AN: This will be my first fanfiction so be nice. I have read so many myself that I was wondering how well I would be at writing one. Flames are fine as long as they have some amount of intelligence behind them.
"Speaking"
'Thought'
"Demon Speaking"
'Demon Thought'
"Nature Creature Speak"
'Nature Creature Thought'
Chapter 1:
The New Harbinger and the Pain of Knowledge.
As Naruto walked trough the forest, lost after being chased here. Night fell as he continued to move, trying to leave as quickly as he could, sensing the power the forest held and feeling like helpless prey, like he always feels in the village surround by those hateful stares and the fear of another beating or worse. Suddenly a twig snapped and he knew, from the sixth sense that he had gained from being in constant danger, that he was being hunted. Fear spread quickly, knowing that whatever is after him is not looking to hurt him in anger, but to eat him to live. He ran, not looking where he was going but knowing that he had to escape.
The beast watched as the boy ran, it's hunger rose as it could tell it would have a good chase before a filling meal, though the youngling was small it looked filling. When the child disappeared into the trees it gave him a five second head start, then took off after him at a quick but lazy pace knowing that his prey would not be able to escape it.
Naruto ran as fast as he could, not being able to see what was hunting him but was able to tell that what was after him would not just stop it's hunt. He thought to climb a tree to see if he would be able to get away by treetop because the limbs of the trees seem to grip together like grasping hands, but there was nothing close enough to the ground to climb up with and the trunk was too wide to wrap around, so he kept running believing that sooner or later the predator that was after him would catch up and that would be the end of him.
It was getting closer. This chase was the best it ever had, it's prey ducked, dived, zigzagged, and moved like no other had before and it was getting impressed. A thought arose in it's head 'What if I gave the youngling the Test?' The though appeared so quickly that he knew that something was going on. 'Is it time already for a new Harbinger? This does not bode well.'
He could see the gate that he had come through to get in. He laughed bitterly in his head thinking that no matter where he would be hunted. The gate stood as high as the tower the Oji-san was usually at with a huge number 44 on the sign above it. He almost got to the clearing near the gate when his hunter appeared in front of him. He did not know how he knew but he caulked it up to his sixth sense, his "danger sense."
"You youngling have decided to be given a great honor, the honor to be given the chance to be the Harbinger of Nature." Spoke the large beast in front of Naruto.
"…." Naruto just stared at what was in front of him. Not being able to comprehend the fact that something that was hunting him was not hurting or trying to killing him after he was caught, was talking to him, and the biggest one, that it was talking at all.
"What? Do I have something on my muzzle?" it asked.
"….."
"Well, what is it? What's wrong, do you not want to be the Harbinger?" It sounded shocked
"….Are you supposed to be able to talk?" He asked.
The beast funny fell. "What kind of question is that? Of course I can, all animals can. We just don't really like to talk to humans because they have gotten more arrogant and ignorant as time passes by, so we, with the exception of a few summoning clans have stopped talking to them." it explained.
"..So… are you going to eat me now, or let me go? Because if you are going to eat me, I don't care if my life is crap, I'll fight to keep it and give you a stomach ache if you do." He yelled out with fire in his eyes.
Normally it would say the youngling over exaggerating but something in his eyes made him think twice.
"Would you allow me to see why it is that you would call your life such a thing by observing your memories?" it asked in a curious voice.
"Are you sure? It won't be pretty." Naruto said in a hollow tone.
The beast slowly lifted a paw and touched it to the boy's forehead and with a dark green flash it dived into his memories. When the beast finished seeing the beatings, the pain, the loneliness, and the worst was the losing of his innocence, he bellowed out it's fury into the dark night sky while thinking of the fools in the village.
"Now you understand what I said. Now you understand that I'm a demon, why I'm …..UFFFF" Naruto said before the beast smacked him into a tree.
"Do not call yourself such a thing! You are no demon. You are a young human child. The only reason that they would do such a thing is because of their anger and grief that they feel because of your captive." Roared the beast.
"What captive what are you talking about?" said the pain ridden boy.
"Would you like to know why you are hated? Would you like to know the truth that has been foolishly kept from you for the sake your lost innocence, why they call you a demon?" it asked trying to distract him.
After hearing this Naruto, regardless of the pain from hitting the tree, got up walked over to the large, carnivorous beast, knelt down in front of it, bowed, and in a voice that offered the beggars very life in exchange asked, "Why do they hate me so?"
After examining the begging child for a time it came to a decision.
"I will answer you when you are able to stand against them and their hate on your own, because if you are not able to stand alone then you don't deserve the answer nor to stand with other, if you did not use your own strength to protect yourself and your subjects and mate, but the strength of another, then you not only wouldn't deserve the position of Harbinger but you would not deserve the strength that you may use or anything that you hold dear." It said
"Anything. I'll do anything you want if you just tell me why. I'll show that I deserve the answer and everything that is precious to me." Spoke the pained and hollow voice that grew in strength and determination should did not normally come from one so young.
"Before I ask the question again, that you never did answer by the way, I will tell you this. Never let another person now that they have something that you need, because you never know if they will make you jump through hoops to get what you want unless you know that person inside and out. Now my question is "Do you wish to be the new Harbinger of Balance in Nature?" it asked.
"The new what?" Naruto asked.
"You haven't been listening to me from the beginning have you? The Harbinger of Balance is a person who is able to command all of the forces of nature, from the elements to the animal, for the use of balancing the Order of Nature, which is to say balance creation and destruction. When there is too much destruction then a new Harbinger is made to cure the loss caused by the excess. But when there is too much creation then the Great Lords are released upon the world to restore the balance, but that is for another time. Though the Harbinger is strong, he or she is subject to the onus given to them by the Goddess of Nature and should they renege against said onus then they are stripped of their power and position and is placed in the harshest of climates to die, but death is only for those that commit the worst act against her, and no I will not tell you so the crime will not plague your mind." it exclaimed.
"…What?" Asked Naruto with the blankest expression ever seen on a face.
"Um. Basically the Harbinger is a person who stops people or things that hurt the world and protects the world when there is too much war and death and destruction. That person can ask for help from fire, water, lightning, earth, wind and animals and they would have to help because it is their duty. If the Harbinger, who has to listen to 'Mother Nature', refuses to do what task she has given you to do then she'll punish you." It said. "I will tell you this if you do choose to try and be the new Harbinger then you'll have to go through a test."
"Wow! If I became this Fardinger guy then I'll be able to protect lots of people, and Oji-san will make me Hokage for sure." He exclaimed loudly.
The beast looked shocked. "I'm still amazed that that is what you want to become the protector of the same people that have done all of those things to you, and the title is Harbinger not Fardinger." It said.
"Well when I become Hokage then not only would I be able to make Teuchi, Ayame, and Oji-san proud of me and protect them but also it would be the best "in your face" to all the people that hurt me, knowing that me, the one that they call demon child, is the one that is between them and the pain-filled world and will be able to help the other villagers that don't hurt me." He replied in a serious voice.
"You surprise me. I have looked at your memories and should be able to tell what you would do, but you have blown that idea out of the water. Well the duty of the Harbinger is not to be taken lightly, it will be able to help make you stronger but it won't be a walk in the park because if you don't take it serious then YOU…WILL…DIE." It said in an official voice.
"Bring it on! I'll take your test and run it into the ground!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.
"Good but I must tell you that if you fail this test then I'll have to kill you to make sure that the Harbinger is returning. Nothing personal." It spoke in a bored manner.
"What! That ain't right man! To kill a guy 'cause he can't pass a test." Came the indignant response.
"Fine, I guess that you don't what to do the test then. Maybe you aren't that great then." Said the beast while walking away.
Naruto quickly grabbed it's tail and pulled. Hard. "Your not going anywhere until I pass that test Furry-Butt!" he said when the beast whipped around and snarled at the boy.
"The name is Bosh you brat and if you pull my tale again then I wouldn't care if you were the Harbinger or not, I will rip you into pieces." He growled, inwardly impressed that the child didn't even blink when it snapped it jaws at him. "Well then sense you're so ready for this test then I should tell you that you have already passed part of it before we even met face to face."
"How did I do that? I don't even know what the test is. How could I have passed part of it already?" asked the confused boy as they both sat down.
"Well you showed that you have mental and emotional strength by just living through your life and not breaking because fortitude is needed in case you need to do something that you would not normally but need to do so because it is your duty, also the sixth sense that told you that, not only was there a predator near, but that you were the one that was being hunted." He explained sounding sad that the child had actually gained something useful from his horrible life. "These as well as the maneuvers that you made while trying to escape me pinged you as a prime candidate for the position, because most humans ,let alone one so young, have almost lost these traits completely over time, save a few clans in your village. Now to finish the test you must be able to make a connection to nature. To do this you must meditate for a month while not eating or drinking anything. Only when you have conversed with the Undines, the Gnomes, the Sylphs, the Ifrits and Salamanders and have gained their word that they will support you as the new Harbinger then you will you be able to call yourself such, but it will only happen when your soul merges with the spirit of nature."
"Sounds easy, but I don't know how to meditate." Naruto said with a frown on his face.
"Well since you can't continue the test without being able to meditate then it would be my duty to teach you how." He announced said in a high and mighty voice. "In order to meditate you would first have to calm yourself down and find your center, the place within yourself that will let you find out who you are and allow you to find peace with who you are and what you are. When you have found peace within yourself then you will be able to manipulate your mindscape and will never be able to be fooled in the knowledge of who you are and will be able to meditate in the way that you will allow you to use your center to help pass your test. Okay what you do first is you have to sit in a comfortable position that you can relax in. Next you will have to breathe in for seven seconds hold it in for seven seconds and then release for seven seconds continue to do this in a calm manner until you get to your center. You won't be able to do it at first but you will get it sooner or later."
"Why did you tell me how to do it? Why tell me all of this." Naruto asked in a confused voice looking at Bosh with eyes filled with suspicion.
Bosh stared at the boy that lived like a small animal, running from the predatory villagers that wish for his death, that eats whatever he could find regardless of if it was unhealthy or rotten, and was not even safe in his den, his lair, his home, the place where even the most twisted and maddest of people should feel at peace. "Because you need to be shown that not everyone in the world will do to you like what the villagers did to you, that and I see that you could very well be the next Harbinger, though I have been wrong before. You have been through more in the small time you have had in this world than most people have in their whole life. I may not like you much, mainly because you're a tail pulling bastard. Now sit down and meditate." He growled. 'I'm getting soft.'
"Fine." Naruto exclaimed in a pout as he sat down. He started breathing in and out. '1...2…3...4...5...6...7. Hold..1...2...3...4...5…6...7. Out..1...2...3…4…5...6...7' He continued to breathe in and out slowly and as time progressed he began to get bored. 'Ughhh. This is so boring. I wonder what Furry-Butt is doing.' He opened his eyes as saw nothing. Not trees and plants and forest critters, but total blackness. "What the hell is this? Where am I?" He yelled out into the blackness.
"This dark, dank and utterly pathetic place is the part of your mind that is closest to your soul, kit, therefore is where I reside since that damn seal has bound us together." Said a dark and ancient voice that dripped malice.
"Who are you? Where am I? Why can't I see you?" Asked a freaked out Naruto.
"Wow, you really don't listen well do you?" Said the deep voice, the question obviously rhetorical. "You, kit, are in the part of your mind that is the closest to your soul and the place that you need to traverse correctly otherwise lose yourself to your own darkness. Now to answer your other questions you can't see me because there aren't any lights on at the moment, and the answer to your last question is…" Naruto leaned toward where the voice was coming from. "The Great Kyuubi no Youko!" It roared as great streams of flames shot up from in front of the giant cage that the beast resided inside of. Naruto fell back onto his butt as he crab clawed away in shock and fear from the monster that caused the death of so many people all over the world and down through time.
"What the hell is wrong with you Fur-Ball? Why d'you scare the crap out of me like that for?" screamed the still lightly scared boy at the giant murderous fox.
"Well that is surprising; most people would piss themselves if I did an introduction like that. I must be losing my edge from being stuck in you for so long." It pondered.
"Wait, what do you mean stuck in me? What are you even doing here, aren't you supposed to be dead since the Yondaime killed you?" He asked.
A booming laugh blasted through the expansive chamber. "Kill me? You think a mortal can kill me, a being that was made with a divine purpose? You must be joking." It said as it kept laughing. Naruto stood there while the laughing continued. When it didn't look like it would stop anytime soon he began to get ticked off.
"Stop laughing at Yondaime-sama." He yelled at the stunned fox. No one, and he meant no one, would insult his role model and idol, the one that defeated the great Kyuubi and was the youngest shinobi to gain the lofty title of Hokage.
"And why should you stand up for the same person that made your life into such a living hell?" The cunning fox asked with a gleam in it's eyes.
"What do you mean?" Asked a confused Naruto, not noticing the gleaming eyes as the fox leered at the unsuspecting boy.
"Oh… You mean after all these years that your own self-proclaimed Oji-san has never told you the reason that the people of the village hated you. Oh… Maybe I shouldn't tell you then because if he didn't tell you it must not mean it's important enough to tell, or maybe it's because he doesn't want you to know so that you can't do anything to stop them villagers from hurting and hating you and really hates you just as much as the rest of the village does?" Spoke the fox while laughing at the pained look on the young child's face.
"Does Oji-san really know why they hate me, then why would he not tell me?
Does he hate me too?" That last thought hurt worse than all the physical pain that could be inflicted upon him.
"Well since the old man doesn't care enough to tell you why the villagers call you a demon, a monster, and so much more, all true by the way, I guess that I can tell you if you really want to know." Said the fox to the breaking boy. Naruto could only nod, the wish to know the reason for the hate the only thing that was able to make him move.
"The reason that they hate you is because when you were born I was destroying your precious home and the 'great' Yondaime Hokage used a sealing jutsu to seal me into you, thus making you the Kyuubi, making you me." Said the fox as it began to laugh. Naruto began to cry, his tears were black with all the anger, sorrow, and pain thathe had felt with the knowledge that he was the great Demon Fox, that he was the one that lead to the death of Konoha's greatest hero, and worst of all that his own Oji-san hated him. His tears began to collect around him to make a hole that he began to sink into and the last thing that he saw before the darkness devoured him was the giant fox, the one that had cause the suffering of so many, shift and change into a small boy with whiskers and blond hair. The screams of pain echoed through the tunnels of his mind as the blackness swallowed him.
A.N. – I am like wow. The end of my first chapter and the first thing that I think is that I am an evil bastard. I'm pouringmore pain down this boy's throat than egg-nog down mine on Christmas. But it will be better in the next chapter, because there is where the healing begins and the truth will be revealed. Until next time: ROCK OOOOOUUUUUUUT.
p.s. REVIEW OR I'LL SICK THE JUUBI ON YOU!
p.p.s. Because I am new to fanfiction as a writer if anyone could give me any advice in terms of my writings and how to navigate my member profile it would be very much appreciated. Please I am having trouble putting out the next chapter and, laugh all you want but, could someone give me the steps on how to add my new chapter.