Diablo:
The Lord of Destruction 2.0
By: Jon
M. Iris
Chapter One: The Beginning of a Beautiful Friendship
— o.0.O.O.0.o —
The sun rose high over the Hokage Monument, its rays shining across the faces making it appear as if the Hokage's were watching the village. The morning crowd shuffled along down the streets like any other day just going about their business. The academy students, most of them anyways, were up bright and early preparing for the first most important day of their Ninja careers.
This included one Uzumaki Naruto as he practically jumps out of bed with a large grin on his face. "Today's the day!" he rushes to his closest, once inhabited by nothing but orange jumpsuits that were a pain on everyone's eyes, including his own. However, last night he'd taken all the money he'd saved over the years and bought what he considered to be his true ninja outfit. Reaching into various racks he pulls out black Shinobi pants and steel toed ninja boots with black tape to wrap up the loose ends near the bottom. Another rack produces a dark red sleeveless muscle shirt with chain mail sewn within the fabric. He pulls out a dark red trench coat with one sleeve on a hanger places it on the back of a chair. Last but not least he grabs an arm length box, dragging his hand caressingly over the box top. Slowly he opens the lid revealing oiled cloth which he draws back revealing plated armor with a larger shoulder guard. The plates have intricate seals carved so thinly they are hard to see with the naked eye or without a bloodline limit. This had been a gift from the Third on his last birthday. He had said it was a Pre-Graduation present. He explained that the seals engraved within the armor would focus his chakra, not giving him control, just focus it into a stronger version. There was another set of seals engraved on it that did something secret, something the Third Hokage assured Naruto would be very important in his future. He quickly puts on the clothes and latches on the oversized armor. One of the almost unseen seals glows for a second before shrinking the armor down till it fit comfortably to Naruto's arm. Grinning a foxy grin he leaps out his window and runs as fast as he can to the Academy.
A yawn escapes Naruto as he listens to the lengthy and very boring speech about their duties as new Shinobi of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. His friend sits next to him writing various seals on a piece of parchment using his blood. His friend's name is Neo Necro, a Shinobi from an almost extinct family of Shinobi Necromancers. Though the family had been a great help in the makings of the Village, a few of the main families were disgusted by the use of the dead to fight and various other hearsay rumors and attacked the family. Though it was an entire family of Necromancers they were almost entirely wiped out. One individual family was spared when an unknown Shinobi dropped in and decimated the attackers, killing them almost instantly. The power of this Shinobi was amazing to say the least and with a little historical research after the fact they realized he was one of the four immortals. His power and the fact he was an immortal led the families to leave the last surviving Necromancers alone for all eternity. In the following generations, however, the family never could reestablish themselves to their previous status or population until, in the last Great Shinobi War, there was left only one who was the mother of Neo. However, during the Kyuubi attack his mother was one of the first to die in the battle leaving him an orphan.
Since both were feared, for their own respective reasons, they quickly became friends and even had apartments in the same building. In class Neo was two ranks down from the Rookie of the Year position while Naruto was the dead last. However, in their sparring matches Naruto had proven to be a more than formidable taijutsu specialist. His movements always seemed to be erratic and out of control, like an animal with limited street fighting skills. However, when one sparred with him enough they realize there is a methodical movement to his fighting that incurred maximum damage with little drawback and little chance for counter attack. This amazed Neo to no end since Naruto has never had a teacher and never looked at any specific taijutsu text other than the standard Academy Taijutsu.
The two look up at Iruka as he finishes his speech and grabs a folder with the assigned teams within. "Team Seven- Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Yamanaka Ino. Team Leader- Hatake, Kakashi." As he called out the names on the teams he came to Team 13. "Team Thirteen- Uzumaki, Naruto; Necro, Neo; and a member who has yet to arrive. Team leader will be announced later." When Team Seven had been announced both Naruto and Neo winced at the unlucky Uchiha. Both frowned when their team was called since they were missing a team mate and their Team Leader was completely unknown. What the hell kind of team did they have anyway?! Iruka waits with the newly announced teams, watching as they all are paired off with their respective Leaders. Soon it was just teams 7 and 13.
Iruka smiles as he sees Team Seven starting to get annoyed and he motioned for Naruto and Neo to follow him. They followed him to his office where they each took a seat. He clasps his hands looking at the two young men sitting across the desk from him. "I know what your thinking boys. 'What the hell is going on with our team?', am I correct?" The boys look at each other before nodding at Iruka. He smiles as he reaches into a drawer on his desk. "I have the rest of your team's information right here." He flips the folder open on his desk causing four pictures to spill out of the top of the stack of paper. "You two have been chosen for a special mission. There is a special person in the lands beyond the Elemental Countries that is in major need of protection and training." He hands a photo over to the boys showing a average looking boy with brown messy hair with round glasses and a lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. "Your last team mate is known as Potter Harry in his country. He is a kind of 'Chosen One' to his people, the only way some evil lord type guy can be killed it seems." He picks up the other photo and hands it over. "You boys must appreciate this honor of your teacher. His is one of the legendary three Sennin of Konoha, Jariaya the Toad Hermit." Neo gasps while Naruto merely looks unimpressed.
Neo notices Naruto's lack of enthusiasm about their 'esteemed' teacher. "Naruto, please tell me you've heard of Jaraiya-sama?" Naruto simply nods before crossing his arms and sniffing in dismissal. "Ok then, what's the problem?"
Naruto looks at his friend Neo with an eyebrow cocked up. "Not only have I heard of him, Neo, I've met the guy. And I don't care HOW good his skills are, he's nothing but an old super pervert."
Iruka chuckles as Neo looks to him for a denial of this accusation. "Sorry Neo-san, but Naruto is correct. Jaraiya-sama is definitely a super pervert. He is the author of Icha Icha Paradise after all, and he gets the inspiration for his graphic novels by peeping on naked women, among other things."
Neo's jaw drops in denial and disbelief while Naruto merely rolls around laughing on the ground at his friends face. A good pop on the head knocks some sense into Naruto forcing him to crouch and rub his head in pain. As the two straighten up to a throat clear from Iruka, he smiles at the two. "Alright guys, I think Hatake should have picked up his team by now, it's time for us to go meet the rest of your team and have the mission explained in the Hokage's office."
A wizened looking old man with a long white beard and half moon spectacles lounges comfortably in a thick padded leather chair across from another wizened old man smoking on a pipe in the Hokage robes. Sitting next to the first old man was a jittery brown haired, bespectacled little boy with a lightning bolt shaped scar who can't stop twitching in nervousness. The older man places a comforting hand on the boy's arm before crossing his arms once more. He looks at the Hokage with a smile on his face. "Once again I must express my greatest gratitude to you Sarutobi-san. You are giving little Harry here a great chance in life."
The Hokage grins as he takes a puff on his pipe before tapping it on the bowl expelling the mostly used tobacco within. "Oh come now Dumbledore, you know I can't deny an old friend a simple request like this." He packs the pipe again, lighting it with a very small stream of fire from his mouth surprising the boy next to his old friend. After a few puffs he looks at the two again and smiles. "And to insure his education is thorough and complete I've assigned a most ingenious ex-student of mine to the task of training the three."
Dumbledore nods and starts to speak when a simple knock at the door snaps his mouth shut. Sarutobi calls for whoever it is to come in. Iruka ushers the boys in before snapping to attention and bowing to the Hokage. "Ahhh Iruka-kun, glad you made it time. Naruto, Neo…" The boys look at him like they always do, like an old grandfather instead of the most important man in the whole Village. "I have a mission for you two. I'm sure Iruka got you mostly up to speed?" The boys nod. "Good, let me introduce you to Harry Potter, your third teammate. And this over here is Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry." He taps his pipe again, a bit of ash falling into the bowl before he takes another puff. "Right now Jariaya is away on a mission. You three will be getting the basic training all Genin acquire, with Harry getting special training to get him up to speed. When Jaraiya returns you three will be attending Hogwarts as Second years(). You two will learn the ways of magic that is taught at the school as well as helping to protect young Harry here." The two nod before both grin evilly, training was going to be fun in order to get Harry up to their standards.
Harry gulps at the foreboding feeling he was getting from the looks of the two boys beside him.
"Alright Harry, come at me with a twisting side punch followed by a roundhouse kick to my face." Iruka settles down into a defensive position as Harry nervously gets into his attack stance. Harry rushes forward throwing a right punch which is turned to the side forcing Harry to spin, his leg coming up and slamming into a surprised Iruka's hastily thrown up guard. He smiles as Harry leaps back throwing kunai at Iruka who simply knocks them to the side. He holds up a hand to signal the end of the spar. "Good thinking on your feet Harry. I was wondering when you'd reach this point."
Harry looks confused as he wipes the sweat from his forehead and tries to catch his breath. "What do you mean Sensei?"
Iruka grins as he tosses a towel to Harry. "Well Harry, I've been drilling these Kata into you since you got here. Till this point you've been doing everything I've told you to in practice. Today though, you took your first step to being a true Shinobi, unpredictability. See no matter where you are, a true Shinobi's strongest feature is surprise and unpredictability. Never, ever, let yourself become to dependent on any specific skill or fighting style. Never learn one particular thing and let yourself become stagnant in your development and learning. This is the true strength of a Shinobi, though today most Shinobi fall for the same trap as everyone else. For example, the Hyuuga tend to rely on nothing but their special Taijutsu style. Most never use any outside ninjutsu, genjutsu, or any other form of taijutsu. Since they use that one style other Clans from our own and other countries have been able to come up with styles and techniques that work pretty well against a Hyuuga." He laughs at the stupidity of the Hyuuga. "The Hyuuga might not be too bright about what I've just told you, but it's actually very common among Shinobi today. So don't let yourself fall prey to that kind of stupidity Harry. Learn as much as you can and never fall into a pattern, never become too dependent. To do so is to lose, and to lose to a Shinobi is to die…One way, or another…"
Harry nods as Iruka steps back a few paces and drops into a defensive stance. "Now, lets continue, and this time…Let your body react on its own, just like Naruto does when you spar with him…" Harry nods as he drops into a stance he'd been designing in his off-time. Summer had been long here, and from watching his team mates and other Shinobi he had started to get a plan for a taijutsu style of his own that could incorporate his spell slinging in the future, and this was the perfect opportunity to try out his first form.
He leans back on his rear leg, his right leg stretched forward with the toe pointed forward. His left arm stretches across his chest with the right arm holding his wand across his stomach. His eyes are focused, his muscles relaxed as he inhales deeply. He feels his chakra flowing alongside his magic deep within him and channels both on instinct as he launches forward, a really small cracked crater forming from the point of launching. He twists his body slamming his empty left arm forward in a powerful palm strike that rattles Iruka's arm as he blocks. Harry launches over the kick counter attack and swings his wand in a wide arc. A beam of magic jets out slamming into Iruka making his arms and legs snap to his body and leaves his whole body petrified. Harry lands on the other side of Iruka as he falls to the ground locked up in a state of total petrifaction. "Damn, never thought I'd see Iruka get taken out that fast in a one on one fight with a Genin."
Harry looks up spotting a man with a mask and his Hitai-ate covering his left eye and reading a orange book with a circle with a slash through it on the back. Harry smiles up at the man. "Hey Kakashi-sensei, nice to see you again."
Kakashi drops from the tree limb he's standing on and walks over to the prone Iruka and taps him with the toe of his shoe. He then looks over at Harry as he shuffles his shoe in the dirt in embarrassment. "Sooooo, what kind of taijutsu style was that?"
Harry scratches the back of his head nervously. "Well, it's a style I've been experimenting with. I'm trying to incorporate my magic into a fighting style that can be flexible with any new spells I learn."
Kakashi nods in understanding and starts walking away. "Oh by the way, the Hokage sent me to tell you to come to his office with your team mates…" Kakashi pauses and looks around the clearing. "Ummm… Where are they anyways?"
Harry grins mischievously as he points to the side. Kakashi looks and frowns, not seeing anything worth seeing until a huge explosion rips through the trees. Trees on the edge of the clearing have their bark and leaves shredded off from the percussive force. Kakashi's one eye widens at the destructive force and bits of bones landing in the open area which start moving through the air forming weapon wielding skeletons that rush back into the trees. "Their practicing their special attacks. That blast was a taijutsu move of Naruto's that he named the Uzumaki Naruto Rendan."
Kakashi looks at Harry then back to the area the other two were practicing in. "Oh…"
AN- Well this is the beginning of my rewrite of my Diablo series, I honestly think this one will be better. Hope ya enjoy, Ciao!!
JON
Shinobi graduate the Ninja Academy at age 12 where as school starts in Harry Potter for Harry when he turns 11, so when Naruto and Neo graduated Harry was going into his Second year of Hogwarts.