I own everything that is, was, and will ever be. See that computer screen you are looking at right now, that is mine. That air your breathing, mine. Gravity you are using, mine. But I shall never ever accept Naruto as mine. I would have made it so Naruto would have had an IQ above 50, and more than five abilities. So to simplify, I don't own Naruto.
(Anything in italicized format with ( ) are author thingy's)
Regular italicized are inner monologue.
Chapter 1. A Beginning to a Journey (AN. what the hell am I getting myself into?)
It was a perfect day, there were merchants peddling their wares to the passersby, the scent of fresh bread wafted out from the bakery windows, and not a cloud in the sky. About the only thing wrong was the lonely eyes of a small boy from the shadows of a back alley…well that and the um people running on rooftops and leaping enormous distances but that is for later. In the alley the small boy sees the crowd of people and their happy faces seemingly as if they have not a care in the world. Emboldened by the happy people the boy steps out of the shadows and into the light of day for all to see. For a second all movement stops and all eyes turn to the small boy. His gold hair clumped together by grime and dirt as though it hasn't been washed in weeks. The clothes disheveled and falling apart as though they were scrounged from the trash (they were) held up by lengths of frayed ropes. His face almost completely covered in filth, with three black horizontal stripes adorning each cheek. But what draws the attention the most are his eyes. His blues eyes deep oceans that only know longing and sorrow lacking the luster that a child of four should have. In his hands are clutched a ratty stuffed animal in the shape of a yellow mouse with red cheeks (guess who and I'll give you a cookie. They even have real chocolate bytes. And I don't own the mouse). Normally the sight of such a child would bring sadness to the eyes of any man or woman but instead all there are is hate, anger, loathing, resentment, fear, and no small amount of distrust. The words "Demon" "Monster" Murderer" and "Evil" were passed around in hushed breathes. Most walked off to continue on whatever had them outside today while a few hung back glaring at the boy with uneasy eyes as if just waiting for him to attack.
" Why me? Why do you hate me?" Cried the boy to no one in particular.
"You know why, Demon" Snarled random villager number 1. (He gets killed off in the invasion, giant fireball). "You're lucky we don't end you here and now." Another nameless meat shield said.
Hanging his head in defeat the young orphan retreats back into the shadows. It's not fair why am I hated what did I ever do to any of them? It's always been like this they beat me cut me kick me out of their shops give me spoiled food. Why? Why? Why am I always alone? The boy thinks to himself not really paying attention to where he is going but aimlessly wondering. Looking up he finds himself in front of a building that is unfamiliar to him. It's a very imposing two story solid granite structure with wide stairs leading up to the revolving door. A pair of stone statues flank either side of the door. Both identical soldiers fully encased in armor holding a flag of the city's emblem, as if they were eternal sentinels forever guarding what lay inside. A steady stream of people going in and out some going in only to leave a short time later but weighed down with scrolls and books of all sorts. I've never seen this building before.
Walking over to a man carrying scrolls precariously stacked well over his head the boy asks "Excuse me sir, but what is this building?" Startled the man loses balance causing all the scrolls along with himself to go tumbling to the ground while he screamed like a little girl. That's embarrassing. The boy who spoke then proceeds to pick up the scrolls that were dropped. "Sorry for scaring you mister". Says the boy.
"Why its fine it just sometimes I get so caught up in what I'm doing that I forget about the world, don't cha know." The stick of a man towering somewhere around 6' 2, a white robe covering him neck to ankle. He had light brown hair in the form of a birds nest indicative of bed head or a lack of caring. His bespectacled green eyes were searching out the dropped scrolls. His face was thin and angular. Searching for the remainder of the fallen scrolls. "It's the great library of Konoha. Can't you read the giant sign"? He replies while shifting his gaze from the ground and taking in the entirety of the dirt incrusted child before him.
"No" replies the boy. "Never taught me. In the orphanage. But I'd like to learn" He says with a dejected look on his face. All they would do is steal what little was mine and give me spoiled food.
The man's eyes burn with a holy fire like a man on a quest for glory and honor. Faster than the child can register the scrolls are snatched from his hands and off the ground. Before he can respond he finds himself being carried at great speeds up the steps of the building through the revolving doors past many of the many shelves containing scrolls, books and charts to one of the back corners to an empty table. That was fast how'd he do that?" The boy thought to himself. The boy was plopped down in one of the four available chairs at the square table; he dumped the scrolls unceremoniously in a pile. Having never been allowed inside such a splendid building before his eyes were everywhere. In the central area there were row upon row of shelves displays and charts. The oak shelves going up a good twelve feet marked by subject. A legion of tables surrounding the middle area. People freely flowing from one shelf to the next. From where he was seated he could see the second story and it too was full of shelves. There was a counter with a stern looking woman behind it steadily sweeping the ground floor with her unyielding eyes.
"So you want to learn to read?" For a reply all he got was emphatic nodding while the child's blue eyes were as big as plates scanning his surroundings. "Writing?" More fast nodding. "Well this would be a good place to learn seeing as it is a place of learning" The man assumed a thinking pose stroking his imaginary beard. "Alright, I shall teach you." The man said in a heroic voice.
Impossibly the kids' eyes grew bigger yet, but then just as quickly narrowed "Why would you teach me? Don't you hate me like everyone else?" He asked in a serious tone.
"First and foremost I am a man of knowledge and facts. As such the pursuit of wisdom is welcome in my book. If you desire the ability to read I shall give it to you." He said in a dead serious tone. "I have learned through my travels that humans as a collective are ignorant of a great many things and anything that they cannot understand are treat in a hostile manner. But some things will forever be beyond the scope of the human condition, well as they are now. As for disliking you, I just met you and as such I have no opinion good or bad at this time, don't cha know." He finished.
"Huh?" Was all he got as a reply.
"Basically people are stupid, so if they don't make an effort to be kind then just don't care about them, just think of them as nameless supporting characters in a story, unimportant by themselves but as a whole allow the world to function and I'm too smart to hate you, don't cha know." Simplified the man. He's a little slow on the uptake but from the looks of him he hasn't been cared for a while.
The boy started tearing up in response to the older man's words. The man while educated was not exactly a people person, so not knowing what caused the tears freaked out. "Don't cry don't cry don't cry. Um here I'll show you a trick." Whipping out a fountain pen and a blank scroll seemingly out of nowhere he started writing. The pen flew across the blank page with a practiced easy. What showed up was circle with a bunch of squiggly lines around it. "Watch this" he said as he dumped the pile of scrolls in the newly created drawing placed his finger on its edge and said "Seal" in a poof of smoke only the one scroll with the design on it was left. "Tada!"
"That was cool but I wasn't crying because I was sad it was because you were the first person to not hate me." He said with the remnants of tears still in his eyes. What did he do to those scrolls? Sticking his hand out. "I'm Naruto Uzumaki."
Taking the small dirty hand "Arius Miroku Noctis. It is a pleasure to meet you, don't cha know." He said with a bright smile. "Now first thing go clean up." He said while pointing to a simple picture of a man (bathroom).
Naruto ran off towards the bathroom to get cleaned up. Upon return he looked much better. Flashing a Giga-watt smile he ran to the table. "So when do we start?"
"Not until tomorrow. I'll need to prepare. So how about we get something to eat, hm? Arius glanced at Naruto noting even through his clothes the emancipated state he was in. "I know this little Raman stand called Ichiraku's". (Don't hate me. I know Ichirakus is overplayed but I don't care it funny.)
"Most places don't let me inside."
"Don't fear I go there every time I'm in town they are nice people who wouldn't turn away any business."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes" Seeing hesitation in Naruto's eyes. How about a bribe then? "tell you what I'll even get you some new clothes." His reply was blue eyes brighter than the clearest day and a smile that could warm even the coldest winter.
"Okay".
His wallet would never be the same.
Arius is sitting at one of the chairs at Ichiraku's balling his eyes out at the sight before him. On the counter there stands tall a pile of empty bowls twelve high, and behind the counter a man with a gleam in his eye that can only be called dollar signs. A content and slightly swollen Naruto can be seen passed out on the ground mumbling something about gift from heaven. How the hell can a midget eat that much. There is no conceivable way that's natural or healthy. There is no conceivable way he could have done that. He is simply too small to ingest that much at one time, if I had more time I would research this. "Thanks Teuchi" Arius said while picking Naruto up.
"No thank you, you just gave me a lifelong customer." Teuchi said with a frightening gleam in his eye.
Sighing Arius shifted the comatose Naruto to one hand and walked off in the direction of the Hokages tower. While walking to the tower he even he could read the expressions of the people as he was walking "Somebody finally had enough of that demon", "Taking him to the Hokage for punishment", and "Serves him right". It is quite disturbing the amount of hate they have for this child, somebody needs to do something before he loses it and kills them all. Walking into the tower he walks up to the concierge desk. "Excuse me, I would like to talk to the Hokage".
"The Hokage does not see any one without" she said while finally looking up from her paperwork. Her gaze locked on the blonde bundle the man was carrying "ah, never mind" Using the intercom "Hokage-sama, there's a man here with Naruto Uzumaki" For a reply all that was heard was "Send him up."
"Take the corridor on your left to the stairs he's on the fifth floor. Second door on your left." The receptionist said.
"Thank you." Was his reply before he set off.
Upon arrival at the door that had a Plate reading "Hokage" Arius knocked thrice. "Come." said a voice from inside the room.
(I is too lazy to describe him. So figure it out yourselves) Looking into the man's eyes you could tell the countless number of battles that he has fought and come out on top. On his Mahogany desk the sits two piles of paperwork the "in" pile being significantly bigger than the "out" pile. "What has he done?" Asks the Hokage in a tone equal parts boredom and tiredness.
Setting Naruto down in one of the unoccupied chairs Arius says "He's done nothing but, apparently neither have you." The look on the Hokages face was confusion. "He's been living on the streets for weeks. He said that he was kicked out of the orphanage and from his appearance id say that he doesn't have any possessions or anybody looking after him."
"I'll have to have a word with the" but before he could finish Arius raised his hand to signify to stop.
"Look I know his burden and so does every adult in this city and as far as I can see no one will take care of him. The resentment that the people show towards him is only pushing him away to the point where he will only have hate for this city and when he comes into his power there will be a reckoning. I would think that with your personal interest in him that you would have played a bigger role in his life." He said then glanced over to the pictures of the past Hokages and more specifically to the last one.
Catching this the Hokage flew through five hand signs and a blue glow enveloped the room, signaling that a privacy jutsu was in effect. He looked over to the sleeping boy.
"He ate twelve bowls of Raman and I hit him with a sleep jutsu so he shouldn't be up for a while."
"What do you know?" Said the man with the funny hat.
"A great many things but anyone with eyes can see the resemblance. And from the stories of the Fourth it is safe to say that he would not sacrifice some random child and a little research would lead to his involvement with one Kushina Uzumaki of Whirlpool. But with most everyone blinded by hate from the Kyuubi they have become too stupid to see the Fourth's true legacy."
Sighing "What will you do with this information?" Replied Sarutobi in his stern big boy voice.
"Nothing but urge you to do what is right. No one will take care of him so I suggest that you give him his own apartment and a weekly allowance till he becomes a shinobi."
Raising an eyebrow "What makes you think that he will choose to be a shinobi?"
"Well what else is there? No civilian will hire him he's got no family to fall back on so basically its shinobi or nothing. Besides with his chakra reserves alone he could become a titan on the battlefield."
"Your right again. Who are you to know these things? And frankly why do you care?" The Hokage asks
"Arius Miroku Noctis"
Stunned awe was all that was on the face of the "Professor". "The Eternal Scholar?" He managed to get out.
"Not that I actually go by that title but yes. And as for why I care who do you think it was that gave Minato his first sealing book?" Arius said with a mischievous grin. "But as I was saying he has no one close to tie him to this place. So I suggest you take that position. Come by once a week for a few minutes and see how he is doing. He will see you as a beacon in the dark and you can use it as an excuse to dodge paperwork."
"I agree, it would be welcome to us both."
Walking over to the bookcase along one of the walls and examining its contents. "Tomorrow I begin reading and writing lessons with him." He was actually impressed with the collection the Hokage possessed. "But with my new found involvement in the subject I find some things are out of place so after he can read and write to a proficient level I will leave to conduct research." Sarutobi raises an eyebrow. "Have you never wondered why the Kyuubi attacked? Next to the Nibi it is the most docile of the biju."
"So you think someone caused it to attack?"
"Yes, but Konoha has made many enemies so I will most likely be gone for a few years."
"Alright, this place is a little run down but this is the best the council will allow me to give him." He said as he took out two pieces of paper. He finished with one of them and handed it to Arius. "Give this to the owner she'll give him an apartment." Finishing with the second one. Here's the address. I'll start getting things together for the allowance."
"Good to hear, now upon my return I see a significant improvement with him, or better handling of the Elder Council I might just give you the secret to paperwork." The scholar said while picking up the boy and heading for the door.
Sarutobi's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. Can he truly have the secret to paperwork? I must make Naruto as happy as possible!
He laughed as he closed the door to take Naruto to his new apartment.
Okay well that is done, hurray for me. While writing this I discovered I loathe plot holes so if you find any let me know. Now send me reviews, I take all. I need to know how I'm doing. If it is particularly nasty review I might even figure a way to put it into the story. Till next time.