I do not own Naruto. But I can promise this fic will blow your mind. Enjoy, and btw Naruto is three years older along with everyone relevant. Timeline doesn't apply much so don't bitch about it.
Letting the lukewarm water wash away all of his recently accrued stress and grime, a 15 year old blonde shinobi couldn't help but sigh as the grimace he wore on his face shifted to a look of determination. Naruto Uzumaki had a mission, and he damned sure wouldn't shy away from the task he had been assigned by the last person one would think possible. Zabuza Momochi, Demon of the Hidden Mist and notorious S rank missing nin from Kiri. His first mission as a shinobi outside of the Leaf Village that he called home was a complete fiasco, and the young Uzumaki had learned what being a ninja truly meant during that fateful clash on the bridge that had liberated Wave country.
It was there that he had fought for his life alongside his recently formed team which consisted of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Kakashi Hatake. As his merciful enemy Haku had explained to him as he cradled Sasukes needle ridden body, the way of shinobi meant the possibility of death to not only himself, but the precious few he cared about. For many years during his sabotaged academy training, he had hated the Uchiha Prince with a passion that was wholeheartedly reciprocated, but then it had happened. Sasuke had pushed him out of the way of that deadly attack that came from the powerful ice using ninja that had later been identified as the same person he had befriended in that clearing after a hard day's work in gaining more strength, and despite everything he could possible conceive he just couldn't figure out why. Sasuke told him his body had moved all on its own, but that just didn't make any sense at all to the jinchuriki.
All his life he had been either emotionally or physically harmed by the majority of his home village, due to the fact that he houses a demon Fox within him for the purpose of keeping those very same people safe. He couldn't fully comprehend the notion of someone actually defending his life, but running his hands through his messy mop of hair the young ninja shrugged off his confusion and decided to focus on the matter at hand. His new mission. The mission that he couldn't and wouldn't fail, even if it costed him his life. Yagura, the fourth Mizukage, and the jinchuriki of the three tailed turtle.
Naruto couldn't understand how someone so similar to him could do what he was doing to the country he ruled over, but in a way Naruto had more of a grudge against his fellow jinchuriki than Zabuza ever had. Naruto dreamed of being A Kage himself and protecting his home, despite being ostracized and violated during his difficult life, so why would Yagura, after gaining the most prestigious position in the lands squander it by killing off people who had suffered such similar hardships!? Haku had been a victim of the ongoing bloodline purges that were a curse to those born different in water country, and even Zabuza apparently had been which was the reason he worked for that bastard Gatou in the first place.
He could still remember the man's dying request to him after Haku sacrificed his life to save his, and Naruto moved his battered body next to the young ninja he had formerly regarded as a tool to be disposed of. After dropping the kunai knife Naruto had tossed into his mouth before Zabuza recklessly tore through Gatous hired thugs and plunged it into the shipping magnates chest, the demon looked to him with a peculiar expression that Naruto couldn't quite place. Was it hope!? Recognition!? Respect!?
Naruto couldn't tell for sure, but he damned sure remembered what was said, and what happened afterwards. How could he not!?
"Brat-...Naruto..Looks..like This..is the end of the line for me. Take..my sword! I can't trust anyone else..With It. And...cough cough..and..my hideout! Northeast of here..Everything I own! Go there and become strong...Stronger than I ever was! The...Mizukage..Yagura.. he's like..you. But you're..different. You..haven't become the demon that he is.. He kills for no reason..so many..that's why I tried...but I failed! You have to kill him Naruto, or I don't know how many more will suffer from his bloodline purge. Promise me! Promise me you'll stop him!"
Naruto could only look down at Zabuza with wide eyes at the man's fading existence in the realm of the living, not knowing how to respond. Then it clicked. Yagura was like him, but..He.. He was the cause of all of this. He was the real reason Haku had suffered and joined Zabuza. He was the real reason Haku was dead. Zabuza was just a man with a mission, a mission that many people would consider impossible. He could almost still feel the powerful red chakra flowing through his body, augmenting his pathetic ability enough to overwhelm even a shinobi that Sasuke stood no chance against. A shinobi that had disable Zabuza in a single blow, with nothing but a senbon needle no less. It was then that he could only dumbly nod at Zabuza, who stated into his eyes with a look of content as his voice trailed off even more.
"Good..cough cough. Now..Take..The kunai..and.. finish me! It's..my last request! I...don't want to die..because of a wound one of them..gave me! It..has to..be You! Someone...Worthy! Cough cough cough!
Naruto instantly protested, but the stern look in Zabuzas eyes stopped his panic and somehow he understood. To Zabuza, who had basically just left him his legacy, dying at his hand was the last small mercy that life would grant him. The blonde hesitantly grabbed the knife after a short while of numb clarity, and he didn't know why the tears started flowing but they just did. Naruto Uzumaki understood Zabuza Momochi in that fated moment, and the entire world seemed to shift as his hand plunged into the man's heart, almost seeming to move in slow motion. Zabuza in that moment had become something like a father to Naruto, as crazy as it had seemed. Haku had become like a brother, or sister, whatever he was. He wasn't betraying the ice shinobis brave sacrifice in that moment, but instead he was only solidifying it. He was taking the mantle that was Zabuzas purpose in existing, and Zabuza was passing the torch to the only person he could depend on. Him.
Blood splattered, soaking Naruto's trembling hand as the kunai dug into Zabuzas chest with little resistance. He couldn't even hear Sakuras cries as she knelt and sobbed over Sasukes unmoving form, and he didn't even register the fact that Kakashi sensei had collapsed from chakra exhaustion a minute or so earlier. All he saw was the look of contentment on Zabuzas face as he breathed his final breathes, and the nod the man have him as he unconsciously uttered the words that he ultimately lived by.
"I'll stop him Zabuza! I give you my word, and I never break my word! That's my nindo, my ninja way! Believe it!"
Days and maybe even years seemed to pass as their eyes never faltered, looking directly into each other's souls as flames seemed to fade from Zabuzas eyes and intensify in Naruto's. Then the demon of the Mist closed his eyes for the final time, and Naruto didn't think before making a few shadow clones to check on his downed comrades and take Zabuza and Haku to bury them both in the clearing where he first met Haku. After that he didn't even register the roaring celebration as the freed inhabitants of Wave country converged on the bridge, or the fact that said bridge was named after him shortly thereafter. He had a mission.
It didn't take long his teammates to wake up at all, and none of them had any idea that he wasn't really there with them. He had left a multitude of shadow clones to watch over them all, and since Sakura was strangely subdued his doppelganger wasn't dispelled from her violent tendency to lash out in anger at him. The blonde was almost emotionless as he eventually found the hideout, emptying it if all its contents in a robotic sort of way. At that time he didn't even really know what he was grabbing, he just took everything he saw and sealed it into the storage scrolls that played about. He didn't really know anything about sealing, but since he was previously intrigued by the art of fuinjutsu due to his unique situation with the demon Fox, he knew how to at least use a storage scroll. The old man had been kind enough to demonstrate for him once before while explaining that he wasn't the kyubi, and now that demonstration was truly a blessing considering that the kubikiribocho zanbato sword that Zabuza wielded so expertly was larger than he was. It didn't take him longer than half an hour to seal everything away, and after that he just went back to Tazuna the bridge builder's house and slept. He slept like he never had before. Naruto didn't even wash the blood off of his hands until he made it back to Konoha a few days later. Until just now, as he stood for a couple hours in his small shower and let the water wash everything away.
Shivering a little as the water began running colder and colder, Naruto gave an appreciative nod thinking of Haku and how his ice techniques were infinitely more worse than the chill he now had. After exiting his bathroom and drying off quickly, the young man decided to make a clone to boil some water for instant ramen while he finally unsealed everything Zabuza had left him. Grabbing the scrolls from his pack and placing them in the middle of his tiny living area, Naruto reverently knelt beside them with a look of determination and began getting down to business. A few minutes later, the boy almost fainted because of what he found within. Everything he would ever need!
Recovering from the initial shock, Naruto couldn't help but chuckle as he thumbed through the massive pile of ryo one of the scrolls had unleashed before him. There were also numerous pieces of reading material, ranging everywhere from outdated and updated bingo books to jutsu scrolls consisting of water natured techniques. There were also many articles of clothing, most likely due to necessity more than a desire to be fashionable. Since Zabuza and Haku were constantly on the run as missing nin, Naruto thought it made a lot of sense to me able to change appearances. There was also a multitude of swords, well three to be exact besides Zabuzas zanbato. One was a basic ninjato, another a katana and the final one a shirasaya. He seemed drawn to the shirasaya and the kubikiribocho, and he also held a great respect for the senbon needles that Haku had all but decimated him with previously. There were also a few unusual kunai present, as instead of the straight kind he was used to using they all had curved blades.
After some more rummaging Naruto found that he now had books and scrolls on human anatomy, herbs and poison, psychology, and surprisingly blacksmithing. There was also a cookbook that he had to guess was Hakus, along with a blank black notebook that instantly grabbed his attention for some reason. He didn't even hesitate to open it forgoing the others for some odd reason, but upon finding out what was within he felt his heart hitch because of its content. It was Hakus journal.
Opening it to the first page with barely contained excitement, Naruto looked forward to learning more about their journey and began reading at his slow pace.
"Zabuza sama and I are going on a mission today, and because of our run in with the Hunter nin during our assassination of that corrupt councilman I've decided to keep this journal from this point on. I know that as a tool I may need to kill my heart for the sake of my precious person, but I've still been learning everything I can learn about healing techniques. Ever since Seira has passed I haven't been able to sleep well, and maybe I'm not cut out for this life. I have made a vow however. The next time I will not be helpless as someone dies in front of me, and my conviction of protecting what's important to me will never cease or wane. I've also been developing my snow leopard taijutsu with unwavering commitment, and I am glad to say it's coming along well. I may not be much of an artist, but I have still been drawing the techniques that feel natural to me and the philosophy behind them. I have resolved to make Zabuza proud of my ability, and nothing will stop us from achieving his goals.
P.S. The grilled eel and squid we shared was the best I've ever eaten."
Naruto hungrily read more and more entries that Haku wrote down, not even noticing the amount of time that seemed to pass. He eventually found something that left him gobsmacked about halfway through the journal, after learning of countless encounters with other ninja and completed missions.
"Its a beautiful day today, and Zabuza seemed most pleased with my performance during our mission to Kumo. We are now heading toward Whirlpool country, the ancestral land of the Uzumaki clan with hopes of finding powerful sealing techniques. The Uzumaki clan were famous for fuinjutsu, kenjutsu, and using chains formed of their chakra that could even suppress tailed beasts. Zabuza sama has even stated that a certain Uzumaki once sealed off an entire village and he only narrowly escaped, and I thank kami he managed to. Apparently the village was destroyed, and my clan once were part of the shinobi force before we became refugees when Kumo and Iwa destroyed them in their fear. It is truly a saddening tale, for such powerful ninja to have been killed because of their own vast potentials. I can only hope we succeed in finding what he desires, and perhaps I can learn more about my kekkai genkai if we're fortunate enough. The whirlpools surrounding the country have deterred us so far however, so I am skeptical if we'll even make it ashore the place where my ancestors once resided. P.S. The tempura we ate together was delicious."
Naruto couldn't believe what he had read, and he re-read it several times before turning the page and becoming a bit disappointed. Apparently they never made it to Whirlpool, and they almost died to be honest. There was a creature that kept all vessels back, and even if they could get past there were still the powerful whirlpools to bypass as well. In the end they decided to his take more missions, and gain anything they could from plotting the corpses of the shinobi they killed off.
Naruto had ways wanted to know about his family, and now it seemed he had a lead to go on. The blonde was enthralled and excited about the idea of making chakra chains. He couldn't believe he came from a great clan of ninja when he lived in such poverty his entire life, but somehow it felt right to him. Jiji did tell him that his parents had enemies that he couldn't handle at this point, and now Naruto understood why. If anyone ever knew he was an Uzumaki clan member, he could at the very least expect Kumo and Iwa to send assassins to make sure he was deadened. With a visible frown Naruto kept reading, eventually stumbling upon a few interesting entries involving shinobi that Zabuza had history with. One's name was Mei Terumi, a kunoichi that held two kekkai genkai and shared Zabuzas goal of liberating Kiri. The other was with a fellow swordsman of the Mist named Kisame, a man that apparently overpowered Haku and Zabuza with ease and caused them to retreat. If such a shinobi could exist, Naruto didn't ever want to fight him. That was for sure.
After making a mental note to try and find them in the bingo books that were once Zabuzas, Naruto kept reading until he finally found an entry that he was mentioned in. It was from the day he first met Haku.
"Today I met an interesting shinobi named Naruto Uzumaki, and despite the fact that I was about to kill him as he slept I couldn't bring myself to do it for some reason. I can't explain why, but even though I've killed before and he is a hindrance to our mission it felt wrong. I found out that in many ways he is much like myself, an orphan that grew up despised and unwanted for whatever the reason. He didn't tell me why, but I could clearly see the sadness and loneliness in his eyes when he told me of his situation with his teammates and village. I hope he took my words to heart, as I could see that his reason for growing stronger wasn't enough. He wants acknowledgement, and he wants his existence to be appreciated. I can honestly say that I value his existence for some reason I can't explain, and I don't look forward to facing him when Zabuza sama recovers. He's a cute boy with a good heart, and I don't know why but maybe in another life, we could have been friends. Maybe even more. That is if he didn't think I was a boy.
P.S. Naruto has the most beautiful blue eyes and yellow hair I've ever seen."
The blonde couldn't help but let a few tears loose as he re-read the entry again, and the couple afterwards that mentioned him. Haku had apparently been spying on him from afar, admiring the commitment he showed during his self imposed training to trump Sasuke and master tree walking. The final entry was brief, and Naruto felt his heart almost explode from what he read.
"Today is the day I've been dreading, but to reach Zabuza samas goal I will kill my heart if necessary. But something tells me I won't be able to, and I can only hope that Naruto kun and Zabuza sama live on."
Tears dropped continuously on the page as Naruto remembered his epic battle with the kunoichi that he thought was the most beautiful person he had ever met. Why couldn't she have lived!? Why couldn't Zabuza have lived!? Why couldn't he have helped them reach their goals!? Why did he have feelings for Haku that he couldn't explain!? He was sure of it! If...they had met some other way...she would've made a wonderful wife. Someone to spend his life with. Someone who would always hold him as precious, and even worth dying for like she did for Zabuza. And he would have done the same for her!
A look of fierce determination was now on his face, the tears whittling away as he reached for a few scrolls with crude illustrations that seemed very familiar. It was Hakus taijutsu, picture and notes that made for a very detailed resource with only the most important points taken note of. Haku would live on through him, and he would become strong enough to free Kiri and protect everyone! It was even more important to him than becoming Hokage, and Naruto would waste no time in achieving their mission. It was time to get serious!
As if on cue, the Uzumakis alarm clock blared signalling that it was time to head to training ground seven, and Naruto didn't even think before creating a single clone to go in his stead. He had research to do, and plans to form!
~20 Minutes Later~
Arriving at training ground seven in record time, Naruto's shadow clone awaited his team unconcerned by Kakashi senseis chronic tardiness and thought about what the boss would do in order to make it to Whirlpool. Of course it considered going to the old man Hokage to demand answers about the Uzumaki clan and requesting a trip to his homeland, but somehow he knew the discussion probably wouldn't end well. While Naruto may not have been the sharpest kunai in the holster, he had experienced enough disappointment to know better. The old man would probably ask how he found out about the Uzumaki clan in the first place, and after denying his request Naruto would probably be put under close scrutiny to make sure he didn't leave the village without permission. It was during this contemplation that a flock of crows decided to fly over his prone form, and one of the mischievous birds decided to let its bowels lose at precisely the right moment, dropping a gooey white bomb of feces directly between his eyes.
"DAMMIT YOU BASTARDS GET BACK HERE!"
Forgetting his previous train of thought Naruto was about to try and tree hop and chase the bastards, when an interesting thought popped into his mind. A Shit eating grin instantly plastered itself on his face most ironically, and wiping his face clean with a sleeve the blonde did a complete flip and began thanking the birds along with kami. Haku had mentioned in her journal that Naruto's transformation was something unique that she had never witnessed before, and both her and Zabuza were impressed by his performance when he and Sasuke freed Kakashi when he transformed into a shuriken. If he could turn into a shuriken, why couldn't he turn into a raven!? If he could accomplish that then he could just fly to Whirlpool, and he wouldn't even have to worry about the sea monster or the unforgiving waters that surrounded the deserted country! Just as he was about to test his new idea out, Sasuke appeared with his usual moody look and his hands in his pockets. Turning to the Uchiha that had tried to save his life, Naruto actually smiled for once at the boy he used to hate vehemently. It wasn't returned however, and Naruto couldn't explain why but he knew something was off with the boy he now considered something of a friend.
"Hey Sasuke wassup!"
"Naruto...how did you do it!?"
Although Sasuke asked the question in a soft voice Naruto could feel the underlying emotion in the query, although he was genuinely confused.
"Do what?"
"How did you defeat that ninja after I saved your sorry ass!?"
Naruto now looked a bit affronted by the boy's words, and frowning he replied." I..don't know. I guess I just got lucky."
Sasuke seemed to briefly be overcome with rage at his answer for whatever reason, and Naruto honestly didn't know why. Truth be told Sasuke hadn't said anything to him since they returned from Wave earlier that morning, and Naruto had just chalked it up as his usually reclusive disposition. Little did he know that Sasuke had been brooding and wondering about what happened the entire way back, and Kakashi had only temporarily satiated his need to know with an elusive answer that revealed nothing worthwhile. Tensing up and taking a step toward the blonde, Sasuke then declared.
Hn...there's no such thing as luck in our world loser. There's only power. Now that I have these eyes I'll make you show me your strength, and I'll be one step closer to my ambition!"
Naruto's eyes went wide upon seeing the red eyes of the Uchiha, and he barely noticed that there were two markings in his right eye and one in his left before Sasuke charged him.