Disclaimer: I don't own and never will own Naruto or any references to different media used throughout this story.

Story 1, Arc 1, Chapter 1

Beginnings: Darkness be my Friend

The sky was dark, bordering on a pitch black. The only illumination was from the full moon. The light shone trough the trees of the thick forest, A single figure stood in a small clearing were the moon was brightest. He stared at the moon.

"One day… I will be accepted," said the figure, from the voice he was obviously a young boy, maybe eleven or twelve.

Two wings unfurled from his back, the wings were like that of an angel, but a pitch black like the night's sky. With a single, mighty flap of his wings he flew into the night sky, his wings blocking out the moonlight.

It was now eight in the morning and a certain young blonde boy was walking to school. It was the final day of the official academy year, excluding the Genin team day.

'I might as well not of come today… I'm just going to fail again.'

People said that the boy was depressed even though he looked like he didn't give a damn about anything, wearing that atrocious orange jumpsuit, and the stupid grin on his face made you drive away any thoughts of depression. He wasn't depressed, just realistic.

He walked into the gates of the Konoha Ninja Academy and pushed through the big wooden doors of the academy.

He walked into the door of his classroom, where his teacher, Iruka Umino, and another man who had blue hair.

"You're late Naruto" said Iruka, a brown haired man with a scar running along his nose, obviously from his career as a ninja before becoming an academy teacher. Iruka was a kind man, Naruto understood that he only wanted the best for him, but he was a bit harsh about it. The blue haired man had a scar free face. Either he was very good, or he had never been on a serious mission during the war. Naruto believed it was the latter.

Naruto just walked past the two men taking the last open seat, next to 'the prodigy' Sasuke Uchiha, a black haired boy who had hair shaped like a duck's ass, though no one mentioned it since he was so 'tough'. Naruto didn't think so, he was just an ass who needs to learn how to be a true ninja. Next to him was a pink haired girl, Sakura Haruno. She was from a civilian family, smart, but not in a good way. She just knew too much for her own good. She was one of the many Sasuke fans.

"Anyway, as I was saying before Naruto interrupted. Today is your exam day, as you all well know, since there are many of you, I bought in another teacher, Mizuki-sensei. He will be helping me grade you on the performance of the 'basic three'."

The basic three were, Henge, Kawarimi, and Bunshin. Naruto was perfectly good at Henge and Kawarimi. It was just that no matter how hard he tried; he couldn't perform a decent Bunshin.

"We will call you in roll order, first Satoshi Arkona…"

Naruto let himself space out, one by one he saw students come out, headbands in hand. Naruto's name was called and he sighed as he headed towards the inevitable. His failure.

Naruto walked into the back room. Mizuki and Iruka sat behind a desk, clipboards in hand.

"Ok Naruto, you know what to do." Said Iruka, a kind smile on his face.

Naruto sighed.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to pull this off, but here I go." Said Naruto.

Naruto transformed into a replica of the third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. It was perfectly the same, not a hair out of place. He then did a kawarimi with a simple log.

"Good job so far" inserted Iruka.

Naruto frowned; he knew it was all going to go downhill from here.

'Time for failure'

Naruto focused so hard, and gathered his chakra together. It felt perfect this time.

'This is it!'

Naruto unleashed the energy, he was sure he would get it this time. Naruto opened his eyes to a dead body on the ground, pale and pasty with everything wrong.

Iruka had a look of disappointment on his face, Mizuki stayed impartial.

"I'm sorry Naruto, you fail."

Naruto felt himself die inside… then Mizuki spoke out.

"Iruka, wait, maybe we could pass him. I mean he did create a clone…"

Naruto's hopes were raised…

"No we can't, all the other students created at least three clones and they were all replicas of themselves. Naruto could only create one and it's not acceptable."

Only to be crushed into dust… Naruto felt like everything had become black and white. All happiness and colour had been drained from the world.

Naruto left the room, his dreams of being Hokage ripped away from him in an instant.

He sat in the tree outside of the academy looking at all the students who had passed. All talking with their parents… It made his blood boil. All these things these people were taking for granted. Naruto had wanted those things all his life, a family, someone to care for him.

Mizuki landed in the tree next to him.

"Hey Naruto, you know Iruka really wanted you to pass…"

Naruto looked at him, glaring.

"What do you want?" asked Naruto impatiently

"I want to tell you of another way to pass…"

Naruto was instantly sucked in.

"How?"

Mizuki let a devious grin appear on his face.

"Well…"

It was late, it was a time when no sane person should be awake. But Iruka was. He was thinking of Naruto's face when he didn't pass.

'Maybe I should of passed him he did make one…'

An impatient knocking at the door interrupted Iruka's thoughts.

'Who the hell visits someone at this hour?'

Iruka walked to his door and saw Mizuki in the doorway. He had a look of panic on his face.

"Mizuki? What is it?"

"It's Naruto, He's taken the forbidden scroll!"

Iruka's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets.

"Hokage-sama is holding an emergency meeting for all ranks Chuunin and above."

Iruka ran out of the door following Mizuki to the meeting point.

"He's gone to far this time Hokage-sama!" yelled out a Chuunin.

"This not a mere prank anymore!" called out a Jounin

The Hokage stood in front of the group of ninja in a state of deep thought.

"I want the scroll and Naruto bought to me, alive and unharmed!" called out Sarutobi, making sure they understood what he meant. He made a sweeping movement with his arm, and all the ninja sped off in every direction of town.

Iruka was heading to Naruto's home, as he saw Mizuki break off and went towards the forest, with an odd smile on his face.

'Where's he going?'

Iruka followed Mizuki.

Naruto sat in the forest, exhausted. The scroll laid open in front of him.

'Ok, I've learned a jutsu… now what!'

Iruka landed in the clearing in front of him.

"Naruto! What are you doing?" yelled Iruka

Naruto looked up at him with a puzzled face.

"Didn't Mizuki tell you? He gave me an alternate test!" questioned Naruto

Iruka now had the puzzled face

"Alternate test?"

"Yeah! He said if I stole the forbidden scroll and learned a jutsu from it I would become a genin"

"Naruto… there is no alternate test…"

Naruto was shoved out of the way as a barrage of kunai and shuriken were embedded into the tree behind him. Naruto stared in shock at them.

'What the hell?'

Naruto looked at where they had came from and saw Mizuki, armed to the teeth with different ninja weapons.

"Looks like you found our little hiding spot Iruka…"

"Mizuki… You traitor!" screamed out Iruka

"Naruto give me the scroll" said Mizuki, ignoring Iruka.

"Naruto, don't do it! He's a traitor to the village!"

Naruto was in shock, Mizuki a traitor… Naruto absolutely hated traitors. Naruto's eyes narrowed at Mizuki.

"Do you want to know why the village hates you?" asked Mizuki

"No don't do it! It's forbidden!"

"There was even law against telling you!"

Naruto looked at Mizuki
"What law?"

Mizuki grinned like a maniac.

"Twelve years ago, the nine tailed fox attacked the village. The fourth Hokage sealed into a newborn baby. That baby was you! You are the nine tailed fox reincarnate!"

Naruto was shocked, he was so stunned he couldn't move.

'I'm the nine tailed fox? H…How?'

"Now die you mistake!"

A giant shuriken was thrown towards Naruto, Naruto was about to dodge when he felt someone's blood splatter onto his face.

Naruto looked up and saw Iruka.

"Naruto… run"

Iruka coughed up blood onto Naruto's chest.

Naruto just nodded since he was so shocked and followed his 'orders'

"Where the hell do you think your going!"

Mizuki went to go after as a bunch of Kunai and Shuriken flew towards him.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked Iruka, struggling to stand.

"I'll deal with you first!"

Mizuki was jumping from branch to branch.

'Where is that brat…'

Mizuki saw Naruto straight ahead of him with a scroll on his back, Mizuki henged into Iruka, wounds and all.

"Naruto, give me the scroll!" said Mizuki as he came up next to Naruto.

Naruto jumped forward then jumped back and slammed his knee into 'Iruka's' jaw and sent him spiralling to the ground. He transformed back to normal.

"Damn it! How did you know I wasn't Iruka?" asked Mizuki

Naruto smirked and transformed back to a wounded Iruka, the scroll transforming into a log.

"Because I'm Iruka"

"Why are you helping him! He's a demon, A blight upon the village! You know he's going to use the scroll to destroy the village!"

Unbeknownst to the two, Naruto sat behind a tree not to far away. Listening to the conversation.

"You're right a demon would do that…"

Naruto felt like he shouldn't even exist at that point. Even Iruka saw him as a demon, like everyone else; maybe he should take the scroll…

"But Naruto isn't like that! He is one of the kindest and strongest people I know!"

Naruto smiled at that.

Mizuki drew a kunai from his pouch.

"Then I have no use for you!" yelled Mizuki as he went to end Iruka's life, when he felt something knee him in the jaw once more.

He crashed to the ground and looked up at a very pissed Naruto, looking very intimidating blood soaking his clothes. Naruto tossed the scroll to Iruka and smiled at him.

"Mind holding onto that for a minute?" asked Naruto

He turned back to Mizuki and the face that promised death appeared.

One black wing spread out from his back.

"If you ever hurt my precious people…"

The other unfurled on the other side. A firm glare made its way onto his face

"I'll kill you!"

Mizuki was scared. Naruto put his hands into the cross sign.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

Another Naruto fazed into existence beside him as both flew towards Mizuki at high speed, one stopped right in front of him and the other appeared to have overshot. Mizuki grinned, thinking that he could take a Genin on. He felt a kick to the back of his head as he went down, then he saw a knee coming straight for his face then everything became a sea of black and red for him.

Naruto's eyes slowly opened to an unconscious Iruka with now headband on his forehead. Naruto reached up and felt the cold metal of the hitai-ate around his forehead. It was already sun up.

"Oi Iruka, wake up"

Naruto nudged Iruka and he slowly awoke.

"Ok, you need to go to hospital, and we need to take the scroll back."

Iruka looked at him.

"What about you? Shouldn't you go as well?" asked Iruka

Naruto looked down at his clothes and noticed all the blood.

"No, but I will need new clothes…"

Naruto picked up the scroll and got going. Iruka followed.

The two had arrived in front of the building that is the Hokage tower and were stopped by a squad of ANBU.

"Naruto Uzumaki, You are under arrest for treason against Konoha…"

"No need for that, ANBU-san. Naruto-kun has already been cleared of his charges. The real culprit has been bought in. Mizuki."

Some of the ANBU flinched slightly but nonetheless they bowed to the Hokage and left.

"Naruto-kun, please follow me. We have matters we need to discuss, concerning last night. Iruka, you are free to go to the hospital"

Iruka bowed and headed towards the hospital. Naruto followed the Hokage to his office getting a dirty look from his secretary as they walked in.

Sarutobi sat down behind his desk, fished his pipe out from his pocket and pulled his batches of tobacco from his desk and filled up his pipe.

"Now Naruto-kun, please explain what those wings were…"

Naruto looked at the Hokage with a questioning look.

"What are you talking about?"

The Hokage smiled at the young boy.

"My crystal ball isn't just for show, Naruto-kun."

Naruto sighed and stood up, one of his black wings spread from his back. Appearing out of nowhere.

"This one of my wings, I have no idea how I got them or why. I just know I have them."

Sarutobi looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I see… this is obviously an early stage of some form of Kekkei Genkai. This must be its basic form…"

Naruto sat back down and conversed with the Hokage.

"Now about the shadow clone jutsu… there is a reason it is a forbidden technique. But that reason doesn't apply to you my boy… But I do have one order concerning it. Under no circumstances are you allowed to teach the jutsu to anyone, without my permission. Understood?"

Naruto nodded.

"Then… you are free to go, may I suggest getting some new clothing though? Because those are obviously ruined…"

Naruto looked down at his clothes, the bright orange was now a maroon colour because of the dried blood on it.

Naruto sheepishly smiled.

"I better do that first…"

Naruto walked down the main street of Konoha, and looked in one of the windows and noticed how horrible he looked. His hair had been tinged red by all the blood, his clothes were now beyond the point of no return. He sighed.

'This is bad… very bad…'

Naruto walked into a store that had a sign out the front with a Kunai on it. As soon as he walked in, there was no mistake that it was a ninja store. Racks of different weapons, different kinds of pills, smoke bombs, exploding tags and of course Ninja clothing.

'Well… it's definitely a ninja store…'

Behind the counter was a young girl, only maybe a year older then himself, reading a magazine about the new weapons and such coming out.

Her hair was shaped into two buns, to Naruto it made her look like a panda. She was wearing a pink, Chinese style shirt.

'Well, Maybe I will get out of this with some new clothes…'

Naruto started browsing the aisles of clothing when the girl called out,

"Uh, do you need a hand?" asked the girl.

Naruto poked his head out of the aisle and saw the girl walking towards him, she looked him up and down.

"What the hell happened to you?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly.

"A small run in with a traitor last night"

The girl looked questionably at him, but shrugged it off.

"Anyway, what are you looking for?" asked the girl.

Naruto looked at her with a look saying, 'really?'

"Clothes, what else"

The girl giggled slightly.

"No, what kind?"

Naruto smirked back.

"You work here, you should be telling me."

The girl started browsing through the aisle looking at different clothes, from the rack she pulled a pair of dark navy ninja pants, a mesh, sleeveless shirt and a dark navy, short sleeved shirt with the kanji for 'darkness' on the back.

"Here, try these on." Handing the clothes to Naruto.

Naruto walked into the change room when a roll of tape flew over the door.

"You'll need that!" called out the 'panda' girl.

Naruto put everything on and rolled the tape around his ankles, holding the pant hems down.

Naruto walked out of the room and saw the girl looking him up and down once more, his hair still soaked through with blood. He looked very intimidating with the blood still in his hair.

"Yeah, definitely suits you." Said the girl.

Naruto smiled, and grabbed his wallet.

"How much?"

The girl went to the register and typed in some numbers.

"The total is… 45000 ryou."

Naruto nodded and pulled out the right amount of bills and handed them to the girl.

"Hey, I'm Tenten Higurashi. What's your name?" said Tenten

Naruto smiled.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki"

Naruto walked out of the store with his new set of clothes. Tenten was thoughtful for a moment.

'Uzumaki, where have I heard that name?'

Hey guys, TehDarkness here. Anyways here's the first chapter of what I hope will turn into a you know the drill Rate and Review, since this is my first story I need to know where I can improve, anything you like about the story, what you don't like hell even flames will do.

Ja Ne!