Warning:
Foul languages and Graphic scenes
Rights:
I don't own Naruto
Editor:
YAXON
Author's Prenote:
For all of you who love Second Chances I will love to tell you all that I will continue writing it as long as you guys enjoy reading it.
Now, this story is a remake and I promise that things will be completely different. I will do my best to keep it as close to canon of the Naruto manga. If Obito does die, then whatever, I'll ignore that XD.
Before everyone starts reading this story, I want people to know that I do things for a reason. Before judging, sit down and relax and wait for the story to continue to answer questions.
Now please enjoy~
Chapter 1
There they stood, high up in the hills where they observed the dancing flames that ate away a small village. Three dark figures ignored the muffled cries from behind what belonged to a handful of children, their mouths stuffed with cloth and their tiny wrists tied up with rope. Tears slowly trickled down their raw cheeks as they trembled close to one another.
"We should get going," one of the men said calmly, while another who was slightly shorter chuckled.
"Come on, we don't have to rush this," he said as his blue eyes glowed with glee as he took in the stench that emerged from the village; the stench of rotting corpses. "The village wasn't even a part of the Five Great Nations' Alliance... no one's going to ruin our fun."
"Don't be too sure..." the third one with a black low mask said with a rough tone while he reached for his long black bow that was strapped on his back as his eyes narrowed to the side, sensing something off from the dark forest. "After all, there will always be fools who want to play the hero..."
"Indeed," the one in the middle turned to the children. "I guess we have no choice but to get our hands dirty..."
A large, long dragon emerged from the forest, making the blue eyed man smirk at the challenge and spotted the user of the technique standing on a branch with his hands formed into a hand seal. The younger figure was blue-skinned, lighter compared his shark-finned styled hair.
"Hoshigaki Ashizame..." the masked man identified the boy before the dragon let out a cry that shook their senses, and they remain rooted in their place as the Jutsu was blasted in their direction.
"Everything is set and ready, Lord Hokage," a shinobi said to a blond man, who walked into a white room where five seals were printed on the floor around in a circle. Unlike the shinobi that were in the room with him, he wore a white robe with the hat hanging from his back. The hat had the kanji for Fire embedded on it.
"Are you sure you want to ask them about you know what during the meeting?" a longtime friend asked as he walked in after him. The Hokage's advisor had shoulder length black hair that was tied in a spiky ponytail. His narrow brown eyes watched his friend chuckle while he sat crossed legged on one of the seals that were on the floor.
"Of course. I had my mind set on it ever since my son was born," the leader of the village said with a grin. "I'm not backing down no matter what."
"I know you're not, but still... The other Kage won't be easily swayed this time," Shikamaru walked over to stand beside the Hokage. "I figure they will be all riled up from the recent attacks to even take in your request."
"That isn't going to stop me," Naruto formed a certain hand seal while the doors to the room were closed, leaving the two alone. "But just in case they give me a hard time... you'll back me up, right?" he asked for confirmation, which made Shikamaru let out a sigh.
"You're so troublesome..."
"Thanks Shikamaru, this really means a lot to me," Naruto said with sincerity. "And I apologize if my request is rather..." he tried to find the best words to use, as he knew Shikamaru may have some negative feelings about his request.
"They're here," Shikamaru interrupted as the seals began to glow, and the room was filled with projections of four other people. Four, just like Naruto, wore the Kage robes, but with different symbols, and sat cross-legged and had their hands in the same hand seal that was transferring chakra to the symbols, giving them the ability to have anyone that stood on the circle to appear to one another and to communicate.
One of the leaders was dark-skinned with a strong, bulky build. He had a small mustache and a beard that was light as his blond braided hair. His eyes held a strong vibe compared to the other men in the room. Across from him was the only woman in the room. Her short hair that ended on her shoulder blades had a brownish tint to it. Her left visible eye was green as long bangs covered her right one.
Naruto smiled at one particular leader, who looked like he was around the same age as him. He had short red hair and wore the Kage hat with pride. Around his eyes were black visible rings and a kanji was carved on his forehead. He too was glad to see Naruto and gave a small nod in acknowledgment.
"Another village has been burned to ashes. It's the third one this week... We can't ignore such terrorism any longer." The fifth Kage that had purple-tinted hair said dully. He stared at the Hokage with a face full of scars; one over his lips stood out the most.
"It's only a matter of time before one of our own is assaulted," Gaara said calmly. "We should have taken care of those rogue shinobi a long time ago."
"That's what I've been telling you guys for the past several years," Naruto blurted out.
"But that's not the only problem we have now..." the Mizukage said quietly, catching the other leaders' attention. She was looking down for a moment before looking at them with a heartbreaking frown. "I sent a group of my men to bring in one of the suspects that have been attacking the small villages, but..."
"But what?" Naruto asked with impatience.
"One of my men has betrayed us and killed a good number of my own men before joining up with the enemy."
"That's not a surprise," The larger man grunted with annoyance.
"What's that supposed to mean?" The Mizukage asked, annoyed, offended by the man's comment.
"Since the beginning of time, your village has always had a huge number of missing-nin." The Tsuchikage blurted out. "So who's the new traitor?"
"His name is Ashizame Hoshigaki," she answered and the others fell silent at the name.
"Hoshigaki...?" Naruto closed his eyes as he tried to remember where he had come across such a surname.
"He's Kisame Hoshigaki's younger brother," she revealed. Naruto was surprised, as he imagined the face of a man with shark-like features.
"He had a younger brother?" he asked with amazement.
"And he's as dangerous as Kisame... I've already sent out a group of hunter-nin after him, but I have a feeling they won't get a chance to catch him."
"It seems like history is repeating itself," The Tsuchikage shook his head with displeasure. "We should confront the problem before another group like Akatsuki emerges from the shadows."
"Then it's settled, we should send our men to take care of these felons before another village ceases to exist," Gaara said.
"Oh no we're not," The Raikage growled, and the other leaders turned to him with confusion. "Those villages have nothing to do with us. We have given them a chance to join our Alliance, to gain protection from us, but they turned us down. Why should we risk our men and waste our resources for them?"
"Because it's the right thing to do," Naruto answered in a serious tone.
"You're always been so naïve..." the larger man scoffed. "I swear, one of these days, that naivety is going to lead to your own death. I wouldn't be surprised if that trash that you made us release from prison kills you while you sleep."
"He's not trash..." Naruto argued before the very thing that had been in his mind for days came back to him. He believed it was the perfect moment to finally make his request. He let out a nervous smile, one that caught Gaara's attention right away.
"What is it, Naruto?"
"Well..." Naruto would have scratched the back of his neck if he didn't have to send chakra to the seal. "I have a request for all of you."
"A request?" The Mizukage asked with curiosity. Naruto was hesitant to ask. He believed the attacks on the villages were something they should continue to talk about, but at the same time, the request he wanted to make was also important.
"Go on," Gaara encouraged his friend to speak his mind.
The Raikage's eyes darkened at the blond's with suspicion and the Tsuchikage continued to eye each one of them with boredom.
Naruto looked everyone in the eye and swallowed all the doubts he had before he finally made his request.
"I want Uchiha Obito to lead his own Genin Squad."
"Obito... You know you're not supposed to be drinking this..." a guy with gray, messy hair said quietly as he picked up a bottle of sake that was half gone. A mask hid the lower part of his face. His dull eyes looked down at the dark haired man who sat in silence at the table, avoiding eye contact.
The man's eyes were strained from the lack of sleep and he stared at nothing out of the ordinary. His head painfully throbbed and all he could do was close his eyes, hoping that maybe he would be swept away by a dream; unfortunately, harsh voices came back to claw at his mind.
"Hey, what about him...?! What happened to him?!"
"Over there! He's still alive!"
"It's time to finish him off!"
"Let's go!"
He grabbed his face, and unintentionally traced the scars that disfigured the right side of his face. His throat clenched as he began to thirst for the bottle that his friend was holding.
The kitchen they were in was dim. And the dishwasher was filled with dirty dishes. A few bottles of alcohol were on top of the shelves, and everything else was just simple. A small table was set up in the middle of the room, a small fridge stood tall next to a counter.
"How do you even get your hands on this? Everyone knows you're not supposed to have any alcohol."
Getting alcohol wasn't such a difficult task for the scarred man. People would literally hand him alcohol and, at times, more than he would ask for as if hoping he would die from alcohol poisoning, but of course he wasn't going to share that secret with his friend.
"And I've been informed that you haven't been going to your sessions."
Yes... sessions with a therapist who was far younger than both of them, who clearly had no way of understanding the hardships of a veteran... and less likely a former international criminal.
Kakashi pulled out a chair to sit on, so he could be facing his old friend. He observed the man's eyes that were stoic as ever. Fortunately for him, he could read his friend. "Tell me... what's been bothering you...?"
Obito's eyes wandered down to the table, the numbness still lingered in his fingertips.
"Obito..." Kakashi's eyes softened when he saw Obito's lose the little bit of light he had in his eyes. It made his heart ache to see his friend in such a state.
"What's in the folder...?" Obito asked in a hoarse voice.
Kakashi was quiet, and he looked at the folder that was set on the table; he had brought it with him.
"Naruto has an offer for you," he said as he picked up the folder.
"An offer...?" Obito narrowed his eyes with suspicion, and for some reason, he started to have a sick feeling deep down as his friend seemed hesitant to hand him the documents. Once he got the folder, he stared down at the picture of a blond child clipped to the top of the first form. He flipped to the other pages before looking up at his friend without any emotion.
The gaze didn't surprise the masked man, and instead it made him smile behind his mask.
"Trust me... I also had the same doubts as you a long time ago when I was in your shoes, but..."
"What about the other parents?" his friend interrupted him. "Surely they didn't agree with this."
"Actually... they believe you are the best candidate for their kids..."
Obito stared at his friend with disbelief. He looked back at the documents and tried to make sense of it all.
"This won't just benefit the kids, but it will also help you get back on your feet."
"You sound so certain..." Obito mumbled quietly.
Kakashi placed got up and placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder.
"These kids need a good teacher, and you're the only one who can handle them.
Obito looked up at him quietly before Kakashi gave him a nod.
"This is what you have been waiting for."
"Miso!"
A voice called throughout the house, followed by a knock on a door. When there was no answer from the room, a woman, with long purple hair made her way inside.
"Miso, you're going to be late for your last day of school," she fell silent to see the bed messy; there was a black schoolbag on top of the bed with a pair of goggles sticking out from one of the front pockets, but her son was nowhere to be seen. She went over to the window that was beside a desk that had a few books in a pile, and spotted two figures standing outside of the house. Both were wearing loose, purple, fitting robes.
"Remember Miso, being a shinobi isn't a game, and as long as you have the Byakugan, you represent the Hyuuga Clan," the older man said calmly, the wrinkles on his forehead loosened up at the boy's smile. "No matter what happens down the road, keep your head held high."
The boy's grey eyes brightened up by the man's words. In contrast to the man's black, smooth hair, his was blonde and short, spikey as the Hokage's.
"Don't worry, Grandfather," the boy's grin got wider and he straightened up, his chest puffed out with pride. "I'll do my best! I shall become the greatest Shinobi there is!"
The older man let out a chuckle at his grandson's optimism.
"Miso!"
They looked up to see the boy's mother sticking her head out the window. She gave an apologetic smile for interrupting them.
"I'm sorry father, but Miso has to get going."
"I guess he does," Hiashi said and looked down at the boy. "Go on, show the world what you're made of."
"You got it!" Miso gave him a thumbs-up to his grandfather before let out a sweatdrop after realizing what he did. His grandfather raised an eyebrow at the boy's gesture.
"I mean..." Miso gave a bow to him out of respect. "I shall..." the boy held onto his giggle before running back into the house. "I'm finally becoming a ninja!" he cried out with excitement.
After changing his attire into a uniform that consisted of a white shirt and black pants, the boy ran out of the house and down the road. While running past the people that were up and working in the streets, he placed his burgundy goggles on his head. He cut through an alleyway and jumped on top of a tall pole to get a better view of the village.
Konoha had gotten larger in the past years, and most buildings had gotten taller. The population had sky rocketed as there were more people in the streets than there were sixteen years ago. Even though the number of shinobi had decreased since the Fourth Shinobi war, the peace has never been better.
Miso looked at the large mountain that was carved with five faces. The sixth one was never carved up as others would have wanted. His attention was to the fourth one that had a similar hairstyle like his. The boy clasped his hands together and he bowed his head down.
"Today is the day that I will finally become a ninja," the boy muttered with a small smile "Please watch over me, grandpa."
"I still don't understand why the Hokage lets that man walk in these streets..." The spiteful voice caught the boy's attention. He looked down with confusion and noticed people backing away from a certain man that was walking down the street. He wore the attire that Chunin and Jonin were known to wear, the shirt and pants underneath their vests, except that his were black, and lacked the green vest. The man's hair was short and what made the boy stare was the disfigurement on the man's face; the left side was ruined with many scars. His eyes lacked any emotion to them.
"It's rude to stare," Miso could hear his mother lecture him in the back of his mind. He looked away and waited for the man to walk past the street he was on so he could kind of avoid him. Once the man was out of sight, the boy's shoulders eased up and he jumped down from the pole so he could continue to his destination.
The building he was heading to was large and it stood next to the Academy building. He skidded to a stop when he saw three kids around his age hanging around the school's playground that was right outside by the corner.
Miso noticed what time it was by looking at the large clock that was displayed high up on the school's entrance. There were only a few minutes before classes started, and none of the three kids seemed so worried about missing their classes. Then again, it wasn't the first time he saw the trio ditching school, but still...
One was tall and a bit in the chunky side and he sat on one of the steps that led to the slide, eating a bag of chips. Miso recognized him as Chousen Akimichi. The boy's hair was spikey and long, and his thin eyes spotted another boy that had blond hair which was tied up in a ponytail, avoiding eye contact with him while he walked into the school building. Chousen smirked at the other boy's uneasiness with him.
Another kid, hanging near the swings was sleeping, his head on a wolf's back, who was also napping. The boy was Takeshi Inuzuka. Miso could never understand why the boy would always ditch classes, as he wanted to become a great veterinarian. Shouldn't anyone who wanted to learn anything related to medicine take school more seriously?
"Hey loser."
Miso frowned and he looked up to see a third boy, who was laying on his right side on top of the slide. His shirt was unbuttoned all the way down and had short hair that fell next to his ears. The boys green eyes narrowed at him.
"What are you staring at?" he asked coldly.
"At your ugly face," Miso stuck his tongue out before he ran inside the building.
The raven-haired kid rolled his eyes at the blond's gesture and rolled onto his back.
"Hey Chan," Chousen called with a mouth filled with chips. "Are we still getting some dumplings?"
"Yeah, but in a bit," Chan yawned once again before shutting his eyes. "I'm mentally preparing myself for later today."
Chousen tried to hold on to his laughter at the boy's sarcastic remark.
"Yeah, whatever you say man."
"I still can't believe this is the last day you're in school with us," a girl with brown curls said sadly as she sat next to one that had long black hair that had a few long layers.
"We're really going to miss you, Mitsuki," another girl with orange hair mumbled that was seated on the right side of the Uchiha girl.
"Geez, you two are acting as if we're never going to see each other again," Mitsuki rolled her eyes as she pulled out a notebook while other students walked into the classroom. All the girls wore a black skirt and a white shirt with a blue collar. The boys had the same attire that Miso had changed into before leaving his home.
"Well, once you become a ninja, you won't have time to really hang with us," the brunette said.
"Hidari is right... You'll be out running missions and you'll make new friends along the way and you'll just forget about us..."
"Oh, stop it Migi," Mitsuki groaned at her friends' exaggeration. "Nothing is going to get between us three."
"Good morning, Mitsuki!" the three girls turned to see Miso running at their direction with a wide grin.
"Hey Miso," the Uchiha greeted back, but not as enthusiastically as the boy.
"I can't believe we're finally becoming shinobi," the boy said as he sat in the row behind the girls. "Wouldn't it be so awesome if we end up being partners?" he asked the Uchiha who shrugged.
"I guess it would be," she admitted. She didn't think she would like anyone else alongside her during missions other than Miso. "But don't get your hopes up; just because your dad is the Hokage doesn't mean you're getting what you want that easily."
"Well, something tells me I will," the boy giggled. "After passing that dumb exam, I feel like life will reward me big time for my hard work."
"I never understood why you guys had to take a general course test to become shinobi," Hidari said.
"Me too!" Miso had wondered the same thing.
"That's because a shinobi shouldn't just be an unintelligent brute," A girl walked over to them. Her hair was up in a spikey ponytail, blonde streaks were mixed with brown hair.
"Our parents didn't have to take science classes or math classes like ours, and they're not dumb," Miso argued.
"That's not what I meant," Shizuka, the daughter of Shikamaru, sighed at her bad explanation. "Things have changed, and having a good education will keep us close with the rest of society. You should be happy that you get a chance to get at least some education. Many kids don't have the same privilege."
"Well, I'm happy that we don't have to come back to this school, 'cause it's boring," Miso laughed with glee. "And later today, when we get our headbands, our team and teacher, it's bye-bye Academy, too."
"It must have been so stressful for you guys to have taken classes like us then later in the day attend the Academy for ninja training," Migi said as she couldn't imagine herself being in their shoes. School was a pain, and homework would always consume one's time. She looked up to her classmates who were attending the Academy, too. She didn't think they had time to really have a life.
"But it's all going to pay off after today," Miso said as he could imagine all the adventures he would have with his teacher and teammates. What he really craved for was to step out of the village and see the world.
"I just hope I get a good team and a strong teacher," Mitsuki sighed.
"I already know who's going to be in my squad," Shizuka said with a grin which got the others confused.
"Oh really?" Hidari questioned her.
"Yep," she looked around and frowned when she saw the three empty seats in the back corner. "I can't believe they're ditching classes today..."
Miso kept his mouth sealed; the last thing he wanted was to be a snitch.
"Slackers will always be slackers," Shizuka shook her head with a hand on her head. She saw a woman with spirally glasses walk in front of the classroom with a book in hand. "Oh well, I'll catch you guys later," Shizuka said before running to her seat in front of the class as the lecture began, the last lecture that Miso would have in school. He looked out the window unintentionally tuned his teacher's voice as he daydreamed about his future.
"Everyone, settle down now!" a man cried out, irritated, lowering his clipboard down as his class was filled with unruly kids. Well, they were just so hyped about the new headbands they had received.
"Don't I look awesome, Mitsuki!" Miso cried out with a grin as he replaced his goggles with a headband. Two symbols were engraved on the metal piece, the kanji for shinobi was next to a symbol of a leaf.
"Not as awesome as me," Mitsuki teased as she tied her hair up in a ponytail before tying her own headband on. They had changed to a different outfit, a plain white shirt with blue shorts that were worn by both genders, before they could enter the Academy.
"I wonder if it's strong enough to stop a kunai from cutting through your head," Chousen mused to his friend as he tapped on the metal piece.
"Who knows," Chan said while he checked out his reflection by the window next to him. He was making sure there wasn't a strain of hair hanging over his headband, but after many failed attempts to push them aside, he gave up and leaned on his seat.
"If you guys don't quiet down, then no one is getting a squad!" Their instructor yelled, and just like that, everyone fell dead silent. All the kids faced Iruka with a bit of impatience; Iruka was beginning to think the kids were making him feel older than he was.
"Alright then..." Iruka shifted the papers on his clipboard. "There are twelve squads that will consist of three. Once I've called everyone, then you will all meet with your new instructors."
Miso clasped his hands together and bowed his head as he began to quietly pray to get Mitsuki in his team. Anxiety began to build up in the boy's stomach when Iruka began calling the names for each group.
"Squad Five, Chousen Akimichi, Inoru Yamanaka…"
The boy with his blond hair held up in a ponytail fell dead silent in the first row while Chousen groaned with exaggeration.
"Damn it, I got the freaking flower boy!"
Chan let out a snicker at his friend's misfortune, and in turn received a glare from him.
"And Shizuka Nara..." Iruka continued, ignoring Chousen's rudeness.
"Knew it," Shizuka crossed her arms on her chest with satisfaction. She pretty much knew the two boys would be placed with her.
"At least your girlfriend isn't useless," Chousen grumbled, and Chan couldn't help but frown at his comment.
"She's not my girlfriend..." he grunted out and looked away a bit stubbornly as he waited for his name to be called.
"Squad Nine," Iruka flipped to the next page and noticed that Miso was giving him a stare of desperation. He chuckled at the boy's expression. "Miso Uzumaki." This got the boy to sit up abruptly.
"Chan Lee."
"What?!" Iruka winced at Miso and Chan's cries. Both boys jerked their heads to glare at one another before Miso got up on his feet and turned back to their teacher. Mitsuki rolled her eyes at their hostility while Chousen sneered at Chan.
"Iruka-sensei, this has to be a mistake!" Miso said with great annoyance before jabbing a finger at Chan's direction. "I can't be partnered with him!"
"Miso, sit down," Iruka frowned.
"But Iruka-sensei!" Miso whined.
"I said sit down."
The boy pressed his lips into a thin line and did what he was told.
"Now, I want everyone to listen up," Iruka said with firmness as he had enough with everyone's attitudes with one other. "Every single one of you is no different from each other. You all come from the same village, and even though each of you has different perspectives on things, it doesn't give you the excuse to discriminate against one another."
All the kids were silent and Miso sighed, his head dropped. He had a perfectly good reason to dislike Chan... It's not his fault the boy was a total jerk.
"Now I don't want to hear any more whining. The Hokage has set you guys together for a reason," Iruka looked back at his clipboard. "Now for the third team member for Squad Nine."
Miso wiped his nose with his arm.
"Mitsuki Uchiha."
The boy froze and he literally felt his heart skip a beat.
"And that's all the Squads," Iruka placed his clipboard down on his desk after he finished calling out the teams and looked up with a smile to all his students; Miso was the happiest of them all now. "Your instructors will be coming by soon, so please be in your best behavior," he took his time to take one last look at his now former students' young faces.
"And... I have to say that it has been a great pleasure to have been your teacher during your Academic years... even though all of you gave me a hard time."
The kids held on to their giggles.
"I wish for all of you to become fine shinobi and make your dreams come true..." he chose his words carefully and felt his chest clench with a bit of sadness. It was always hard to let them leave his class after teaching them for so many years. "Because I believe that-"
"We will kick ass!" a random kid yelled with glee. Everyone else cheered with laughter.
Iruka felt his left eye twitch before the door to the classroom was opened. He looked with confusion to see who had barged into the room without permission and fell silent at the guest.
All the kids silenced down when they spotted a familiar man with scars on his face, walking into the room. He wore the same headband around his forehead and this time wore a white vest, unzipped, with his black outfit.
Mitsuki's eyes darkened at the man with genuine bitterness while Miso was once again drawn in to the scars.
"You here early..." Iruka said, trying his best not to sound so cold.
Obito stared at the man with no emotion before turning to face the children. The lack of emotion in his eyes made most of the kids shrink in their seats.
"Miso Uzumaki," the man's voice was dark, sending shivers down the blond's spine. "Chan Lee."
Chan straightened up and Mitsuki couldn't help but feel her heart slowly beat in her chest as she was beginning to fear the worst.
"And Mitsuki Uchiha..." he looked at each one of the three kids he had called out. "From here on out..."
"No..." Mitsuki let out under her breath as she didn't want him to continue.
"I, Obito Uchiha, will be your teacher," he announced, making Mitsuki, Miso and Chan widening their eyes in shock while everyone else couldn't help but stare at the scene in disbelief.
Author's Afternote:
So I have set up that all kids in Konoha have to go to normal school in the morning, even ninja in training kids. Before they can become full fledged ninja, these kids have to take an exam that kind of covers what they had learned since they attended school. The Academy, where the kids learn how to be ninja, go in the afternoon for classes, it stands next to the school building. I have the kids go to a normal school to show how times have changed.
Please Review and Comment. I want to know what each of you think of this chapter