Hey there, this is my first fanfiction so I would appreciate any helpful comments.
'Shinigami of Illusions' = thoughts/Flashbacks
"Shinigami of Illusions" = talking/story text
Shinigami of Illusions = Jutsus/Demon talks/
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! Just the idea for this story line.
Shinigami of Illusions: The Beginning
The village of Konohagakure is one of the five major ninja villages in the elemental nations. It is located in the country of Hi no Kuni. The village of Konoha is infamous for it's teamwork and his 'Will of fire' that also says that all villagers of Konoha one big family are. Thus the teamwork, but it is this village that makes the live of one kid that should be celebrated as an hero, for protecting the village from the Kyuubi no Yoko, which is sealed inside him, to a personal hell. The name of this boy is Naruto Uzumaki.
*****Naruto 10th October (6 years-old)*****
Naruto had hidden himself within his apartment. Today the people would be more mean to him than they normaly already were. Longingly he locked out of his window and watched the parents walking the streets with their children, everyone had a big smile on their faces. Why not? They celebrated, they celebrated the victory of their beloved Yondaime over the terrible Kyuubi no Yoko, the nine-tailed Fox and therefor his saving of their home, Konoha.
But to him this day was not a day to celebrate as much as he would like to. As soon as it went dark and the first sake bottles ended empty, the mood of the people switched from happy to pure murder. They mournd their beloved ones that were killed by the Kyuubi and he, he was their ventil through which they released their anger, hate and thoughts of revenge. The sun had just vanished behind the horizon as he heard the first shouts from the streets.
„Where is the little devil?"
„Today we will get our revenge!"
„Today we will free the village from this plague!"
Naruto sat in the corner of his room and hoped that they wouldn't find him, but to no avail Kami seemed to have no mercy for him, with a loud thud followed by a loud crack, the door to his apartment bursted of the hinges and into the room. Soon after was his only safe place flooded with an angry mob, looking to „purge the village from the evil" and to „end what the Yondaime began".
Desperatly Naruto tried to get deeper into the corner of his room, wishing that he could simply mold with the wall. But again he had to find out that there was no hope for him. A few of the stronger villagers formed a ring in the middle of the room and had their fun kicking him around like a football, carefully not to hit his head so he would remain conscious, whilst the rest watched, cheering when they heard the snaping of his bones, tendons and muscles.
After the good amount of 10 to 15 minutes they had enough as the shouts to finally kill him got louder and more and more frequent. While the civillians looked from one to the next to see who would get the „honour" to kill the demon, Naruto's hoarse, cracked voice was heard.
„W-Why do you d-do that I nev-er hurt s-someone."
„Silence, Demon! You killed my wife and my daughter and for that you will pay!"
Shouted an enraged man back, slowly pulling a knife out of his belt. Under the cheers of the other villagers present, he brought the knife over his head ready to strike. Overwhelmed with fear Naruto closed his eyes silently praying that it would be short and painless. But the man seemed to have no intention to end it fast as he thrusted the knife in Narutos right shoulder, nailing him to the floor.
At first he tried to hold the scream, he knew that his torturers loved it to hear him scream even in his 6-year-old mind this was clear, but as the knife in his shoulder was turned he could not longer hold it in and a scream loud enough to still be heard a few blocks around his complex escaped his mouth.
„Why? Why? Why? What did I do to you?" he sobbed as he clutched his pierced shoulder.
Enraged the knife was ripped out of his wound. „You can't foul us, you demon. You killed them and therefor you will die!" And with this the knife descended upon the boy, to pierce his head.
To Naruto everything seemed to slow down. He could see the ecstatic faces of the villagers, the contorted face of the man above him and over all the descending knife. Shortly before it hit him he shut his eyes thightly, awaiting the pain.
But nothing happened. Confused he opened his eyes and immediatly he shrugged back, that is if there were not the floor underneath him. The knife was only a inch away of his face. His eyes traveled along the blade to the arm holding the knife. Another hand had grabed the man's wrist effectivly stopping him. The hand belonged to a man with an ANBU mask of a weasel.
„How dare you to hurt him." was the silently spoken question that floated through the room no one dared to speak, to shocked of the sudden arrival of the ANBU.
A man in the crowd shook off his shock and yelled: „He is the demon he has to pay."
Approval was displayed on the faces of the others. „Is that so..." Hope began to rise in the villagers with an ANBU on their side the demon had no chance.
„Then let me show you..."Weasel slowly began, the man that held the knife grabbed his throat in shock, blood spurted through his fingers, the villagers did not even see the strike that cut his throat. „what happens to those that lay hand on Naruto..." With that the ANBU vanished from view, as the first persons broke down the villagers panicked and tried to escape the apartment but to their despair the ANBU stood in the door waiting for them. Not one of the villagers survived the massacre.
Slowly the ANBU with the Weasel mask kneeled down next to Naruto, as to not frighten him any further. „I'll bring you to the hospital, I won't hurt you." Naruto grabbed the out hold hand of the ANBU, who picked him carefully up. With Naruto in his arms he left the complex over the roofs in the direction of the hospital. As they were half way to the hospital Naruto's voice was heard. „...thank you..." He muttered before he lost conciousness. A small smile adorned the face of the ANBU behind the mask. „No problem, Naruto-kun." After he had made sure that Naruto would be treated, he left to the Hokage tower.
*****Hokage*****
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Hokage of Konoha, just returned from a council meeting, over young Naruto as Weasel appeared in his office. „Hokage-sama." The ANBU said while he kneeled before the Hokage. „What happened Weasel?" asked the Hokage, but he feared that he already knew the answer.
„Naruto Uzumaki was attacked in his apartment, I brought him to the hospital, they treat him at the moment."Weasel answered with an voice void of any emotion. Behind his desk the Hokage was seething, he knew it each year the damn council kept him from Naruto with some obscure reasons for a meeting, but there was nothing he could do, if they wanted a meeting he had to come if he had no grave reason to decline.
„What happened?" He asked with an pressed voice, that clearly held his anger.
„I was patrolling the area when I heard a scream, I rushed to the source as fast as I could. It was Naruto's apartment. As I entered a civilian was to ram a knife in Naruto's head. I could stop him before he could hurt Naruto any further. After that I killed all persons present, except Naruto of course. As they had broken your law and called him a demon, broke into his apartment and tried to kill him. After I had „dispatched" of the civillians I brought Naruto to the hospital. After a short … „persuasion" of the nurses and the doctor, to take care of him, I left to report to you."
A grim smile was on the Hokages face. „Good work Weasel. Dismissed." „Hai. Hokage-sama." Weasel said and left in a sunshine. 'I'm sorry Naruto again I couldn't protect you. Please forgive this old man.' A moment later the room was empty as the Hokage sunshined to the hospital to look after his surrogate grandson.
*****Naruto*****
As Naruto woke up he was shortly blinded. 'Too bright!' After he had blinked a few times he could see the white walls and the clean smell of the room entered his nose. 'I'm in the hospital...again.' As he looked to his left he found the old man sitting there on a chair.
„Hello Naruto. How do you feel?"
„I'm fine, Jiji. I'm used to it." Naruto said a smile spliting his face, while his eyes were shut.
As he opened them again he saw he sad face of the old man. 'Nobody should be used to being beaten up or being nearly killed.' were his thoughts.
„I'm sorry Naruto again I couldn't keep my promise to keep you away from harm."
„No problem Jiji. I forgive you." came the answer instantly, followed by a bright smile.
After this the face of the Hokage lighted up a bit.
„Thank you Naruto. Can I help you with something?" A while Naruto was silent his jaw uprighted by his hand.
„Hai Jiji. Can you say „thank you" to the man who saved me?"
„No problem. I'll tell it to him."
„Something else Naruto?" He asked seeing the hesitation in his face.
„Well..." he looked sheepishly with one Hand behind his head. „last night my door was destroyed..."
„I think your apartment is already back to its former state."
„Really?" The Hokage nodded.
„Nice thanks Jiji." Naruto exclaimed, while hugging him.
„Can I ask you something, Jiji?"
„Of course, Naruto."
„I know you won't tell me why they hate me so I'm not going to ask. But can you tell me why the man that saved me wore a mask and who he is?"Hiruzen smiled sadly at Naruto.
„Your right I can't tell you 'til you are older. But I can answer your other question. The man that saved you was an ANBU they are special ninja, who are under my direct command. They wear the masks so that no one knows who they are."
„Why is that? Why would you hide who you are when you are so awesome?" interrupted Naruto confused.
„Don't interrupt others while they are talking Naruto. I was coming to that." The Hokage scolded him sternly.
„I'm sorry. It won't happen again."
„Good. So back to why they wear masks. ANBU do exspecially dangerous missions, but they are also really important. And so that no one can take revenge on the ANBU that did the missions they wear masks, to hide their identity and protect on this way their family and friends. And the ANBU that saved you is called „Weasel" and no that is not his real name. ANBU are called after their masks."
„Ne ne can I become a ninja too? Like Weasel? And then I can have such a mask too?"
„If you want to become a ninja then you have to go to the academy and if you pass you are a Shinobi." on a second thought he added. „And as a shinobi you will be a lot stronger than the persons that attacked you today, so they won't attack you and shinobi are not allowed to attack a fellow shinobi of the leaf without having to face drastical consequences, even the council can't protect them from."
„So you say if I become a ninja no one will attack me anymore?"
„Yes Naruto, they won't be able to hurt you since you are a fellow shinobi. How does that sound?"
„Great. Starting tomorrow I train to become the greatest ninja ever!" Naruto yelled excited.
What neither the Hokage nor Naruto knew was that in front of the door to Naruto's room stood a nurse and had heard everything they said. With a sinister smile she got back to work, intend to make sure that the rest of the village knew that the demon wanted to become a ninja.
*****1 year later (7 years-old)*****
It was night and you could hear the yelling of a mob running after a young boy. While running the boy looked over his right shoulder, this mob was bigger than the normal ones, by a lot. He thought it were about 2 to 3 times as much as normal, but of course today was his birthday. But it irritated him since last year the beatings he recieved from the villagers had accumulated.
Normally he was attacked once or twice in a month, with the biggest on his birthday, but now the size of the mob of his last birthday was normal and he was attacked at least twice a week and to the normal screams of „Kill the demon" or „lets finish what the Yondaime began" there were now also screams of hindering him to take his revenge or getting stronger.
He really didn't know why though, he never said that he wanted to avenge the deads they had done against him. On the other side it didn't really bothered him. While he could not run from them in the beginning now he could easily outrun the civillians. He saw it as extra training. Right the next day after he had come out of the hospital he went to the library to get some books and start his training.
*****Flashback no Jutsu*****
'Library, library hmm THERE' exited he run towards it intend to find some books about ninjas. As he was in he walked to the information desk.
„Ehmm sorry can you help me I need some books about ninjas."
„Of cour- YOU what do you want here? Someone like you is here not allowed!"
Instantly he hurried back out into the next side street. 'What now...?' he thought after he had calmed down. 'Where do I get infos about ninja now?' Sadly he stood and made his way back to his apartment through the side street of the library.
He just wanted to leave the street and go his way when he saw a little window to the library. As he came near the window he noticed that it had an broken lock, it was just fixed with a bit of tape. Immediatly Naruto's eyes got an mischevious glint as his prankster side took over. 'tonight I get my books' With a smirk Naruto went back to his apartment and awaited the night.
*****Flashback no Jutsu: Kai*****
That night and in various other nights in the past year he had got himself some books that seemed interesting for his training. 'Basics of a ninja', 'Chakra control for beginners' and 'How to train yourself: physical training' were the most interesting ones out of the dozens of books he had read. Well what else can you do if you are by yourself with nothing different to do besides pranking the citizens of Konoha.
Suddenly he was ripped out of his thoughts by a whizzing sound behind him, quickly he jumped to the side, a kunai appeard where he was just a second ago.
„Shit I missed." yelled a voice behind him.
'Damn it!' Naruto thought kunai meant one thing: Shinobi. 'Fuck it! I can outrun civillians but not other ninjas. I have to shake them off in the side streets.' With this he headed into the labyrinth of side streets in the outer parts of Konoha.
After a while he came to an crossway and wanted to turn right, but to his dismay the ninja behind him threw just this moment kunai after him having him jump back, taking an other street. After two more turns he found himself in a dead end.
Starting to panic he jumped behind a few tons with rubbish hoping that they didn't find him. A few seconds after he had jumped behind the can he heard how they come in search of him.
„Where is he? It's a dead end he can't have gone from here!" said one of the shinobi.
„Search the alley!" commanded another. „I will be damned to let him escape!"
Behind his trash can Naruto started to shiver and struggled with the reminding of all his previous beatings. Suddenly the thrash can was heaved away from in front of him, much to his increasing fear.
„Found him!" the civillian shouted. In seconds Naruto was sourrunded by them and was merciless beaten and kicked.
After the civillians had their part of the beating the shinobi came forward and took over. He was heaved of the ground and rammed into the wall. Afterwards a Kunai was thrusted through his shoulder making him scream in pain.
„Enjoying it?" asked the shinobi as he leaned forward his left arm rammed into Naruto's throat strangling him and holding him on the wall at the same time. Slowly he twisted the kunai, provoking another sream of pain.
„Don't worry we are not at the end yet...by far. We will make you feel the pain you inflicted on others."
„I-I did nothing...to anyone!" Naruto pressed through his clenched teeth.
As a reaction the arm got away from his neck and he breathed in relief only to scream again as his other shoulder was pierced.
„Don't make me laugh! We all know what you are and what you did. Demon!" snarled the shinobi, before he let off of Naruto, who just hung on the wall holded by the kunai in his shoulders. Vague he noticed another one of the shinobi stepping forward.
„My turn and shall I tell you something? I am from the Torture & Investigation Department, so don't worry you wont die...you will just feel a lot of pain."
With that he pulled out a ninjato from his back and slashed in one fluent move from Narutos right shoulder to his left hip and from his left shoulder to his right hip, forming a red, blood seeping cross on Naruto's torso. Naruto himself screamed in pain unable to move because of the kunai in his shoulders. 'Why? Why do they hurt me? Why do they hate me?' he tought, while he looked at the mob before him cheering at his obvious pain, wanting to hear him scream more.
During his looking at the mob the man with the ninjato had pulled out an ampull from his pouch whith a clear licuid in it. As he splashed to contents over Narutos upper body Naruto started screaming. Where the liciud hit his wounds a searing pain appeared and the edges of the wounds swelled up and started seeping. Seemingly pleased with his work he plastered Narutos body with sword wounds, forming a thick web of wounds all over.
Shortly before succumbing to the darkness creeping into his eyes Naruto whished for one thing with all of his being: let them feel it! Let them feel the pain he felt a thousand times over! At the edge of his senses he heard screaming and with grim satisfaction he dropped unconcious.
*****Kurenai*****
She was on the way home from reporting of a successful mission, when she heard someone scream in pain. Immediatly she changed directions jumping to the source of the screams. What she saw shocked her to the core. Surrounded by a mob a young boy was pinned to the wall with kunai through his shoulders while a ninja slashed at him with his sword. It was obvious to her that the man just wanted to inflict pain and torture the boy.
Just as she wanted to stop him the whole mob went suddenly rigid and started screaming in pain before collapsing to the ground motionless. As she stood in the alley she noticed the chakra fragments of a genjutsu and it seemed to originat from the boy who was still pinned to the wall tough unconcious.
Quickly she started picking him of the wall, heaved him on her arms and dashed of to the hospital. There she wanted to give him to the nurses but they refused to treat him until she threated to put them under a Magen:Narakumi no Jutsu. After making sure that he was treated she sunshined back to where she came from, the hokage office.
The Hokage looked up when he sensed her coming. His eyes widened in shock as he saw her appearence, her clothes were covered with blood, but she herself looked fine.
„Report Chuunin Yuhi." he barked in a commanding tone not leaving room for anything else but to compile.
After she had given her report the Hokage was seething for anger over the villagers and their actions.
„Bring me to the alley in which you found him."
„Hai Hokage-sama!" Kurenai replied and dashed out of the hokage tower towards the alley followed by the Hokage. As they arrived the civillians still lied unconcious on the floor and the shinobi were awake but tied up by two ANBU who were watching over them.
„Hokage-sama!" they greeted him, who nodded in acknowledgement.
„Can you tell me what happened here?"
„It seems they were under the influence of a powerful genjutsu before they all lost conciousness."
„You were right as it seems Kurenai-san." He said to her, before he turned to the ANBU.
„Bring them all to Ibiki he can have his fun with them I already know what happened here, so he has no restrictions." The tied up shinobi paled visibly, with wide eyes and even Kurenai shuddered.
Ibiki was the head of the Torture & Investigation Department and had the reputation to be extremly „effective" in torturing his prisioners and to be quite sadistic.
„Hai Hokage-sama!" the ANBU said. The Hokage nodded and signed Kurenai to follow him as he made his way to the hospital. Once there he went to Narutos room and inquired a nurse about his condition.
„He is already awake and all wounds seem to be closed but he will keep scars from the incident."
„Scars?" He asked the nurse suprised. „He never had any scars."
„That is right but this time his wounds couldn't close like they normaly do because of a form of acid that was in his wounds it seems to be one from the T&I department. It practically melts open wounds together and leaving only scars behind. It is used to prolong the suffering of the ones getting interrogated since it closes the wounds fast prohibiting blood loss and also inflicts a immeasurable ammount of pain. I'm sorry." At this explanation Kurenai looked absulutly terrified.
„No it is okay thanks for helping him." he said sadly and stepped in the room to look after Naruto. In the room Naruto was looking out of the window seemingly deep in thought. His complete torso was in bandages.
„Hello Naruto." He said softly with a sad taint to his voice.
*****Naruto*****
As he awakened he found himself in the hospital ... again. He was fed up with it every month he was here a few times. Just this moment he heard his Jiji greeting him. He turned to him with a big smile.
„Hello Jiji, miss..."
„Kurenai Yuuhi Naruto-san." she answered his unspoken question.
„Hello Yuuhi-san."
„Kurenai is okay." Naruto nodded, before he looked at his Jiji. After thinking for a bit how to ask he decided to simply speak his mind.
„Jiji...are you sure about what you said about being a ninja would make them stop hurting me?" Both Kurenai and the Hokage flinched hearing the question a sad look on their faces.
„Yes why do you ask?"
„Because since last year they hurt me more and more."
„I promise you Naruto once you are a shinobi they can't lay a hand on you without being accused of treason and executed so they wont, they fear to much for their own lifes." The Hokage tried to reassure Naruto.
„So you promise me?"
„Yes I promise you, Naruto."
„Okay... Then in three years I'll be genin! Belive it!" Proclaimed Naruto while pumping his fist in the air.
The Hokage smiled sadly at Naruto, while he was happy that he wanted to become a shinobi and had a good working attitude, he wanted to become one out of the wrong reasons as it seemed to him.
„Do you only want to become a shinobi so you are not attacked anymore?" He asked in hope that his worries weren't confirmed. For a while Naruto was quiet while Sarutobi waited for the answer.
„That is one point of it but I want to be strong so I can protect the persons I care for." After this answer a smile spread over the Hokages face.
„Good! Thats the way Naruto." He said, but then he became serious once more.
„Naruto I have to know what happened in the alley and please leave nothing out it is really important and maybe it can help you in being a strong ninja."
During Naruto's retelling of the night the KI rolled in waves of his two visitors. 'How can they do that to a child! These assholes I should castrate them and shove their balls down their throat!' were Kurenai's thoughts, her hands thightly closed to shaking fists. The Hokage wasn't any better, fists white from pressure he cursed about the village he vowed to protect with his life.
„...and in the end I got really angry and wished that they would feel the pain I felt. After that I heard them scream and became unconcious." ended Naruto his retelling. At the last part Kurenai leaned interested forward to the Hokage. „So it really was him who casted the genjutsu, Hokage-sama."
'So young and casting a genjutsu ...to bad I'm only chuunin else I would have tried to get him as an apprentice.' Kurenai thought happy to have found someone promising in her domain.
„Yeah it seems so." He answered before he turned back to Naruto.
„It looks as if you have a talent for genjutsu Naruto." Sarutobi said smiling at Naruto.
Who just hmm-ed and seemed to get lost in thoughts. A few minutes later both of his visitors looked at each other before looking back at Naruto.
„Naruto-san?"
„Yeah?" he asked looking up.
„Do you know what a genjutsu is?" Naruto nodded before reciting what he had learned from one of the books he had read.
„Genjutsu is the art of illusions. It attacks the senses and the minds of the ones it is used on. Basicly the user can let the opponent percept everything he wants him to percept from small things to complete changes of the enviroment. Genjutsu works through invading the opponents chakra network with your own chakra. To disrupt an enemy's genjutsu you have to stop your chakra flow and flare it right afterwards, injure yourself or have a dojutsu like the Sharingan. Otherwise you have to hope that an ally infuses his chakra into your chakra network to disrupt the genjustu."
During his explanation the jaws of Kurenai and the Hokage dropped lower and lower, hitting the floor with the ending of his little speech. After recovering from the shock the Hokage asked him buffeld.
„W-Where have you learned that Naruto?"
„Books." He stated as if it was the simplest thing in the world, well it was... leaving out the fact that he was seven-years-old and most genin wouldn't have been able to answer the question on this level, but a normal seven-years-old had something better to do than reading a book, he hadn't.
„When have you started reading Naruto? If I remember right you didn't like reading much before."
„I started last year the day after I left the hospital. It really helps to know a little."
'When that is a little then I don't want to know what he knows when he knows more than a 'little'.' He tought, judging from the look on her face Kurenai seemed to think on the same lines. After that a bit of normal conversation the Hokage decided to leave as he saw that Naruto seemed mostly recovered and excused himself with a comment that he needed to go back to fight against his lifelong enemy: Paperwork.
Kurenai left with him after sending a last meassuring look at Naruto. 'I'm eager to see if he will go for genjutsu.' she thought before turning back around and leaving the room.
As soon as the door closed the smile left Narutos face he leaned back on the bed to think.
The academy started in two weeks and he had no doubt that he would be treated the same way as always even by the teachers. That led him to the next problem: How could he pass the exams if no one tought him.
After a few minutes he had formed a plan, he would ask Jiji what he would normaly learn in the academy and learn it by himself, also he would intensivy his studies, all he had read until now were a few basics and mostly civillian knowledge. After all he was only in the civillian library. To learn further he would have to go to the shinobi library and that would be hard since it was only open for shinobi and better watched than the civillian library, means he would ask Jiji and else he would work it out like with the civillian library. He wasn't called the 'Prankster from hell' for nothing. With a serious nod, he closed his eyes sleeping in preparation of the coming day.