A/N: Hey as a forward before I start this fic, I wanna just say that any and all grammatical/spelling errors I would love if you would post in your reviews, or emailed to me directly at my email (on my author's bio, because it for some reason wont let me list here).This is pretty much my first fanfic, so try not to be too mean if you do choose to review, but all criticisms are welcome! I'm not really sure where this story is going to go after the initial 2 or 3 chapters, so you can also add comments on where you'd like to see it go. I hate telling the pairings, but it's gonna be along the lines of NejiFemnaru, and possibly SasuFemnaru, with uncertain feelings towards both genders. Aside from that, read and enjoy the ride!
~randomauthor
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters. Any original characters are completely and absolutely from my own demented little head ^_^!
The Way the Other Half Lives
Chapter One - The Reasons We Change
It had been 16 years since the demon fox the Kyuubi, or Nine-Tailed Fox, had wreaked havoc and nearly destroyed Konohagakure. The Kyuubi was believed to have been a naturally occurring disaster, and such had been sealed in a newborn baby, the son of Namikaze Minato the Yondaime Hokage and rumored Yellow Flashed. Kushina Uzumaki was the mother of this baby, and died during child birth. Weeks before the child's birth the name was decided in-part thanks to Minato's mentor, Jiraiya of the Sannin. The child was to be called Naruto.
Originally, the goal of Minato's jutsu was not to seal the Fox, but to destroy it. This quickly was found to be impossible, as the Fox's chakra was too large to be erased from existence, and the resulting imbalance of power would have also destroyed the village. The only way that it would have been possible for the Fox to be dispelled was to seal the Fox in a living vessel, and the only suitable vessel could be a baby. An adult's body would be too developed to accept the bijuu, and a baby's would also strengthen the seal as it aged. Thus the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki was created.
The fact that the Yondaime Hokage and Kushina Uzumaki bore a son was to be kept a secret to the entire village, as was the fact that the demon fox was sealed in Naruto to the younger generation. For all of the Yondaime's precautions, and all of the Sandaime's worrying, Naruto carried a burden heavier than anyone else in the village. As few knew completely of Naruto's past as knew him. Strictly because of the monster stored inside of him, he was alienated by much of Konohagakure and sent to live at the edges of the village.
Throughout the years Naruto came to be a ninja on the Team 7 under the lead of Hataki Kakashi, and with his team-mates Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke. He was fortunate to make pass the exam, as he failed it three times only to pass when he saved Iruka Sensei's life during an incident with a former Sensei, Mizuki. Team 7's bond developed as they overtook many a challenge and foe. Months after becoming gennin, Team 7 defeated the infamous missing-nin Demon Zabuza and his partner Haku. They then decided to take part in the Chuunin exams, wherein they came in contact with the fallen Sannin Orochimaru for the first time. Naruto demonstrated a strength unbeknownst to the rest of his team, and saved Sasuke, who escaped unscathed albeit the curse mark left on his neck, of which Naruto was left unaware. Naruto and Sasuke progressed through the Chuunin exam, and Naruto was victorious in his match. However, during his match, Sasuke Uchiha awoke something in the mysterious Sand nin Gaara. Gaara forsook the arena to run deeper into the forest surrounding Konoha. Sasuke pursued him and found that he was no match for the Sand-nin. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi's dog summon Paku were quick to overtake the two, and Sakura was captured in a gauntlet of sand. Naruto fought tooth and nail to save Sakura, in the end summoning the Chief Toad and defeating Gaara. During the incident in the forest, the Sandaime (and current Hokage) engaged in a battle with the perpetrator, Orochimaru, and was felled during the fight. In his last moments he was able to use the Yondaime's jutsu to seal Orochimaru's arms, and jutsu with them. After the fight Naruto departed with Jiraiya to find the fifth Hokage, the third Sannin, Tsunade. Naruto became the target of Itachi Uchiha, and Sasuke was defeated by him when he challenged Itachi. During their travel, Naruto was able to learn and master another of the Yondaime's jutsu, the high power Rasengan. He engaged in a bet with Tsunade, who was famed for her bad luck gambling. They later met up with Orochimaru again, and he offered Tsunade the resurrection of her lover and brother. She declined, and she and Jiraiya temporarily defeated Orochimaru. Tsunade lost the bet and bestowed him her cursed necklace, then departing for Konoha. She healed Sasuke and Kakashi, whereupon Sasuke challenged Naruto. After seeing the power of Naruto's Rasengan against his Chidori, and was confronted by Orochimaru's Sound Four. They told him of the dangers of his curse seal, and shortly after he departed with them to the stronghold of Orochimaru. A crack team lead by Shikamaru and assembled by Tsunade was sent to tail them and retrieve Sasuke. They were deterred by the Sound Four and forced to take them all out. Naruto finally confronted Sasuke in the Valley of the lost, and was closely defeated. During the battle Sasuke awoke the tri-Sharingan and Naruto was forced into a tailed state. Naruto was taken back to the village and went off on training for 3 years with Jiraiya shortly after.
At the age of 16, Naruto returned to the village, to find that not much had changed, save that everyone in the village aside from him was a Chuunin, and that they had all aged similarly. Akatsuki began to round up the remaining Jinchuuriki's, and the newly reformed team 7, along with several teams, embarked on a mission to retrieve the kidnapped Gaara. He was killed in the extraction of Shukaku, and was revived through Chiyo Baa-sama's life transfer Jutsu. Kakashi was wounded through his battle with Deidara and became hospitalized. Captain Yamato of the Anbu was assigned to their team, along with one of Danzo's subordinates, Sai. They traveled to distant bridge in the fire country to meet with a spy of Sasori within the ranks of Orochimaru. The fought, and Sai defected to Orochimaru. The trailed Sai to Orochimaru's base where they found out about his real scheme and confronted Sasuke. Shortly after, Sasuke killed Orochimaru and then Deidara. Naruto was then confronted by Kabuto, who had fused with Orochimaru. This is where our story begins.
He heard a screech. "Naruto!" He feebly fumbled to get up and found he was bound. "Naruto!!!!" The voice seemed to be getting father off. "NARUTO!!!" This time the owner of the voice was barely in earshot. He heard a crack and felt his arm go numb, to be soon replaced by a blinding pain in his head. Lazily the lights illuminating his vision fading into the darkness... away...
His next feeling was pain. Blinding pain.
He heard a strange chanting around him, and saw many figures spread around him in a circle. There was another blinding flash of pain and he faded back into unconsciousness.
"Ughhhh... My head hurts..." the drowsy blonde said as he sat up. "Just where the hell am I anyway?" He quickly surveyed his surroundings, trying to take in what he saw around himself. And what he saw confused him further. All he saw was stone. Grey stone. Not Grey stone such as that of the stone of a holding cell, but completely seamless stone.
"I see you're awake, Naruto. You had us worried for a while there, If it wasn't for that fox's unique ability to heal, I doubt I'd be talking to you now." a pale man voiced from the corner of the room. "And we don't know what we would've done if you hadn't woken up... How would we explain it to you're team-mates?" he joked. "How will you explain it anyway?"
Naruto ignored his banter and moved strait on to the matter at hand. In his own Naruto way. "Where the hell am I you complete bastard? Gimme and answer or I'm gonna kick your ass!"
The man turned to the boy, bringing his face out of the shadows. "My, my, Naruto, aren't you hasty? Well I am in a considerably good mood today, so why not? I'll let you go. Besides it would be unbefitting of you to kick my ass as you are now."
"You bastard Kabuto... I don't need your handouts! I'll find my own way to escape!"
"I'm afraid that you'll find that that is quite impossible, unless in your mangled state you can somehow manage a stable Doton technique." Kabuto stated calmly, "But if that is your stance on the matter, then I'll compromise." He back up to the wall facing Naruto, and touched the center. Light blazed out of unseen cracks in the seemingly seamless wall, and an entire section of the wall disappeared. "You have one hour, beginning now, to make your way into the land of Fire. I'll tell you that the boundary is about 5 miles away, but I'll not make it easy for you. You're going to have to fight your way out."
"Works for me, bastard. I'm gone." Naruto retorted, as he moved for the door. As he walked, IV's and other objects began to pull out and off of him in numerous different ways, oddly not causing him any pain. "Heh, guess those needles weren't for holding." he muttered to himself.
Kabuto looked at him quizzically. "Quite the contrary Naruto, that should have caused you a great deal of pain, but it seems that the potent anesthesic I used is still working, explaining your lack of feeling... hearing... and sense of weight..." But Naruto was already out into the forest, stumbling forward. He stopped, seemed to orient himself, and did a complete about-face. 'Huh, how'd he know he was facing the wrong way? Intuition...?'
Naruto took to the branches, forsaking the obvious path below which was likely set with all types of traps. He moved quickly through the forest, feeling as if an unknown force was guiding him. Suddenly a kunai was hurled at him from his left, which he easily caught. He hurled it back into the brush and was rewarded with a grunt, assuring him his kunai hit its mark. Several Sound-nin leapt from the bushes in front of him, one clutching a puncture wound in his side. 'Damn it, I didn't hit anything vital, but the muscle damage will cause him pain and slow his reaction speed...' Naruto thought, and then stopped. 'That's not like me... I'm not one to normally assess the situation like that. Huh. Must just be battle stress. He put his hands together in the form of a sign and murmured' "Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A few thoughts struck Naruto at once as he looked at the strange bunshin. The first of these were, 'Huh, I don't remember using Oiroke no Jutsu.' and 'My chakra must be out of control thanks to whatever Kabuto was doing.' These thoughts quickly passed as he summoned his clone over, and began a Rasengan, aiming it at the closet of the Sound-nins. "Take this, you bastards!" Naruto yelled as he ran toward them, the Rasengan doubling, tripling, and still growing as he moved forward. The Ultra Rasengan plowed into the first nin, and swallowed the two closest to him along with it. Naruto leapt back and raised his arms in a defensive stance, doubting that Kabuto had left his weapons pouch intact. The farthest back of the ninjas pulled out a goliath windmill shiruken and began to spin it. As he prepared his attack, the remaining of the Sound-nin darted forward towards him.
He was able to deflect the majority of the blows, but a few glancing punches hit him in the head and stomach, resulting in a temporary confusion. This was all they needed, and a nin hiding in the brush shot towards him with a sword raised. Thanks to the dizziness brought on by those before the sword wielder, all he could manage was to lean forward, and thanks to an odd increase in weight, he was able to dodge much of an otherwise fatal blow. The sword had still left a deep cut from shoulder to hip, but the cleave that was originally planned had been averted. 'Huh, no pain, I guess I ought to thank Kabuto for that anesthesic.' Naruto mused as he turned and countered the man with a succession of quick punches to the face and kidneys, causing him to loose consciousness.
Naruto turned to find the rest of the Sound-nin regrouped and prepared for another assault. 'This area is too wooded for me to be able to dodge properly, especially after the anesthesic wears off. I better head to the bridge connecting to the Fire Country.' Naruto thought, again surprising himself with his awareness of the situation and foresight. Naruto sprinted backwards into the woods, in the direction he was certain the bridge was in. After several minutes of running, he began to hear his entourage of Sound-nin behind him, and he quickened his pace. After a few more minutes he began to feel drowsy, uncertain if he could properly fight off the enemy' ninjas. Right as the thought occurred, he came into a clearing connecting to a large stone path, bridging two sides of a large river. 'There it is! The border! I can make it!' He told himself inwardly.
He ran towards the bridge and a feeling of relief and joy swept through him as he set foot on the firm stone. At that moment the pursuing Nin leapt out from the tree line, causing Naruto to glance behind him. As he turned back to his goal, he saw the man from earlier with the colossal shuriken standing before him. Still wielding the spinning death wheel, the man released, sending the shuriken cart wheeling through the air toward him. Naruto deftly reached up to catch it, and made to grab the deadly thing as it made its final descent, his hand clasping... and finding nothing but air. The shuriken careened home, finding its way into Naruto's shoulder. And this time he felt the pain, and it hurt. A lot. Struggling to keep consciousness, Naruto darted forward, pulling the shuriken out of his flesh, and using it to behead the man who threw it. He sprinted for the edge of the bridge, and crossed the gap into the land of fire in matter of seconds. He turned back to seeing the remaining 5 or so ninjas looking out toward him, but none of them made a move. They turned and rushed into the forest, presumably to wherever Kabuto had them all stationed, forsaking their beheaded comrade's corpse on the bridge.
Naruto trekked through the forest, towards Konoha, struggling with fatigue in every step. The incidents of earlier were still plaguing his mind, 'Was it just the drowsiness causing me to hallucinate, or was my arm shorter and slimmer than before?' he pondered, continuing on. He made it a several miles farther, and when he felt he could go on no longer, the distant gates of Konoha loomed into his vision, igniting a glimmer of hope deep within his mind.
'Just a little bit further... I can definitely make it.' he though as his breathing deepened, each breath and each step becoming a separate labor. He was nearly at the gates when he collapsed, finding it impossible to go even a single step further. 'What is with this added weight on my chest?' He thought as he struggled to breathe, partially from blood loss and partially from exhaustion. In his final moments of consciousness he looked to his chest and caught a sight he never would have expected.
What he saw planted firmly on his chest in the middle of his chest, inhibiting his breathing, were two large breasts. 'That explains the tough breathing...' he thought lazily as he drifted off into the realm of unconsciousness.
A/N: Well that's the first chapter! Didn't take me too long to write this one, so it's more of a pilot. Sorry it was so short! Rate and review, depending on how other people judge the quality of this story, I might continue on! (I'm a very self conscious person)If you like you can also include spelling errors for me to edit out, that kinda stuff annoys me a ton, so I want to do it as little as possible for you guys! Hope you all liked it! :D