Alone, he was always alone. At the playground by the swings, eating ramen at Ichiraku's, in his apartment, he was always always always alone. He was only four years old but he was alone. Some people would argue that he had the most powerful person in the village looking after him but he, Naruto, knew the truth. The village leader, the Hokage, was avoiding him. Even when the man tried to approach him, spoke to him, did anything with him, there was always that sense of uneasiness. And last time the child had met with the old man he'd finally noticed. Sandaime Hokage never once met his eyes. Always always always avoiding his eyes.
The boy huddled closer in on himself. His small form tucked between a dumpster and a trash can as he stared at the rush of people just outside the alleyway. He envied them, how their lives were so normal, how they weren't alone. A frown asserted Naruto's displeasure and he glared at the puddle at his feet as it reflected his face. He knew he was different, he just didn't know how different he was to always be left alone. Why was he so different to the point of being an outcast? Was it his blonde hair? His whisker shaped birth marks? Or was it his eyes? Crimson eyes that no longer held any emotion, crimson eyes that only knew hunger, desire, want and to some extent, need. The child shuddered under the weight of his thoughts.
It was an odd sound that snapped him out of it. A sound that vaguely reminded him of meat being man-handled much like a butcher would to a pork-chop. Like sounds of wet flesh slapping against a hard surface. A second sound followed, the his of metal grating against metal before a squelch reminiscent of one smacking their lips after having their fill of a meal.
Slowly, Naruto moved from his spot to see what had made those sounds. Clearly no one in the streets heard, because they still continued on as they were, as if no weird sounds were being made, as if he wasn't there staring at them. Naruto sought the other end of the alley, his crimson eyes reflecting a sight of the same hue.
Blood, lots and lots of blood. The smell coppery, intoxicating, sickening making whatever Naruto had for breakfast and lunch demand to be retched up from his stomach. His head swam, consciousness light as nausea sought to overthrow his senses. Primal fear stabbed at his heart, spreading through to every fiber of his being like poison, but he didn't move away.
Instead of heeding the reflex to gag and puke or to run away screaming, he knelt down to press his hand against liquid life. Watching as the bright red slowly but surely began to dull into a dark rouge. Somewhere in his four year old mind, Naruto found the sight before him, fascinating.
Naruto's eyes sought the source of the pretty red liquid, setting themselves on a man covered head to toe in bandages only one of his eyes showed glaring down at him. The boy met the intimidating eye with his own crimson pair shortly before straying to the scene further away. Someone lying down, opened up with everything inside them spilling out, more crimson with just the glint of white.
The sounds of shifting cloth stole back Naruto's attention to the man before him. The bloody knife was the first thing that held the boy's gaze. Slowly the four year old reached out, entranced by the way light playfully danced upon the blade, reflecting red and white in an odd dance of shifting colors.
Smirking beneath his wrappings, the man held up the knife, keeping it out of the boy's reach.
Stubborn as he was, Naruto did not relent. He jumped, he tugged, he pushed, he punched, he kicked, he bit, God forbid he even tried climbing up the man's leg. All to get at the knife, the pretty knife that reflected light crimson as his eyes. This little game of keep away went on for quite awhile, probably half-an hour. It was just sudden and abrupt when four year old Naruto suddenly stopped. His eyes looking away from the prize, his hand no longer trying to reach. It was a sudden lost of interest that piqued the murderer's own.
"Give up?", the man taunted cheekily.
Crimson eyes met the lone gaze. Naruto stared at him, long and hard thinking, processing his own thoughts. "You're not looking away.", he stated the obvious.
The man snorted, "Pfft! Why should I?".
Naruto looked down at the ground, crossing his arms as his face screwed up in concentration. "I don't know. Everyone does it, why shouldn't you?", he explained his own four year old logic.
Loudly, the man laughed, guffaw resounding at the words the boy had said. "That's rich kid. Real rich.", the man wiped at the tear of laughter that had formed in his eye. He grinned down at the boy," Maybe it's because everyone does it, that's why I don't.".
"Then you won't fit in.", Naruto frowned at the man's answer.
"Like I give a shit.", the man spat at the ground in boredom.
He didn't really know what the word 'shit meant' but he was sure it was something bad. Once more Naruto met the man's eyes, gauging the adult before him, "But when you don't fit in then you'll be alone.".
Scratching his head, the murderer knelt down to be eye leave with the little boy in front of him. "Look kid", he started, "I don't know what the hell's wrong with you to get into this sort of philosophical crap but I'll say this, I like ya.".
Four year old Naruto's eyes widened at those words. Somebody actually liked him? Everyone hated him, they never said it outright but nobody bothered so say anything to him at all.
The man held out the bloody knife to Naruto, "Take it, a little gift from me to you.".
The boy stared, hard. His eyes concentrated at the utensil before him. He shook his head no. "I don't want it anymore.".
Amusement was evident in the man's countenance. "Oh? Why not?", he tilted his head to the side as a crooked grin spread across his bandaged face, "You were trying so hard to get it a a little while ago.".
"It's not pretty anymore.", Naruto answered bluntly, pointing out the dull red of caked blood on the blade.
Looking down on the knife in his hands, the murderer cackled, "That's true, that's very very true.". The madman laughed, laughing like he'd never laughed before. When he stopped, he stared the boy in front of him straight in the eye. "I like you even more now kiddo.", the grin on the man's face turned almost manic. "Your eyes are twisted, just like mine.".
"Twisted.", Naruto tried the word, "But my eyes can't be twisted.". The boy reasoned out the impossibility.
The man laughed again, "Not your eyes kid. You, you're twisted.".
The blonde boy knit his brow in thought. "I am?", he asked.
"Definitely.", the man grinned with a fanged grin. He stood up and sheathed his knife, unstrapping the leather wrapped metal before presenting it to young Naruto. "You asked me why I don't do what everyone else does right?", he pressed the covered blade closer to the little boy, "Take this and come with me and you'll know exactly why I don't fit in.".
No words needed to be said after that. No one else heard, or saw what happened. The offer was known only between the man and the boy. Without hesitation, four year old Naruto wrapped his little fingers around the weapon.
8 years later~
Sandaime Hokage stamped the last form of the morning. He leaned back into his cushioned seat, rubbing the bridge of his nose beneath the reading glasses. Taking a deep breath, he relished the calming scent of oaken wood that permeated his office. A small smile dipped onto his lips as he pulled out his favorite pipe, nothing quite soothed his nerves as a good smoke after all. Sarutobi reached for his drawer that held his pipe but paused as a picture on his desk caught his eye. It was a picture of his successor, the fourth Hokage with the fourth Hokage's wife as well as Sarutobi's own student Jiraiya. It was a wedding picture, everyone was smiling but rather than joy, a sense of misery was all Sarutobi could coax out of the photo. He sighed as he grabbed the frame with a wrinkled hand.
In his life there were so many regrets, so many people lost to war, so many people suffering from those losses and finally a single person bore the suffering of all those who had been hurt before him. With a heart heavy with guilt, Hiruzen ran his fingers over the picture, trying to remember happier times. The face of the fourth smiling, the face of his wife smiling but the face of a little boy stared back. Neither smiling, nor frowning, merely empty. It tore at the old man's soul but what really broke him were the child's red eyes. Those eyes haunted him from the day Konoha fell under attack from the Kyuubi till this very day. Twelve years he suffered, twelve years guilt consumed his very being.
It had been eight years since the yondaime's legacy disappeared from Konoha. Hiruzen replaced the photograph on the desk. He completed his previous task of lighting a smoke as he continued to piece together his thoughts on the incident eight years ago.
Eight years ago, on that night, the Hokage got reports of the western gates being assaulted. There were no witnesses to the attack, all the guards had died, some in battle, some without knowing of their sealed fate. Action was swiftly taken as all major clans were alerted of the breach of village security, all families were accounted for, even the Uchiha who were as arrogant as they were powerful quickly submitted their own report. No losses, no abductions and no intruders.
A few hours later, the very next day, Sandaime Hokage called for a village wide census, everyone was to sign in at the Hokage tower. Publicly it was to approximate the number of people within the village, in truth, it was to know if anyone got in or out of Konoha the night before.
A few days later, Sarutobi's heart almost stopped when he noticed one name missing from the census list. "Naruto.", he had breathed. The boy was missing and it was not something he could let pass. He quickly demanded for an search team to look for the boy. It wouldn't be until next week that Sarutobi learned of the details of the boy's disappearance.
Naruto was already missing weeks prior to the incident. Some would catch glimpses of him, most ignoring him to the point they practically fazed him out of their memories. He would hide so well that even patrolling ANBU did not catch sight of him for a week. Naruto's landlord stated it was a several days before the attack that Naruto completely stopped inhabiting the apartment. In a decision that needed no deliberation, Sarutobi kept the information confidential.
His secrecy was in vain however when his political rival, Danzo stood before the Konoha Council and explained facts that the Sandaime Hokage wished never to see the light of day. It took days of debate and even weeks of negotiation as well as reasoning until a final decision regarding Naruto's disappearance was made. The public would know what had befallen its pariah. Naruto would be labeled missing and a country wide search would be performed. There was to be no punishment for the boy and all assumptions beyond him being kidnapped would be taken into account.
For all the power a Hokage had however, Sarutobi could not stop what followed. Danzo gained the trust of the Konoha council granting him much more leeway and credibility than Sarutobi now had. The weeks following the official announcement were riddled with vicious rumors of how Naruto had finally awoken as the Kyuubi and escaped to plan revenge upon Konoha. The search party formed consisted more of combat geared ANBU than sensor-nin, giving Sarutobi the sense that the party wasn't out looking for a friendly.
Sarutobi bit down a grimace and pulled his pipe away. The bitter memories ruined the flavor of his tobacco. He calmly tapped the ashes left in the pipe into the waiting porcelain tray on his desk.
The solemn atmosphere was broken when a shinobi barged into the Hokage's office with panic written clear across his features. "Sandaime-sama!", the Chunin gasped as nervous sweat dripped down the man's face.
"Itsushi.", Sandaime recognized the recently promoted chunin. Schooling his face into a serious scowl Sarutobi questioned his hysterical ninja, "What's wrong? What's happened?".
"Th-th-the west gate sir!", the man nearly spat out. "It was attacked a few minutes ago. We've received reports that a closest ANBU squad was on its way and should be engaging the enemies now. We've taken casualties with two chunin dead, four other chunin heavily wounded, two jounin lightly wounded and another three ANBU dead.".
A cold chill ran down the Hokage's spine, the west gate again. "How many are the assailants?", Hokage quickly rummaged his desk for his all seeing crystal ball.
"Just two sir.", the nervous man reported.
Just two?, the very thought shook Sarutobi. Konoha ninjas did not fall so easily. Two soldiers and three covert agents gone in a span of a few minutes. Finally finding his objective, the Hokage laid down his crystal ball on the table and focused his chakra into it, willing it to show him the west gate's current state.
When the view finally became visible, it shook him at how badly the garrison was falling. The great wooden gates were longer quite so great as they were sliced diagonally, one of them had a section laying discarded on the ground. Blood spattered much of the ground as it seemed more shinobi had been lost since the last report's validity. Three giant oni stood tall as they smashed through anything and everything in their way while smaller goblins terrorized other ninja trying to engage the ogres. On on of the ogres sat a red-headed girl, her wild crimson mane tamed only by a cap, her dress a modest tunic paired with cycling-shorts. In her hands was a flute which she played as her eyes continued to scowl at the chaos she was unleashing.
What caught the Hokage's attention most, though was the person calmly leading the demon charge. A ways ahead of the procession from hell was a small figure clad in a black jacket which had a bright orange swirl on the back and a red swirl on each breast. The black color of the leader's pants could not conceal the blood spilled on them. His hands were painted crimson from all the blood on the knives he wielded. His hair was a messy blonde which sparked a sense of foreboding in the old man. And that foreboding was answered hastily as familiar crimson eyes that only haunted him in his dreams stared Sarutobi right in his face.
Uzumaki Naruto had returned to Konoha.
Author's notes: First and foremost I don't own Naruto and if I did then everything after the valley of the end would have been different. I have only watched the pre-time-skip of Naruto and have abandoned everything shippuden and beyond. However Naruto fanfiction has a special place in my heart because this was where I started(kind of like a love-hate thing). After reading a few of my favorite stories again a plot bunny formulated somewhere in my brain. This chapter is probably confusing and absolutely meaningless with little to no plot, hopefully I can get off my ass and write a second chapter to complete what should be a plot bunny relieving one shot.