In the forests outside of Konohagakure, a small boy wandered aimlessly, quite lost. He had been dragged from the orphanage and thrown here after being stripped naked. He had no idea why it was done, or why everyone seemed so happy to get rid of him. His feet were bleeding from walking over the ground with no protection, and his body was covered in scratches that kept healing almost as soon as he got them. Aside from the fact that he had been thrown out of the village and was quite naked, there was something important to know about the boy.
Everything about his appearance was a lie.
His hair was not blonde, his eyes were not blue. Most importantly, he was not a boy. Naruto Uzumaki was not a boy, and only looked like one due to a transformation seal that was placed on his back shortly after his birth. Naturally, he did not know this, and only a true seal master would be able to break down the seal on his back that kept him locked in his transformation.
Not too far away from the 'boy' was something that would change his life. In one timeline, he would be found shortly by the ANBU that were hunting for him. In this timeline though, he turned away from the path he was following, drawn inexorably towards another part of the forest.
Eventually, his feet carry him to a clearing that had several foxes in it. Unlike normal foxes, many of these were wearing armor or clothing of some sort, and all of them had a headband with a metal plate that featured a stylized swirl pattern on it. The group was centered on a much larger fox that was lying on the ground with one of its hind legs stuck in a savage trap. The metal spikes had dug deep and embedded into the animal's bones. A pool of blood surrounded the trap, and the fox was panting in short, shallow breaths. The boy moved closer, his inherently protective nature pushing him to try and help the dying animal.
Several of the foxes turned with a growl as they noticed the loud and clumsy approach, only to stop at seeing a small child. At a command from the trapped one, they stepped back to allow him to approach. He looked at the trap for several moments, recognizing it as a match for one that had 'somehow' ended up in his apartment. His small hands reach out, and disable the lock holding it closed after a few moments of fumbling.
He falls onto his backside as the fox lunges out of the trap, going dead still as he is suddenly presented with a face full of muzzle. He tries not to move as the fox sniffs him several times before it suddenly sits on its haunches with the injured leg sticking out awkwardly. His jaw nearly hits the ground as it suddenly speaks in a gruff baritone.
"So, the one we were looking for has found us. What is your name child?"
The boy sputters for a bit before finally replying. "My n-n-name is Naruto Uzumaki. How can you talk?"
The fox smiles, the expression quite predatory and intimidating to the child. "No, you are an Uzumaki, but your name is not Naruto. However, we have been looking for you for several years since you were born. You are the last descendant of the ruling family of a place that was once known as Uzushiogakure, the village hidden in the whirling tides. We are the leaders of your family's summons, foxes obviously. Many years ago your home was destroyed. We were entrusted with the charge to find and teach the one that would restore the name of Uzumaki to what it used to be. Unfortunately, I can feel my time is drawing to a close due to that trap. There is a seal hiding your appearance from what it should be. I will break it and have you sign the summoning contract. After that, it will be up to the others to teach you about your family. Do you understand?"
Naruto listened raptly, still awed by meeting a fox that could talk. As far back as he could remember, he had always been drawn to foxes and could never explain why. To finally see one in front of him was amazing, made even more so by the fact that it could actually talk. His face gains a confused expression. "Uhm…." He suddenly smiles brightly. "Nope!"
The fox in front of him sighs softly and shakes his head. This was going to be difficult to deal with. Finally, he comes to a decision.
"Okay, I'm going to do something to reveal what you're supposed to look like. It's going to hurt some. After that, I will tell you what is next, okay? If you agree, hold out your left arm to me."
Naruto listened carefully, his face blanching slightly at the mention of it hurting. He thinks about it before shrugging to himself. The fox was being honest about the fact that whatever he wanted to do was going to hurt, unlike the villagers when they decided to beat him. Plus, it couldn't be any worse than the beating he had received before being thrown into the woods. He holds out his left arm, a slight tremor making it shake. He gets a determined cast to his face and stills himself, ready for what the fox wants to do.
The fox watches him prepare himself before moving to get some of the blood from his wound in his mouth. With a sudden move, he bites Naruto's forearm, mixing his blood with the child's. The wound stays there only for a moment before sealing. As the wound seals, black symbols writhe and twist into life all over Naruto's forearm before congealing into a fox surrounded by the symbol of the Uzumaki clan. The fox moves behind Naruto, a portion of the mixed blood falling from its mouth onto the transformation seal there. The fox focuses its chakra into the seal before calling out in a commanding voice. "Fuuin: KAI!"
Naruto winced at the bite before relaxing when it heals. His respite is only momentary though. As the fox calls out the seal release, his entire world lights on fire and pain shoots through his body. He collapses to the ground before curling into a ball. His entire body begins to shake before he lets out a loud scream. This continues for about half a minute before he passes out, the occasional soft whimper escaping his lips.
As the seal releases, Naruto's appearance changes slowly at first. His hair darkened from the bright yellow to a crimson red that was streaked with various shades ranging from a deep ruby to the bright red of freshly spilled blood. The short and slightly pudgy body morphed and stretched into a taller and more slender one that fit the appearance of a child Naruto's age. The most startling aspect though was the fact that the parts that made Naruto male vanished, leaving behind a shivering girl instead.
The fox moved to nose at her until she awoke and sat up. The girl looked down at her arm to see the summoning tattoo that was there. She looks up at the fox, blinking slowly. Her once-blue eyes were now a deep amethyst in color that seemed to sparkle in the light. Right as she went to say something, the second seal on her body flared to life. A cloak of crimson chakra quickly enveloped her. A malevolent aura followed the cloak of chakra, which could be felt all the way back in the village of Konohagakure. This caused everyone to burst into a panic, the aura of the Kyuubi that had attacked only a few years previously reminding everyone of that night of terror and the loss of so many.
Back in the clearing, a golden yellow flare of chakra interrupted the cloak of crimson, flickering underneath it before growing steadily in power. The girl stood shakily, her legs trembling as they fought to hold her up. Her face was angled to the ground as every muscle in her body began to spasm. The group of foxes moved back to the edge of the clearing, bowing low as they feel the oppressive and malevolent aura of the Kyuubi. The golden flare of chakra began to overpower that of the Kyuubi, and Naruto could be heard whispering softly.
"Yes…I understand father. I won't let it win. I promise that I won't let you down. Yes…..yes….I will. I love you too."
Tears began to fall from her eyes before her body arched and her head was thrown back, a scream of primal rage and loss tearing free from her throat. Her own chakra burst forth, blending with the gold to subdue the chakra of the beast sealed within her. Her hands closed as if they were wrapping around something, a pair of three-pronged kunai appearing with a crackle of lightning in her grasp. Her eyes snap open as she suddenly straightens and growls, her chakra flaring once more to completely force away the chakra of the Kyuubi. All around the clearing the plants and detritus of the forest whip and flail around as her chakra swirls around her. The blue aura now has flickers of golden yellow shooting around the surface of it like static lightning.
Slowly, her chakra recedes back within her body causing her to collapse to her knees with a groan. The foxes move in quickly to surround her, two of them scribing seals on the ground with their paws before bringing forward an illusion barrier to hide their presence. This proved to be a smart move and done in just the nick of time as a group of ANBU swarmed through the trees, looking for the cause of the disturbance to subdue what they thought was a jinchuuriki going rogue.
Everyone inside the barrier remained silent and still until the shinobi all left to continue searching for Naruto, the illusion having convinced them that the clearing was empty. Once the ANBU had left, the foes drop the illusion barrier and turn to look at their leader and the girl. They had been talking while the others were distracted, and all they caught was the end of the conversation.
"…so from now on, my name will be Kirameki, right?"
The elder fox nods before pulling a massive scroll from the back of one of the younger foxes. With a swat from its paw, the scroll is spread out. There is a long row of names on it, each one in bright red with a black line running through it. The girl bites her thumb before carefully signing 'Uzumaki Kirameki' onto it, finishing with a handprint underneath it. The scroll rolls up with a snap before the fox that was carrying it puts it back in the harness to hold it. The older fox smiles just a little bit.
"Now then little one, it is time for one last gift from me, and then the others will take you to a cave and begin your teaching. It will not be easy, but they will help you start on the pathway to becoming a proper Uzumaki shinobi."
The girl nods, trying desperately to not cry as she is reminded that the fox is going to die. The fox moves close to her, and breathes a breath of chakra-infused air across her forehead. A softly whispered command forms an intricate seal pattern there as the fox collapses back onto its side heavily.
"That contains all of my knowledge on the Uzumaki sealing methods. The other have scrolls for you to learn from when you know everything I have given you. That seal will give you a little bit each day, and will vanish bit by bit until it is gone. Now, it is time for you to go with the others."
The girl that used to be Naruto and is now known as Kirameki nods before standing up with the two kunai in her hands. She turns to face the others, following them with heavy footsteps as they lead her away from their dying elder. As they leave the clearing, one of the foxes moves to take the elder's headband and vest, leaving no sign that he was anything other than a larger than normal fox. Once done with that, it darts off towards the village to find the girl's home and gather whatever possessions she has.
After several hours of hiking, the group ends up at a large cave. The inside has obviously been prepared to be lived in, with a simple cot deep inside where the light won't shine directly on it, and various supplies stacked along the walls. Farther in back a small stream runs through the cave, ensuring a proper supply of water year-round. Soon after arriving the fox that had left joins the group with a dark aura of anger surrounding it.
"All of her things were destroyed. They tore everything up, and then fouled it before burning it all in a giant bonfire. I don't think we should tell her about it. She's gone through a very rough day as it is."
The other foxes nod before two leave the cave to do some hunting. They had some stuff that would tide the girl over to start with, blankets and a bedroll for the cot. What they didn't have was clothing for her. Without fur, she was at a serious disadvantage in the forests, so that would have to be fixed sooner rather than later.
While they were out hunting, the now eldest of the fox summons went over to the girl, sitting down in front of her.
"Now then, let's begin your first lesson, how to use a storage scroll…."
Six years had passed since Naruto vanished from Konohagakure. For the Hokage, these years had been horrible as he was always trying to find out what had happened to her. Within the village, things had turned out far different from what they would have if she had stayed. The Uchiha clan's planned revolt had been stayed with careful negotiations and the 'removal' of the key people behind it. The police force had been taken over by a council of the various clans within the village as part of the negotiations with the Uchiha, allowing for a more effective and diverse group.
The civilian council has been disbanded and reformed with new members after they were caught out by the Hokage for planning the disappearance of Naruto, as well as overcharging shinobi at shops they owned while giving discounts to civilian clients.
Perhaps the biggest change however, would be the two remaining loyal members of the Sannin. When Jiraiya and Tsunade found out that Naruto was thrown out of the village by a mob of civilians, they returned to help their old mentor out. Tsunade took over the hospital, while Jiraiya assisted in the administration of the village. This allowed all three to train until they were once more at their peak as far as skills and power.
Today they were meeting in the Hokage's office, going over a string of odd thefts. Honestly though, theft could not be properly applied to what was going on. Sure things were being taken from people. However, in their stead were left high-quality furs that easily exceeded the value of the things taken. There was a subtle pattern to the vanishing items, and they had sent other ninja to apprehend the person responsible for questioning. Unfortunately they had never seen a thing and the items were being taken right under their noses. There was even one incident where an ANBU had been pickpocketed, all of their weapons being taken including their swords that could channel chakra. This alarmed the Hokage and the two Sannin, since the items had been taken while the ANBU was still awake, and they even managed to take the sheathes for the blades.
"Okay, I'm going to be sending you two along with Kakashi to where the next 'theft' is going to take place. Use everything you have to apprehend this person. I want to know why they don't simply come to the village to trade like normal. There is a high possibility they are a missing-nin, and a very skilled one. Be careful. I would rather you both and Kakashi come back safe than risk yourselves in a fight. Go get Kakashi, and head out. Report to me as soon as you know something, no matter what time it is."
The two Sannin stood, delivering a crisp 'Hai, Sensei' before heading out of the room to find the one-eyed jounin. Like the Hokage and Sannin, Kakashi had taken the disappearance of his sensei's son hard, and devoted himself to becoming better. He went from an A-rank threat in the bingo books to a solid S-rank with a bounty that was close to what the Sannin each had. After the resolution of the Uchiha incident he had sought help from Tsunade and the Uchiha regarding his Sharingan eye. Thanks to Tsunade, he now could leave it uncovered as the eye would activate and deactivate for him as if he was born with it, and took a lot less chakra. With the help of the Uchiha, he mastered the Mangekyou level of his Sharingan. Nobody knew what abilities he gained from it, as he kept them secret from everyone except Itachi and the Hokage.
As normal, the Sannin found him on a training field, working on mastering some of the jutsu he had copied from shinobi that he's fought. After a short conversation where they explained the mission, the Sannin left to gear up followed by Kakashi. An hour later, they met at the gate geared and ready. With a nod to the gate guards, they set off towards a farm that produced eggs and chicken for the village.
Thirty minutes of tree-hopping brought them to their destination, and they quickly set up a perimeter of seals bolstered by several of the smallest toad summons. Inside the farm were more of the toads, along with many slugs. They settled in for the night, each one taking a vantage point to be able to observe as much as possible. It wasn't until shortly after two am that anything happened. Jiraiya straightened up as he felt several of his seals suddenly disconnect. He frowned at that, since it would take at minimum a journeyman to disable them without the alarm going off. He quickly alerted the others to the problem.
Half an hour passed before they caught the barest flicker of motion, that of a smallish form darting towards the building where the eggs were stored. Luckily for them, there was only one door to the building, and they stood outside of it waiting for the person to come out. What they saw was shocking, to say the very least. It was a young girl with long red hair tied back in a lose tail so it didn't get in her way. She wasn't dressed in anything approaching conventional garb. Instead she had wolf fur guarding the insides of her thighs, a pair of black leather shorts that failed to completely cover her backside, and a rabbit fur top that cris-crossed her body, covering the obvious sign that she was female and quite healthy.
The girl stopped dead in her tracks as she saw the three shinobi blocking her escape, and crouched down slightly into an unusual fighting stance. She stood there silently watching them, her eyes darting back and forth so she could see if they moved in an aggressive manner. Tsunade stepped forward a half-step, her hands held up to show they were empty.
"We don't mean you any harm girl. We simply want to talk to you and find out why you're doing what you have been. Why don't you come into the village to trade for the things you want, instead of sneaking about like a thief?"
The girl let out a soft snort as she tilted her head up to stare into Tsunade's eyes. The three ninja gasped in surprise to see an old and worn headband that held a well-cared for plate featuring the swirl of Uzushiogakure on it. She pauses, as if she is thinking what to say.
"I don't want anything to do with that place. It's full of scum and assholes that think it is okay to throw a child naked into the woods after beating it nearly to death. I give fair trade for what I take so you can't call me a thief. I have done nothing wrong and don't want to go anywhere with you."
Her words caused all three to stiffen in shock. Jiraiya moved forward, whispering softly as if he could not believe what he was about to say. "N-Naruto? Is that you? What happened to you?"
The girl growled as she heard a name that reminded her of a past that she wanted nothing to do with. Her right hand moved as if she was throwing something, and she called out the name of a technique that none of the three ninja had heard before. "Starfire Burst!"
Several brightly glowing motes of chakra flew out, fanning away from each other. Once they got more than halfway to the elder ninja, they suddenly exploded with a highly disproportionate amount of force. The motes first flared brightly enough to blind most people, then exploded with the force of ten paper bombs each. As soon as they flared, the girl darted to the side, moving to try and evade the ninja while they were blinded. None of the three were fazed by the attack, each having dealt with worse over their careers. Jiraiya quickly went through handsigns before calling out his own jutsu. "Swamp of the Underworld!"
The girl came to a halt right before she would have stepped into it. Tsunade came running up behind her, aiming a powerful strike at the back of her head to knock the girl out. Kirameki quickly back flipped over the older woman, breathing out a cloud of black poison as she was directly overhead. She twisted in the air to land facing away from Tsunade, managing to duck under a high kick from Kakashi. Tsunade blocked the poison by directing her strike into the ground, creating a shockwave that propelled it away and blending it with a cloud of dust even as a large crater opened up at the edge of the swamp, draining it rapidly into the hole that was made.
The girl lashed out with a powerful sweep kick, trying to take out the leg Kakashi was standing on. Even as her leg reached full extension she was going through handsigns of her own. "Fire Style: Ash Pile Burning!" She exhales a giant cloud of thick black ash before snapping her teeth together, sparking the flint she keeps hidden in her mouth and igniting the cloud of ash in a giant fireball.
Kakashi quickly goes through several handsigns before creating a giant wall of water to protect himself with a loud cry. "Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"
Kirameki jumps away from the explosion of steam, only to go into a roll to avoid a stream of brownish-green oil from Jiraiya. She comes to her feet but stays low to the ground with her arms trailing behind her. She closes her hand, a weapon very familiar to the three older ninja appearing in it. She flings the three-pronged kunai past Jiraiya, vanishing in a streak of sparkling blue and yellow light. She appears behind the kunai, snatching it out of the air even as she moves into a full sprint to try and get away from the three people trying to capture her. The kunai vanishes with a thought, right before a massive impact to her head causes her entire world to turn black.
Tsunade smirks as she watches the girl go tumbling, her fist occupying the space where her head had once been. She straightens up and dusts her hands off as she walks over to examine her and make sure that she is unhurt. Her hand glows green as she checks over the spot where she had hit, a single eyebrow rising. "Interesting. I know I hit her; she's obviously unconscious from it. There isn't any bruising at all though. Either she's got very tough skin, or a healing rate that is frankly terrifying. Let's get her back to the old monkey and see what's going on….and get her into some decent clothes."
Tsunade picked the girl up while Kakashi and Jiraiya quickly repaired the damage from the short battle. Once done, Jiraiya disable the rest of his perimeter seals and dismissed the toads with thanks. Kakashi went to tell the owners of the farm that everything was okay. Once everything was settled, the three quickly made their way back to the village. Once inside the wall, Jiraiya paused to send a toad to wake up the Hokage before they carried on to the tower and into his office to wait for him. Tsunade laid the girl on a couch before sending one of the nighttime aides to get some clothing for the girl. The Hokage and aide both arrived at the same time. Before Hiruzen could speak, Tsunade gestured for the three men to turn away so she could change the girl's clothes from the furs to what the aide had brought.
Unfortunately for the Sannin, everything Kirameki was wearing had some very interesting seal work hidden on it. Each piece was secured with a seal that would keep it from being removed by anyone but the girl and would deliver a nasty shock to anyone that tried.
The shock caused Tsunade to jerk her hand back, and woke the girl. She sat up, still groggy from the hit that had knocked her out, and looked around. She was in an unfamiliar room with the three ninja that she had been fighting, and an old man. She buried her face in her hands with a muttered oath. The three men turned back around to see Tsunade shaking her hand to get the feeling back into it and the girl swearing softly.
The Hokage knew who they thought she was, thanks to the short report Jiraiya sent with his toad. He moved over to squat down in front of the girl so he wasn't as threatening.
"Are you Naruto?"
The girl looks up, the face of the old man sparking old memories in her mind. After several moments she replies softly. "…Jiji?"
Hiruzen smiles brightly and moves far faster than anyone of his age should be able to, engulfing the girl in a hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to know that we've found you! We've all been looking for you constantly since you vanished, and were so worried. What happened to you, why are you wearing such odd clothing, and why are you wearing the Uzu headband?"
The girl squirms free of his grasp and backs away, shaking her head a little. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! Back off old man! I don't like being touched. As for what happened to me? A very friendly group of people from here dragged me out of my apartment in the middle of the night, stripped me naked, and beat me until I passed out. I woke up in the forest. While trying to find my way back home, I was found by a group of summons from my mother's clan. They took me somewhere safe and helped me train. It's taken a long time, but I finally am at the level of an Uzushio genin. Now, I haven't done anything wrong so let me go already! Also, my name isn't Naruto, its Kirameki. Naruto is a boy's name and I am obviously not a boy."
The four adults all go wide-eyed at her words. Each of them knew what it meant to be genin-level for Uzu. That meant the girl was close to jounin level for any other village. The Sandaime was the first to recover, and coughed slightly to get Kirameki's attention.
"I know you're not a boy. I had placed a transformation seal on you to keep you from being hurt in case someone found out you were a girl before you could defend yourself. I did everything I could to ensure your safety. Sadly, it wasn't enough. I found the ones that attacked you, and can guarantee that you won't ever have to worry about them. You can leave if you want to, but I ask that you wait. We all want to talk to you for a little bit, to see how you've grown up. Jiraiya and Tsunade were named your godparents. They couldn't take you in because it would have painted a target on you and made your life far more difficult. Instead they were out in the world, carefully taking care of threats against you to ensure you didn't have people trying to kill you every day. Kakashi was a student of your father, and spent every day he was not on missions watching over you."
Kirameki listened carefully, growing angry at the mention of having godparents before it quickly faded when the Hokage told her what they were doing. It made quite a lot of sense to her, thanks to the training she had undergone with the foxes. She finally decides to do something, and bites her thumb before running the digit along her summoning tattoo. A cloud of chakra smoke poofs into existence before clearing away, revealing a fox that was as tall as the willowy girl. She leans in, whispering softly to the fox. A quiet conversation takes place rapidly, both of them using a code so that nobody understands what they are saying. The words quickly grow heated before she sighs in defeat and the fox vanishes with a smirk into another cloud of smoke. She straightens up and gives the adults a flat look.
"I will stay here, for now, and enroll in the academy. It is what my father wanted from me, and my mother. There are conditions though. I will move into my parents' home. If I decide to stay and graduate, Kakashi will be my sensei, and no boys on my team. I don't do well around males until I know I can trust them and I don't want some idiotic boy that thinks with his hormones more than his brain getting me killed."
The four adults quickly agreed to her demands, knowing they would have agreed to much more if they needed to. They all let out a mental sigh of relief though, since what she wanted was not anything major. They settled down after a few moments, followed by Kirameki, to discuss her life in detail and what she had gone through. This continued for several hours until they realized that the sun was shining through the window. Another short discussion was held before it was decided that she would start at the academy today, though she would not give up her Uzu headband.
The Hokage quickly drafted up some papers for her to attend, listing her as a transfer from an allied nation that wanted to get to know the people she would be working with before joining the active forces. Kakashi took the papers and led her out of the Hokage's tower to get something to eat before they went to the academy, delayed by a short but heated fight about her clothing. She liked what she was wearing, and certainly wasn't going to change it for other people.
She entered the academy behind Kakashi, following along until they got to a specific classroom. After knocking and being told to enter, they went into the room with Kakashi handing the paperwork over to Iruka. The teacher looked over everything before glancing at the girl, his eyes widening at her scandalous choice in clothing. He shrugs after a moment before gesturing for her to come stand in front of everyone.
"Class, I would like you to meet a new transfer student, Kirameki Uzumaki. She is a descendant of the ruling family of the former village of Uzushiogakure, and has agreed to consider joining Konoha. She will be joining us to get to know the people of her generation that she will be working with if she stays."
Kirameki bows politely before speaking. "It is a pleasure to meet you all." The action caused her outfit to show off a bit more of her assets, causing all of the males in the class to be thrown back with violent nosebleeds. Iruka wasn't even spared from seeing more than he wanted as her very brief shorts tightened and revealed more of her backside. The chuunin sighed and shook his head, knowing that the girl was bound to be trouble of the worst sort for his class.
A/N: Okay, here's the first chapter of a story idea that just wouldn't leave me alone. All of my chapters will be at least 5k words, which I think is enough to really get into things without being so long that everyone loses interest. However, if I get enough people saying they want longer chapters I will gladly make them longer.
I am unsure as to how fast I will update. It depends on whether or not you want more, and when I feel up to writing.
Thanks for reading, please review!