Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in Naruto.

Chapter 01: No Need to Fear

And so Naruto was born into the world, a large red chakra sealed within his stomach. It would be a curse to him but his strength as well. From that day on he was "Naruto...the demon child". His mother died when he was born and his father, the Fourth Hokage, died sealing the Nine Tails Demon. Naruto never knew his parents nor did he know his father was the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. He was told that he was an orphan...and that is where our story begins...

He was born to be alone, and for a good number of years, he had traveled far from the Hidden Leaf Village in search of his parents. He was Naruto. He never stayed in one village long, learning the techniques and jutsu of each village. Outwardly he seemed like any normal boy, but he was a genius. During his academy days he was never the top student and failed in all his classes. All of that was a simply a ruse to hide his true power. At twelve, he left the village by night and began his journey of self-determination, to figure his destiny and to travel the path of nature to find his true calling.

Now, almost 7 years later, the travels of a blond haired man nears his home village of the Hidden Leaf. He pulled his cloak closer over his well shaped face and shivered under his breath. The very smell of the forest brought nostalgic memories from his childhood. He remembered the stares and the taunts of his classmates, learning the existence of the demon within him. He understood their hatred toward him, and in return he accepted them. He was not angry, for he loved his village and his mentor...the Third. He recalled Iruka and their midnight ramen fests, his lonely treks in the nearby forest, and his secret spot on the cliff above the carvings of the village Hokages. Those were lonely days but he was used to it and wanted no more than to live in his village again. As he approached the towering gates his steps slowed to a halt. He was afraid of how different his village would be and the people who grew up with him. He mentally reminded himself to stay as unnoticeable as possible. With no further debate, he stuck one foot gently through the gate and crossed back into the past.

The roaring din of the marketplace reminded him of his childhood. Farmers and shopowners yelled out prices and bartered goods. Villagers strolled through the dusty streets laughing, talking, and staring wondrously at the different sights throughout the city. In many ways it was different, but in another way it was the same. It was the Village of the Hidden Leaf...his home. Naruto pulled his hood even farther over his handsome face, no longer marked by the whiskers of the nine tails. He was the spitting image of the Fourth but he didn't know that. A smile spread across his face as he spotted the same old Ramen stand at the side of the road. He ate like he had never eaten before and even surprised the Noodle cook.

"You sure are a hungry traveler young one," smiled the gentle cook warmly.
"Mmmm...I haven't had such good ramen in many years. Thank you for the meal Mister."
"Excuse me are you a stranger in this city...I don't think I have seen you before?"
"Yup I'm a stranger here but I'm planning to stay for awhile. By the way sir but could you tell me why there are so few shinobi around this village?"
"Ahh that is indeed sad. The borders of our country have become filthy with shinobi from the Hidden Rose Village. War is inevitable and most of the jounin and chuunins are out patrolling or skirmishing."
"Have many died," asked Naruto sadly.
"Not yet...but the Hidden Rose Village is not one to reckon with easily. Over the years their strength has tripled and even our best jounins are having trouble."
"I see...well goodnite mister. I'll be back some other time."
"No problem."

That night Naruto slept at a nearby hotel, pondering what the ramen shop owner had told him. A war had come upon the Hidden Leaf and there was no way he could let more shinobi die. That night Naruto swore to himself that he would protect the village with his life but to try and keep his identity secret. He knew if they found him out they would throw him out and scorn his back forever. He hoped that by now most of the villagers had forgotten about him.

The next morning, Naruto went out to visit the Third's grave. When he left the village the only man who had cared for him was the Third. Just this morning he had found a new Hokage and that the Third had passed on after a bloody battle with Oruchimaru. Suddenly, four Hidden Rose shinobi landed on the field near the Hokage's grave. They stared intently at him and began to approach. By watching their movements he was sure they were jounins. Without further thought, Naruto pulled a ANBU mask over his face and bent down into a defenseive crouch. He felt the blood running into his body and the excitement build up in his abdomen. He suppressed a tingling sensation and held the Nine Tails Chakra at bay. There was no urgency in his fluid movements. As he struck the first rushing jounin he neatly threw him away like a rag and bashed the face in. His movements were untraceable and too fast for the enemy. Little did he know a pink haired young woman was hiding in the foliage, watching the battle of the stranger unfold.

With a deep calmness, Naruto fought, not with his true strength, but simple taijutsu. He did a wide sweep in the air and knocked two of the enemies unconcious. For the third he did a uppercut with his foot and launched the shinobi into the air. While still in mid air he flipped ontop and bashed the Rose shinobi into the ground. The pink haired girl swallowed in fear as she watched the new comer fight off the Hidden Rose jounins with simple taijutsu. She hoped that he was on their side otherwise they were doomed. The only shinobi of the Hidden Leaf who could possibly match him could be Neji or Sauske. As Naruto fought with the fourth ninja, his hood slipped off revealing his spiked blond hair. The pink haired girl's eyes widened as she fell in love with the beautiful blond hair. The shape of his body and head were absolutely perfect. She wished he wasn't wearing an ANBU-like mask so she could see his face. She was so entranced by his glowing form that she failed to notice a fifth Rose shinobi sneak up behind her and put a kunai to her throat. He grabbed her roughly and jumped in front of Naruto and the remaining Rose shinobi.

"If you don't step down I'll kill this bitch," yelled the Rose ninja with the kunai. Naruto paused mid stroke and stood back a few feet. Under his mask he breathed deeply. It was Sakura. She was a beauty...but he couldnt think of that now. With a flick of his wrist he disappeared. A second later he reappeared behind Sakura's captor, leaving the fourth Rose shinobi motionless on the ground. Before the enemy could slit the woman's throat, he had kicked the kunai from his hands and had slammed the Rose ninja into the ground with his elbow. With another kick into the stomach, Naruto and Sakura were finally safe.
"Wh..ho are you? I've never seen you before," asked Sakura timidly. She stepped back into a defensive stance. "Why did you save me?"
"I love this village..." whispered Naruto. A moment later he was gone.

Sakura walked slowly back to the village. Somehow her heart was pounding but she wasn't sure what it was. He seemed...so strong and she felt safe in his presence. He had saved her life and yet he left without asking for anything in return. What a weird man...no he sounded younger...maybe about the same age as Sauske. With a faint smile on her lips she re-watched the blond haired man in her head .