't know why. But I don't care, though. One day, I'll find out soon. I'll find out... or maybe not...' Naruto thought before he walked out of the village, showing no regrets.
Naruto Uzumaki has left Konohagakure no Sato. There is no home for him... Not anymore... Meanwhile at the Hokage's mansion, Iruka had just arrived there. He knocks on the door and hears the Hokage telling him to come in. He enters the room and tells him of the news.
"Hokage-sama, it's Naruto."
"I know, Iruka. He stopped Mizuki from stealing the scroll. I know he will be back soon." Sarutobi replied, looking out the window and smoking a pipe.
"That's the problem, he's not coming back. He left the village just now."
The Hokage turns, "What? Why?"
"He said there was no point of staying in a place where people can hate him for having the Kyubi inside of him. He doesn't want anyone to look for him. He also wants you to have to this." Iruka answers as he placed Naruto's goggles on the table.
The old man was shocked to see the abandoned goggles that Naruto has worn.
"I see." Sarutobi said before he took a smoke on his pipe, "What else is there?"
"He said for whoever asks for it, he doesn't care who you give it to and as for the apartment he used to live in, he doesn't care what the villagers do with it either. He also says thank you for taking care of him when no one else could."
Sarutobi sighed from frustration of the news Iruka told him. He sat back down with a shocked and depressed look on his face.
'Minato... I'm sorry...' Sarutobi thought in depression.
"Iruka." Sarutobi said.
"Yes, sir?" Iruka asked.
"Tell everyone in the village that Mizuki was responsible for the stolen scroll and that Naruto Uzumaki... died from the battle. And we were never able found his body."
"Hokage-sama... Are you sure about this?"
"Yes, I'm sure. If we were to tell everyone that he's still alive, the villagers might cause a panic or a riot if he does return one day or even worse..."
"I understand..." Iruka looked down.
"Go. You're dismissed."
With that, Iruka disappeared from the room. Sarutobi sat in his office, still with a depressed look on his face.
'Minato... Kushina... I didn't want this to happen to your son... Please forgive me...'
Naruto leaving on his own free will and he shows his feelings for Hinata. How will Naruto go on?
Review, fav, and follow to find out.
