Hey there everyone, Silver here with a treat for both you and me since I can't get the damn idea out of my head - I thought of a crossover with Bloodborne, and since in the past I got some requests for a darker, serious...er...Naruto, it works out nicely. So, this is a preview/prologue of the concept, and if it gets a good enough reception I can continue it, popping a chapter out whenever I don't have "Are You Truly Heartless" to update.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, Bloodborne, any references I may make, so on and so forth. Enjoy.


Konohagakure, Seven Years After the Kyuubi's Attack

A soft rustling noise could be heard in the streets of Konoha. If it were to be followed, one would find it originated from a dumpster, hidden in the back alley behind a child's toy store. This store, quite popular amongst the children and some niche adults within the village, was known for its well-known foreign doll stock, though each type grew less popular as their origins grew further away. Within this store's trash deposit was a small creature, something many would assume to be a small animal looking for food. However, in just a few moments, a small child popped out, a mess of spiky blonde hair atop their head, somewhat tanned skin on a gaunt frame, covered only by a ratty white shirt and barely-fitting red shorts. This child, clearly a boy, was revealed to go barefoot as he hopped out of the large garbage receptacle, holding in his off-hand what appeared to be a doll, discarded for one reason or another. As soon as he hit the ground, he threw the tossed toy into what appeared to be a small pile of similar objects, and began to look through it anew.

This child, rifling through forgotten toys, was known as Uzumaki Naruto, pariah of the village and container of the Kyuubi no Youko, the demon fox that had nearly destroyed Konohagakure had it not been for the combined forces of the village shinobi and the sacrifice of their leader, the fourth Hokage. Known by the adults to be the demon's container, this boy had long since been hated and abandoned, unaccepted even by orphanages, and left to fend for himself.

As for what this child was doing, that was something only he knew; in his lonely life, all the boy could ever want is a friend, or at least something to keep him company. To this end, the outcast came to the store earlier in the day to try and see if the shopkeeper would give him a toy, but alas, he was thrown out with threats of violence. So, as the sun set and night overtook the village, he set out to dig through the discarded items, hoping to find something he could call his own.

With each doll and figurine he looked through, damaged and disfigured, he became increasingly frustrated. Faces mangled if not outright missing, body parts broken off and misplaced, many barely resembled their former selves, let alone a humanoid being. As he began to lose hope, he finally picked up one that seemed to be in-tact - almost untouched, even. Clearly western in design, this plain-faced female doll was missing only an eye, and its hair was slightly amiss. Given the trend the store followed, it was likely thrown out due to being undesirable among the children, despite the efforts to make it more appealing. The clothing on the toy was clearly not original, whatever western clothing replaced with a simple, slate-grey kimono and off-white obi, small wooden geta placed on its small feet. Its pure white hair, despite the bangs being mussed up, was pulled into a traditional bun, held with very simple wooden hairpins, the only decoration being a plain ball at the end. There was no paint on its lips or eyes, only furthering to emphasize its simplicity, but even seeing this, Naruto could not tear his own eyes away from it. Standing up with the doll held in both hands, he gently hugged it to his chest, signifying that he found the friend he was looking for. However, in his affection, he failed to hear approaching footsteps, only knowing he was seen as a glass bottle shattered against his head. Turning to face the direction, he spotted the store-owner, a slightly older man in plain clothes, seething with anger. Almost immediately, the small child turned and sprinted as fast as his legs would carry him, clutching the plain doll to his chest as though it were his most precious possession. The owner shouted after him, shaking his fist, unaware Naruto had made off with the tossed doll.

"That's right, you better run you demon brat! If I catch you trying to take my shit again I'll break your god damned legs!"


Half An Hour Later - Run-down Apartment Complex

The sound of a slamming door and heavy breathing were the only things that could be heard within the building Naruto had run to, the complex long-since abandoned by its owners once the child had been granted the right to live there. As soon as he caught his breath, the boy stumbled to the center of the room, a worn futon the only thing to catch him as he collapsed onto his side. Still clutched in his arms was the doll he had pilfered from the trash, his face pressed against its surprisingly soft hair.

"I don't know why but...I feel so happy now...I don't ever want to lose you, Doll-chan..." the boy muttered to the motionless doll, weariness overtaking him as he drifted off to sleep. As his breathing slowed to a smooth, consistent rhythm, his mouth turned upwards into a content smile, the most natural one he had ever had in his seven years of life.

He slowly dreamed, dreaming of a large, empty room marked only by a massive cage. Nothing but shadow was beyond, though a presence could be felt. However, that was unimportant for the time being. On the cold stone floor of this room, Naruto lay, asleep, his head rested on someone's lap. A pale white hand gently carressed his whisker-marked cheek, the arm cloaked in gray. The stranger smiled softly as they stared at the boy's face, and they spoke, a soft, feminine voice echoing in the halls.

"Rest, sweet child...in your dreams, I shall return your kindness," she whispered, sincerity evident in her voice. "In time, you will pursue the echoes, and with my aide, they will become strength...rest well, sweet child, and may you find your worth in the waking world..."


Five Years Later - Konohagakure Genin Academy, Late Morning

Naruto's Mindscape

Silence permeated the massive stone room that represented Uzumaki Naruto's mind, or more accurately, the representation of his Jinchuuriki Seal. Stood within the center of this massive room was the boy himself, the orange jumpsuit many know him by missing. Instead, he wore the most simplistic shinobi clothing, a black shirt over fishnet, black pants taped off at the ankle over black sandals, and a pair of goggles placed firmly over his forehead. On his waist was the traditional shinobi throwing-tool pouch, but next to that was the same plain doll he had rescued years ago, situated on his waist, held by a strap clearly designed to hold it as securely as possible.

However, in front of him stood another figure. A fairly average-height woman, dressed in the same garb as Naruto's beloved doll - a living embodiment only present within the boy's dreams. Her lips curled up in a very faint smile, as she gazed lovingly upon the child that had taken such care of her all this time. Nodding her head once, she addressed him with reverence.

"Young hunter, though it may be lacking, you have taken to my guidance with great ease. I only wish I could provide you with more, but the basic techniques of the hunters is all I have at this time," she said, the sadness towards what she couldn't do evident.

"No, Doll-chan, you taught me so much! Way more than anyone else did," replied Naruto, desperately trying to keep her happy. "It might not be shinobi stuff, but I can't expect you to know how to do it...even if I can't pass the exams, I'll still find a way to graduate."

Smiling softly at him once more, she glanced at the massive cage to their side, only briefly catching the flash of two massive red eyes in the darkness, before they disappeared without a trace. The presence of the Kyuubi had long since been a barrier to not only the boy's growth, but to his standing in the village, creating more trouble than they could deal with in many cases. Seeing the concern on her face, Naruto approached, embracing her with a deep-seated affection. Returning her attention to him, she closed her one remaining eye, wrapping one arm around the back of his head, her other hand resting on his spiky hair.

"Thank you, good child...but I must remind you, in either your world or mine, these acts of kindness are rarely treated with reciprocity..."

"I know, Doll-chan. I have to keep my emotions in check, and act without mercy; a single slip and the beasts of the world will eat me alive."

"Yes...but, it is time. Your trial approaches, young hunter. Farewell, and may you find your worth," the Doll said as she let go of him, stepping away. Another smile was her response as Naruto faded from his mindscape, and she turned to face the demon fox's cage. A miasma of red seeped out and pooled around the room, though it strangely did not touch her. A stern look came upon her face as she looked upon the beast's prison without a trace of fear.

Real World

Raising his head from its place on his desk, Naruto looked around the room as though he had been awake the entire time, looking around at the various students that had already taken the Genin exam before him. As if on queue, a door leading to a side room opened and another student walked out, one Uchiha Sasuke. Furrowing his brow, the boy held back a glare as he looked at the stoic boy return to his seat, knowing full well that he passed the exam without any shred of doubt. Naruto considered the boy, the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, his rival, though it was likely a one-sided belief. True to his clan's renown, the boy was skilled in nearly every aspect they were taught, something that gave the Uzumaki boy a strong desire to improve, despite his shortcomings.

"Uzumaki Naruto, your turn!" came from the doorway. Turning his head again, Naruto looked at the source of the voice; his favorite teacher and the only one to show him any kindness in the academy, Umino Iruka.

Standing up, Naruto began his approach to the exam room, walking down the steps and locking his gaze on it. Despite his apparent single-track focus, he could still make out the snickers and jeering of his classmates mocking him, believing that he'd fail completely. Paying them no heed, he finally passed by Sasuke, and heard him speak under his breath.

"Try not to embarrass yourself, dead-last."

Biting his tongue, the blonde held back the urge to yell at him on the spot, instead taking the dig as motivation to work even harder. With his inherent nature as a loud-mouthed, short-tempered joker, it was incredibly difficult to contain himself so, but after he learned how to communicate with his Doll's living form, he had learned much in that aspect, plus a few others he wasn't ready to display. Stepping into the exam room after the short trek, he quickly took his place on the x-mark on the floor, mentally prepared to give his all and finally graduate.


Several Hours Later - Outside the Academy

Gently, Naruto swung back and forth on the rope swing in the Academy's yard, watching on with dead eyes as parents heaped affection and praise upon their children, all those who passed the Genin exam. As one could guess, the whisker-marked child had failed, and with no parents to console him, he was left to wallow in his depression. That is, until a figure approached, wearing the standard Chuunin uniform of Konoha shinobi. Looking up at this person, he was somewhat shocked to see Mizuki, a teacher at the academy alongside Iruka. A soft, caring smile rested on his face, something plainly visible even in the dusklight. As soon as he was close enough, he crouched down to meet Naruto's eye level.

"I'm sorry you couldn't make it this time, Naruto-kun. But it's not necessarily the end."

"What are you talking about, Mizuki-sensei...? I failed, no buts about it..." Naruto responded, hanging his head in shame.

"Well, what if I told you there was another way?" Mizuki retorted, a devious glint flashing in his eye as Naruto's head snapped up, the boy's deep blue eyes shining with newfound hope. "You see, there's a secret test that we don't normally tell students about, since its super hard. It'll be harder than anything we've ever done in class, but I'll tell you."

Nodding his head fervently, Naruto exhibited his willingness. Becoming a full-fledged shinobi was likely the only way he could gain any respect in the village, and the only way he could honor his Doll's teachings. Alongside this, becoming a Genin was the only way she'd tell him about the history of the Hunters she was so keen on him becoming one of, as proving he could go out into the world and survive was her requirement.

Leaning in close, Mizuki whispered the "test" into the boy's ear, who listened with more interest than anything before, committing it all to memory as best he could. Unfortunately, he could not detect the inconsistencies in the so-called test's secrecy, his focus on graduating too intense. As soon as the instructions were relayed, Naruto thanked his senior with gusto and took off to prepare. With him out of line-of-sight, Mizuki's smile turned to a vicious smirk, and he chuckled softly to himself.


Night, Hokage's Office

Come the dark of the night, Naruto began his new graduation exam. As told by Mizuki, hidden within the Hokage's office was a scroll that contained many powerful, unique jutsu. Learning even a single one would automatically allow him to graduate, and this prospect was far too great for Naruto to stop and consider the implausiblity of this. However, of all the skills that he learned in the academy, his stealth was far above the standard, and he was easily able to slip past the security, all of which were at least medium-grade shinobi, Chuunin like Iruka and Mizuki. All seemed to be going smoothly until he got to the office itself, and was confronted with the greatest guard he could possibly find.

"Naruto, what are you doing in here so late at night?" came the voice of none other than Sarutobi Hiruzen, the third Hokage and Naruto's grandfather-figure.

Stopping dead in his tracks, Naruto stared down the leader of the Konoha shinobi, clenching his jaw and formulating his best possible option in this scenario. Sighing softly to himself, Naruto brought his hands up into the standard Ram hand sign, as the Hokage narrowed his eyes slightly, unsure what the boy was planning.

"Sorry Jii-san, Doll-chan, but I'm not letting anything get in the way of graduating, even though you guys hate this move..."

With that said, Naruto quickly flared his chakra and engaged his technique, and as a puff of smoke engulfed his body, the Hokage raised his hands slightly, getting ready to deal with whatever the child was planning. What he wasn't expecting, however, was for the smoke to clear and reveal an entirely nude, tall, adult, and female version of Naruto to appear from within it, remnants of the smoke only barely covering "her" body. Eyes wide as he stared on, the Hokage only lasted for a few seconds before blood erupted from his nose, knocking him onto the floor and unconscious. Satisfied that the last thing between him and the scroll was taken care of, he disengaged his "Oiroke no Jutsu" and advanced. It didn't take long to find the compartment where the scroll was hidden, and as soon as he had it, Naruto took off into the night, running to the forest and the location Mizuki told him to learn the techniques.

As soon as he arrived, Naruto took note of the surroundings, something he was specifically taught by the Doll. Other than the obvious trees, there was a small hut, a shrine placed for reasons he didn't know. None of it was particularly helpful for anything other than breaking line of sight, but that alone was a huge benefit in most cases. Nodding in satisfaction, the blonde preteen sat down and unfurled the scroll, looking at the first technique on the list to save time.

"Kage Bunshin...agh, why did it have to be clones...?" he said aloud, frustration evident on his face. The clone technique, in the academy, was his bane, and what cost him his graduation. To see that the first jutsu on the list was a variant of it hurt his morale significantly, but digging through the scroll to find a technique that suited him would hamper the time it'd take to learn them. Sighing in exasperation, he began studying the information on the technique, intent on proving his ability and passing the secret test.

As Naruto studied, the village soon went on alert. As soon as the Hokage had regained consciousness, he found Naruto's theft, and mobilized the shinobi to track him down. Included in those that began the search was Umino Iruka, arguably the best person to find him, considering his closeness to the boy. Even with this connection, though, it still took the course of hours to check every single possible place that he could have hidden, before realizing that even Naruto wouldn't be dumb enough to stay inside the village. With this realization, Iruka took off to look through the forested areas, using his own experience to look for any trace of where he went.

Surprisingly enough, it didn't take that long to find him once Iruka took to the forests. In little less than an hour he found Naruto, seated in front of the scroll and looking fairly deep into it.

"Naruto, what do you think you're doing?!" the teacher shouted, a mix of anger and concern on his face.

"I-Iruka-sensei! I didn't think I'd be found so soon...guess I won't graduate after all..." the boy responded as he turned around, pulling the scroll back to its closed state.

Confused, Iruka jumped down to ground level and looked down at him. The boy looked upset, but not for taking the scroll. Rather, he was upset that he had been found "so soon," as he said, as though he was expecting something other than a full-scale search for him.

"Do you know what you've done, Naruto? The Scroll of Seals is kept where it is for a reason - if the wrong person got their hands on it, it could be incredibly dangerous!"

"B-but, Sensei, Mizuki-sensei said that if I learned a jutsu from it, I'd be allowed to graduate!" Naruto said. Not sensing any dishonesty in his voice, Iruka knelt down to get to his eye level, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"That scroll is very important, Naruto...I hate to say it, but I think Mizuki was using you to steal the scro-"

Cutting himself off, Iruka picked his head up and looked around, something feeling off to him. Correct in this feeling, he quickly grabbed Naruto and threw him to the side, a barrage of shuriken and kunai embedding themselves in his body and throwing him backwards. Looking at the direction they came from, both Iruka and Naruto spotted Mizuki standing on a tree branch, two massive shuriken strapped to his back and a malicious grin stretched across his face.

"It's a shame that you found him, Iruka! Would have been so easy to just convince him to give me the scroll and off him right here, but now I've got to take care of both of you!" he spouted, cackling to himself maniacally.

"Mizuki, what are you doing?! Why do you want the scroll?!"

"Since you're going to die, I'll tell you!" he retorted, malice in his eyes. "Simply put, my power with the scroll will be infinite, and my master even moreso! We'll be able to destroy this damned village with ease!"

Eyes wide as he tore kunai from his legs, Iruka could only stare in horror at the plans of his supposed best friend. Pulling one of the large shuriken from his back, Mizuki began spinning it rapidly, laughing to himself once more.

"So, who do we want to off first? The talentless Chuunin that leeched off my skill, or the demon fox himself?"

"Mizuki, don't! Don't tell him!" Iruka shouted with desperation. Another weapon torn from his body as he attempted to get to his feet, keeping his eyes locked on the man now revealed as a traitor.

Glancing over to Naruto with his shuriken still spinning, he cackled again, using his free hand to point at the boy, still clutching the scroll.

"Oh, don't tell him that he's the Kyuubi incarnate? That HE is responsible for the destruction of our village?! That's right, brat! YOU are nothing more than a monster in human form!"

Believing himself to have disheartened the boy, Mizuki threw his head up and laughed loudly, only to be interrupted by an incredibly unexpected response.

"Not really. I learned about that guy a couple years ago, and I'm pretty sure that him being inside me isn't the same as being him."

"Wha...what? You...you knew about the Kyuubi...?" Iruka stuttered, stopping his removal of the implements and staring at the boy with a mixture of shock and sadness.

Mizuki, too, was shocked, even slowing his shuriken-spin as he tried to process both the fact that Naruto already knew of his burden, and that his plans to break the boy were completely sundered. Soon, however, that shock turned to fury, and the spin picked up to an even faster pace. Snarling, he moved forward with his plot.

"I-it doesn't matter if you know! You're going to watch your favorite teacher die in front of you, and then you'll go with him!"

With that, the silver-haired man pulled back and hurled the massive shuriken at Iruka, the blade twisting through the air viciously. Paralyzed from the various objects embedded in his body, he could only shut his eyes and prepare to feel the blade cut through him.

But that sensation never came. Instead, the man felt a soft breeze blow against his skin, following an odd noise. Opening his eyes, he saw Naruto standing before him, hand gripping the center ring of the now-still shuriken, scroll under his other arm. Almost as soon as he had moved, the boy stabbed the giant tool into the ground and tossed the scroll next to Iruka without ever turning, prompting a snarl and yell of frustration from Mizuki.

"Keep on eye on that, Iruka-sensei," the boy stated, his voice flat and almost malicious. Looking straight at Mizuki, he spoke louder, addressing him. "I'm not going to let you lay a single finger on him! I don't care if you're a Chuunin, Jounin, or even a damned Kage, no one hurts my friends!"

"Friends?! You really think he cares about you!? The Kyuubi, YOU, killed his parents twelve years ago, demon! If anything, he hates you more than anyone else!"

Before Iruka could respond to that and tell him otherwise, Naruto threw his hand to the side, clearly telling Iruka not to speak.

"It doesn't matter if he hates me or not. He helped me when I needed it most, and I plan to protect him in turn."

"Have it your way then, demon! I'll kill you in one shot!" Mizuki screamed out, leaping from the tree with his second shuriken in hand, planning to use it as a melee weapon.

With a massive swing the traitor looked to behead the boy, only to be met with thin air. Faster than Mizuki could even catch, Naruto had already moved to the side, and the boy brought his knee hard into Mizuki's gut. Not ready for the retaliation, the older combatant was sent tumbling away, only barely righting himself in a crouch as he held his stomach.

"W-when...did you get that fast...?" he questioned, the look of anger on his face now dotted with some kind of fear.

Not answering his question, Naruto brought his fingers up into a strange hand-seal, index and middle fingers of both hands held in a cross shape. Without uttering a word, he flared his chakra, and smoke enveloped the clearing. When it cleared, both Chuunin were astounded to witness a veritable army of Naruto clones everywhere, even in the trees.

"I know a lot of things you didn't teach me. I can add this to the list."

With that, the clones, or more accurately, the Shadow Clones all rushed Mizuki, beating him to a pulp without hesitation. Once he was clearly disabled, they all disappeared in a mass smoke cloud, leaving only the real Naruto standing above him.

"I was taught that mercy would be my downfall. It would be mercy to end you, Mizuki-sensei...so I'm going to let the village decide your fate," he said, his tone dark and filled with malice. Through blackened eyes and blood, Mizuki looked at him in fear, only his wounds preventing him from screaming.

Walking away from the fallen foe, Naruto moved over to Iruka, who had merely watched the beat-down with a mixture of pride, shock, and amazement.

"N-Naruto...that technique...you learned that in such a short time?" he asked, eyes wide and pain forgotten.

"Yep! It was kind of tough, but once I got it down it became super easy. I even had time to learn something else, but I'm gonna save that for a rainy day!" Naruto replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Matching the boy's smile with his own, Iruka raised a hand up as Naruto leaned down to help him, only to witness the boy fall over, unconscious. Obvious to Iruka, the strain of using the advanced technique en masse drained him, resulting in this reaction. With a soft smile, the Chuunin finished removing the throwing tools from his body before leaning Naruto up against a tree. Gently, he removed the ever-present goggles from his student's head, replacing them with his own headband.

"I think that you've shown you have more than what it takes to graduate, Naruto...I'll make sure it happens."

With that, Iruka leaned himself against the same tree, closing his eyes and joining the unofficial Genin in unconsciousness. From his office, the third Hokage watched the events unfold via a crystal ball, a smile on his face as well. Not only had Naruto proven himself many times over, but a traitor to the village had been rooted out and taken down, more likely than not making up for the theft of the scroll. Inwardly, the Sandaime noted he would need to pull some strings come the morning, but for the time being, he sent out a small squad of shinobi to retrieve the three in the forest and the scroll.


Whee, start of a new story. I hope you can see that I'm going for a stronger, more mature, and technically smarter Naruto this time around.

As for the Bloodborne touch, it'll be far more than just the Plain Doll, but that's only as the story advances. Like I said, here's your Christmas bonus story. Please, leave a review and criticism if you have any. Thank you for reading!