Uzumaki

Chapter 1: The Spiral's Legacy

Many years have passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War and the conflict has faded into nothing more but a bad memory. From the foundations of the Shinobi Alliance, peace has reigned through the Five Great shinobi nations. A new village was built by Konoha(Hidden Leaf) Shinobi who had survived the war. Its foundation was built on the historical site where two legendary shinobi fought and where they were buried. From this site, the village spiraled out in two directions as it flourished. This village became known as Nikajougakure no Sato(The Village of Hidden in the Two Spirals). In this village there is a strong belief in the Will of Fire, the desire to protect one's village even if cost them their life. This belief is past down to each generation of Shinobi, but to a select few, the members of the Uzumaki Clan, a clan formed by the villages founder and formed not by blood but beliefs, they reserve the honor of being the protectors of this belief, the Protectors of the Will of Fire.

The sun shone above the village of Nikajou. Nikajou's gates were bordered by statues bearing the likenesses of the two legendary shinobi, facing each other while using their signature techniques against each other. The village itself was filled with buildings and appeared to have the shape of two spirals as its name suggests. In the center of the village was a large mansion like home with a more classical appearance the building around it. Inside the building, a boy knelt down to table and was eating cup ramen with a pair of chopsticks. The boy had short messy black hair and red eyes. He wore a black jacket with a hood that had white lining with a pair of black pants.

"SEN!" A woman exclaimed as she slammed the door behind the boy named Sen. She had long pink hair and green eyes. She wore a sleeveless red shirt, a pink sash over a pair of black shorts, and pair of black sandals. She wore a black clothed Nikajou hitae- ite, which resembled the old Konoha hitae- ite, around her forehead.

Sen's eyes became blank and white as he quickly slurped up his ramen, almost choking. "Hanahime- Chan!" Sen interjected as he turned to the older woman.

"I just a message from the Hokage stating that you never showed up for shinobi duties, what do you think you're doing slacking off like that?" Hanahime asked as she pointed at Sen.

"I… uh…" Sen mumbled as he scratched the back of his neck while trying to find an excuse.

"Come on!" Hanahime ordered as she grabbed Sen's ear and began pulling it and pulling him out the door.

"Ow! Hey! Stop that Hanahime!" Sen pleaded as Hanahime pulled him through the doorway.

XxX

My name is Uzumaki Sen, a shinobi of Nikajougakure no Sato and a member of the Uzumaki Clan. My parents were once shinobi of the Uzumaki Clan as well, but when I was just a baby, they went off on a mission and never returned. Since then, Hanahime has been taking care of me and teaching me the way of the shinobi and what it means to be an Uzumaki. Although I'm not related to the founder of clan, I strive to become as great a shinobi as him and become Hokage in his honor.

Hanahime kicked opened the door to an office and threw Sen into the room, causing him to fly into the desk in the middle of the room.

"Ow…" Sen moaned as he stood up while holding his face.

"Sen!"

Sen looked up from his hands and saw a middle age man sitting at the desk. The man had short black hair and green eyes and stubble on his chin. He wore a white haori trimmed with an orange flame pattern over a shinobi uniform and flak jacket and had the Nikajou hitae- ite around his head.

"This is the fourth day in a row you've shirked your shinobi duties, are you taking any of this seriously? Why did you become a shinobi if you weren't going to do any work?" The man asked.

"Hmph, blow it out your ass, Hokage- Sama." Sen said in a mocking manner as he looked away annoyed.

A blood vessel bulged in the Hokage's forehead as he gritted his teeth in anger.

Hanahime suddenly tackled Sen and restrained him while covering his mouth. "Um, sorry about that Hokage- Sama… Kids, what are you going to do, right?" Hanahime asked with a smile while ignoring Sen struggled to break free from her grasp. She glared at Sen out of the corner of her eyes angrily. "Listen you little punk, if you embarrass me or our clan, I'll kill you," She warned. "…got it?" She asked as she bent his neck sharply causing it to crack.

Sen only nodded in confirmation with blank white eyes as tears streamed down the side of his face in a comical fashion.

"Anyway, to the point, I didn't call you here for a lecture or chastisement…" The Hokage stated. 'Even though you really need one…' He thought. "I called you here because I need you for mission." He informed.

"A mission, you mean more chores!" Sen stated when he freed his mouth from Hanahime's grasp for a brief movement.

"We all had to D- rank missions when were Genin(Low Ninja), you are no exception…" The Hokage stated. "Though this is a D- Rank mission, I think you'll be interested in the client…" The Hokage said with a smile.

XxX

A few seconds later, Sen was running down a street of the village with a blissful smile on his face to the confusion of the many villagers he passed. His manner of running could almost be considered skipping. "Khehehe, judging by Hokage- Sama's description of this client, he must be loaded!" Sen stated as his smile widened. "After this mission, I'll be rich, YAHOO!" He exclaimed as jumped into the air and punched toward the sky with a wide smile catching a lot of people's attention.

XxX

In a large, luxuriously decorated room, a small girl sat up in a canopy bed, staring out of the window to her right. She had long orange- blonde hair and deep gray eyes. She wore a pink silk nightgown with white cuffs and collar. She appeared to be frail and sickly and had a pale skin tone.

The fabric draped over her bed was bright red to match the walls and interior décor of her room. Her sheets in contrasts were a deep pink to compliment the red.

In the girl's lap, rested a small hardback book that was titled, The Tale of a Gallant Shinobi.

The door of the girl's room opened and a man dressed in a black suit walked carrying a tray of various foods and green tea as a drink.

"Izuna- Sama, it's time for your noon meal." He informed as he walked toward Izuna's bed.

Izuna remained silent as she continued to stare out of the window.

"Come now, Izuna- Sama, you have to eat something, look at you, you get thinner each day, I worry for your heath…" The man stated. He sat the tray beside her and bowed before leaving. "Please eat something Izuna- Sama…" He pleaded.

XxX

Ding- Dong… Ding- Dong

Sen repeatedly pressed the doorbell of the large gates of a large house, the largest in Nikajou, with a blank and bored look on his face.

The house grounds were very large and a large koi pond on both sides of the stone pathway to the front door.

Sen stood at gates waiting for someone to answer, but no one did to Sen's dissatisfaction. "Screw this, I'll just hop over it!" Sen stated. He took a few steps backward before running toward the gate and jumping at it. His foot collided with the gate which he used to jump up off from and over onto the house's grounds. "That's it? The only security this place has is wall anyone could jump over? I expected more from the wealthiest family in Hi no Kuni(Land of Fire)…" Sen stated. He took a single step and the ground underneath his foot collapsed into hole that he fell into. He hung from the edge of hole with a sweatdrop on his head. "I can't believe I fell for that…" Sen said. "Nnnargh!" He grunted as he pulled himself up and swung his legs up out of the hole. He stood up and dusted himself off. "Whew, at least, that's all over…" Sen sighed.

Suddenly, a group of shinobi clad completely in black surrounded Sen, to the young Genin's surprise.

"…Fffffuck…" Sen cursed.

XxX

The hand servant who had served Izuna her food earlier sat a table sipping tea. He pulled out a pocket watch and looked at the time.

Suddenly, the group of shinobi opened the door and threw Sen, causing him to slide along the floor.

"Here is the Genin you requested Ideki- San." One of the shinobi informed before closing the door.

Sen stood up and began rubbing his hurting face.

"You must be Uzumaki Sen." Ideki said as he set down his tea glass. "Pleased to meet you, I am Ideki, house keeper and Izuna- Sama's personal attendant. I am your client." Ideki greeted.

"Wait, you're my client, the butler?" Sen asked.

"I said I'm the housekeeper and Izuna- Sama's personal attendant." Ideki reminded.

"Sounds like a butler to me…" Sen stated with half lidded eyes.

"Grrr…" Ideki grumbled in anger. He took a deep breath and calmed downed. "That isn't important, about your mission, a week ago, Kiwada- Sama, the wife of Kumamaru- Dono and mother of Izuna- Sama, passed away, this initial grief was hard on Izuna- Sama but since then, Izuna- Sama has been facing physical and emotional abuse from her father…Now she doesn't eat, she doesn't sleep, she never leaves her room, and lately, she no longer talks, not even to me. She's been reduced to a shell of the former cheerful little girl I cared for since her birth. I've tried everything I could do to get her to open back up, but every attempt was in vain, she barely seems aware of my presence anymore, that's where you come in, your task is a simple but difficult one, put a smile back on our dear Izuna- Sama's face." Ideki pleaded.

Sen remained silent before suddenly slamming his hands onto the table before standing up. "You bring me in here for a task like that?" Sen asked as he walked toward the door in a huff.

"Wait, you're just going to leave like that?" Ideki asked with widened eyes.

Sen stopped and looked back at Ideki while he picked his nose with his pinkie with a blank look on his face. "I'm a shinobi not some psychologist or shrink, I don't have time for such meaningless task…" Sen stated. He faced forward and began to take another step, but…

"PLEASE MAKE OUR IZUNA- SAMA SMILE AGAIN! I'LL PAY YOU ANYTHING!" Ideki pleaded as he now was on the floor bowing to Sen. His eyes were clenched shut as he gritted his teeth while tears forced themselves out of his closed eyes.

Sen looked back once again and stared in awe at Ideki's plea. He smiled warmly and walked up to Ideki. "There's no need for all that, I was only joking." Sen stated, causing Ideki to look up at him in confusion. "I may be selfish, greedy, and self-absorbed, but I'm not heartless, I'll see what I can do as long as you're willing to pay." Sen stated.

Ideki smiled as tears of tears streamed down his face.

XxX

Izuna continued to sit in her bed and stared outside of her window in complete silence. She heard the door and remained unfazed as usual.

"Hey, are you this Izuna girl?"

Izuna jumped slightly upon hearing an unfamiliar voice and turned her head toward the doorway to see the owner of the voice, Sen. She averted her gaze and looked down at her book as she tightened her grip on it.

"So…" Sen began as he walked toward Izuna's bed. "Do you like to play games? I pretty good at board games you know? Hehehehe…" Sen laughed awkwardly, trying to break the ice.

Izuna remained silent, appearing to ignore Sen.

"Oh, I guess you don't like games, eh? What about food, do you want to go out and eat something?" Sen asked putting a smile as a friendly front.

Once again, Izuna remained silent almost as if she had not heard Sen.

Sen dropped his smile and began to scratch the back of his neck. 'Come on Sen, what do girls like? Come on, think, THINK! DAMN YOU Y CHROMOSOME!' Sen thought as his frustration grew. Sen looked down and noticed Izuna's book. "I see you, have a book… Do like books? Is that your favorite one?" Sen asked, desperately trying to create conversation. "Can I take a look?" Sen asked as reached out and placed his hand on the book.

Izuna's eyes widened the moment Sen's hand touched her book. She suddenly slapped Sen across the cheek on an instinct.

The two were in shock at what had just happened, but it had a greater impact on Izuna more than it did Sen.

"I… I think I should go…" Sen stated. He turned around and began to leave when he felt a tug on one of his sleeves.

"Don't go…" Izuna mumbled quietly to Sen's surprise.

Sen slowly turned his head back to Izuna and saw her tugging onto his sleeve while she held her book close to chest. "You talked…" Sen said as that was the only thing in his head.

"I'm sorry slapping you, it's just that, this book is precious to me, I don't want anybody to touch it. It's not because you did anything… it's just… this is the only thing I have to remember my mother…" Izuna stated. "My mother was once a great shinobi and I always wanted to be just like her one day, but my father, he told me that I was worthless, too weak a shinobi, that I'd probably just be killed and I shouldn't even bother… lately, I been thinking that he may be right…" Izuna stated as she clenched her mother's book.

"Well he may be right…" Sen stated as he turned away and began picking his nose with his pinky, getting Izuna's attention. "Maybe fate is against you becoming a shinobi, but fate is what you make of it. If you just stay in bed the rest of your life, you'll never become a shinobi. But if you work hard enough, you can achieve your goals." Sen informed. Sen looked over his shoulder and at Izuna and saw with a slight smile on her face as tears streamed down her face. "Looks like my work here is done…" Sen stated with a smile.

To Be Continued…