The Path I Walk
Chapter One
Yeah I know I'm putting this out a little early, but after chapter eleven people quit reading Five Star Seal as much, so the final chapters are coming a lot slower because of no inspiration, it sucks, but that's what a really evil plot twist can do to you. Bah, that's not what should be said here. I'm adding a lot of things that weren't in the actual manga, nor have I heard of anyone using anything similar to this story so I'm writing it. This story is going to be another dark Naruto fic, and I'm going to be throwing some sweet twists in it, but I want everyone to remember something about this story, guess what that is. THIS STORY IS ANGST!!!!!! Now, if anyone gets over halfway into it, and then gets pissed off at me because of a sick plot twist (Yes, there will be several, though none will be as bad as the one in Five) it's their fault and they know where they can stick it, and I know someone is going to do that, someone always does, they have been warned. But it can't be helped, so, on with the show.
I don't own Naruto, nor do I own any of the lyrics that will be present in this story, I say this only once per story, so pay attention.
Summary
My name is Naruto Uzumaki, when I was five; a man killed my whole entire family. My one goal in life is to find and kill that man. From that day on, my life is meaningless unless Itachi Uchiha dies.
Here we go, enjoy!
An old man sat at a park bench, staring up at the sky. he wore a black cloak wit a red and white fan adorning the back, and his once raven black hair had become a pure white, yet he still sat there, his coal black eyes sparkling with life. He was thinking of a time long ago, and one not so long ago when a friend and he used to sit on this very bench and watch their children play, now he sat on it alone, for his friend was gone, and had been for almost eight years.
"Hey, gramps, are ya still alive." Came a voice from his right, he looked down to see a boy who looked no older than seven sitting on the bench next to him. The boy had blonde hair with just a tinge of pink running through it; he had glacier blue eyes, and what appeared to be very faint whisker marks on his cheeks.
"Heh, I am young man, and might I ask your name, and the more important question of why you aren't playing with the other kids your age?" the old man said with a smile.
"My name's Naruto, I was named after my great-grandfather." The boy said with a smile; then his face fell. "And I'm not playing with them because they always wanna play ninja, and I hate ninja!" the boy said with a frown.
"Well, why do you say that?" the old man asked.
"My family used to be big and strong, but a ninja came and hurt them all, a long time ago, back when my great-grandpa was my age." The boy said.
"Yes, true, but did you know that your great-grandparents were two of the most powerful ninja in the whole entire Land of Fire?"
The boy looked shocked at this. "How did ya know that mister?" he asked.
"Well, I bet it's because they were my best friends Naruto." The old man said, then smiled, "Here, sit down, I'll tell ya the story of Naruto Uzumaki."
The great Ninja War had ended, and the Minato and his brother, had decided to settle down. Minato and his wife, Kushina; along with Seito, his brother; and Kushina's sister, Megumi. Minato continued his family's title, and was the Hokage, while his brother hung up his ninja equipment and took up smithing in his wife's clan, the Uzumaki's. Peace had been granted to the land when the greatest tragedy struck. The Kyuubi attacked Konoha, and Minato and his wife died, leaving their newborn son Naruto in the care of Seito and the Uzumaki's.
Minato had tried to seal the Kyuubi, but because it was so huge, it's power had to be split in half, the light and dark side of the Kyuubi, one half was sealed in two male infants. The sealing had been performed, and the children who were sacrificed for the jutsu had been placed in the care of their respective clans, the two most powerful clans in Konoha.
The boys had been cared for, with their caretakers being the only ones to know who had been chosen, except for the council and the Third Hokage, who had taken the job after the death of the Fourth. And they grew older.
The real story starts now, on Naruto Uzumaki's fifth birthday.
A blond boy was in the yard playing with a girl who seemed to be about his age, she had bubblegum pink hair and emerald green eyes. Her mother fussed over the two as she set out several pies.
"Oh dear! You two be careful, we can't have Lord Naruto getting injured on his birthday, now can we, especially when he's in the care of us Haruno's."
"But mom!" the girl pleaded. "It's just a game of tag, Naruto-kun and I aren't going to get hurt." She said, not noticing Naruto creeping up behind her, he tapped her on the shoulder, shouting."
"Gotcha! Ha ha, Sakura-chan's it!" he said, and then he began to run. "She's right Oba-san, I'm not going to get hur-woah!" he said as he tripped, he landed face first and didn't get up for a minute, then he lifted a tear filled face.
"See, what did I tell you." The woman chided.
"Hahahahaha!" came peals of laughter from the boy; he was laughing so hard he was in tears.
"Oh, well I guess you can play then, just don't knock over my pies, I worked all morning on them." The woman said as she walked back into the kitchen. The two kids laughed and began their game of tag anew.
The woman and her daughter were of the Haruno family. They had been in the employment of the Uzumaki clan for several years now, and the little girl, whose name was Sakura, was Naruto's best and only friend.
Their game lasted for an hour more before Naruto's eyes shifted over to the door. His face lit up like a Christmas tree as he saw the large cake his father carried out. Happy birthday was sung, and candles were blown out, and the festivities continued.
Several games had been set out. Naruto and Sakura played every one of them, as did all the children from the Uzumaki clan, but they were all a lot older than Naruto, and usually they distanced themselves out of respect for the heir of the family, as Megumi was the only living daughter of the current clan head. But because of the occasion, they all played together, and this was a rare treat for Naruto.
After the cake had been eaten, and the games put away, the gifts were given. Naruto receives several new outfits, all in the style of a ninja, and he had also been given the gloves and sandals for it. Those gifts came from his clan. His mother gave him a set of books on chakra and controlling chakra, but it was his father's gift that he loved the most.
After all of the other gifts were given, Seito had gotten up and walked to his forge. He returned carrying a huge bundle. He smiled as he set it at Naruto's feet, saying, "I believe, if you're going to be a ninja someday, these will help."
Naruto unwrapped the gift excitedly, and gasped as its contents spilled out in front of him. First, there was a sword, a very ornate one at that. The handle was a lustrous gold with the Uzumaki's personal animal etched into the sword, a lycanthrope. The body wrapped around the hilt of the straight katana, and the pommel was its head, with onyx eyes that seemed to pull in the light around it. The blade had an etching of an army of the beast etched all the way to the tip, and the blade was razor sharp.
After Naruto was sated with staring at the beautifully made sword that he knew only his father could create, he examined the other parts of the gift. Kunai, seventeen of them in a small knife pouch with a lycanthrope in gold on it. And thirty shuriken, in a pouch with the same etching, both pouches were midnight black. And finally, a scroll, with his name on it, he bent to open it, but his father stopped him.
"Sorry my son, but you must wait until you're a little older before you can read that scroll, but I gave it to you any way, can I trust you to hold on to it ?"
Naruto looked a little sad, but smiled. "Sure thing dad, Thanks for all the cool gifts!" he said loudly.
The party was packed up soon after. And the Haruno's decided to go home for the night, instead of sleeping in the compound. Naruto told his parents that he was going to walk with them and then strapped on his new sword and followed them.
He and Sakura talked nonstop about the party all the way home, where they bade farewell and Naruto turned towards home.
Naruto walked back alone. He was about halfway when a feeling of dread came over him, and he ran back to the compound.
The whole place was dark, and Naruto walked blindly until he tripped over something. He turned to see what he fell over and found he was staring into the face of a dead person, but what was worse than that was, the person he was staring at, was none other than the woman he called his mother.
Naruto jumped up just to trip again over a basket and fell out into the backyard, where two ninja were facing off. Seito Namikaze, and his former pupil, the Uchiha prodigy, Itachi Uchiha.
Seito stood holding a sword at his side, as did his pupil across the field. "Itachi, why are you doing this?" he asked, anger and rage building in his voice.
Itachi smiled. "It's simple, killing you will give me the ultimate power. And your family was just for entertainment, don't worry, after I'm done here, I'll test my newfound power against my own clan, and then I'll leave the village, there was nothing for me here any way." Itachi said.
Seito smiled. "My skills are rusty, and I've taught you everything I know, including the swordplay that you specialize in, I know for a fact that I can't beat you. But thankfully I don't have to." He said, pulling a radio transmitter out of his ear. "I radioed everything you said to the Hokage Tower, in any minute, a troop of Anbu will be here to take you out."
Itachi's smile faltered, but rage never entered his eyes. "Then I guess we better hurry." He said as he readied his sword.
Seito did the same and in less than a second, the two had collided and a shower of sparks rained down around them.
Itachi thrust his word forward and watched silently as Seito batted it aside and then launched a counter. Itachi whipped to the left and laid the sword deep into his former teacher's back. Seito fell forward and lay on the ground.
"Foolish old man..." Itachi said as he drove his sword into the back of his Sensei's neck. There was a gurgling noise, and Seito's body convulsed, then lay still.
"Dad! No!" Naruto yelled, running to his father, Itachi yanked his sword out of the man and turned to the boy. Naruto halted and stared daggers at the man. "Why? Why did you kill my family?" Naruto shouted at him, Naruto turned his tearing eyes downward and saw his own sword. His face hardened as he looked up. He unsheathed his blade and pointed the last weapon forged by his father at Itachi. "I'll kill you for that." Her said; then charged, holding his sword the way his father did.
Itachi looked at the spectacle with amusement; he was lifting his own sword to block when a glint caught his eye. His eyes narrowed and he turned to the boy. Who was still charging. He moved forward and knocked the boy down. As he stood over the boy, his Sharingan glinting red in the night, he said, "Hate. Yes, hate me, hate me with every fiber of your being, live a wretched life, with only that hatred driving you, maybe then you'll be able to kill me, live in hate, be consumed by it, we'll meet again, but for now, farewell Naruto Uzumaki." And with that he disappeared, Naruto lay there sobbing for a few minutes before the Anbu arrived, they took the boy directly to the Hokage Tower.
The Third looked sadly upon the boy sitting in front of him. "Naruto…" he began.
"Save it. I don't need sympathy." The boy said. "And I don't need help, after we bury my family, I'll live alone in the compound, I want no visitors; I can live off of my inheritance, is that acceptable?"
"Naruto, I will not allow you to live alone…" the Third Hokage started again.
"Then I will allow those in my employ to live with me, on the grounds that no one enter the main house unless I ask them to, is this acceptable?"
The third gave a sad smile. "I'll allow it at the least." He turned to an Anbu. "Go inform the Haruno's of the situation and ask politely if they would like to move in with Naruto.
"Yes sir!" the Anbu said before vanishing.
The Third Hokage turned back to the boy sitting in the chair on the other side of his desk. Naruto showed no emotion upon learning that not only did Itachi kill Seito and Megumi, but had also slaughtered his whole family; that was astounding enough, but Naruto now wanted nothing to do with anyone. Sarutobi was about to ask why Naruto wanted to be alone when Naruto spoke up.
"He told me to hate him, to live in hate and be consumed by it, he told me to live a wretched life, but it's him that's wretched, I'll kill him. From this day on, that's all I live for."
Sarutobi looked sadly upon the boy. "If that is all you live for, your life will be filled with sadness and betrayal."
He said it, but the boy didn't hear him. Naruto was heading home as fast as he could run. He had remembered something.
The scroll his father gave him.
Dear nephew, for that is what you really are, my nephew. I'm telling you this now because you've grown and became a ninja, just as your father and I. you remember the person you always wanted to be like, the Fourth Hokage, I tell you now, that he is my brother and your father. I hope this doesn't hurt too much for you, I've always loved you as a son, and I say this truthfully. But now it's time to tell you something that might mar everything you loved about the one you know now as your father. You remember the story of the Kyuubi? It was your favorite, well; I'll tell you what really happened. Your father couldn't kill it, so he did something drastic, but allowed our village to survive. My brother gave his own life to seal the fox within a newborn child, and that child is you.
Naruto stopped reading for a moment, letting the tears roll down his face. He didn't want to believe anything this scroll said, but everything fit into place. He wiped away the tears and continued on.
I know it's hard to accept, but you must understand, Minato didn't have a choice. So I decided to give you the techniques he and I created together, I will give you the location of the Uzumaki's scroll as well, learn and be strong, for your parents, and for myself and your aunt, and keep your friend Sakura safe, one day you'll understand. I want you to promise me one thing, the middle technique; don't learn it until you're a Jounin. It's a powerful attack, but it's dangerous to use, and the last one, never use, and I mean never. But the first one is yours whenever you learn how to control your chakra, go for it kiddo, make us all proud, we love you. The Uzumaki scroll is located in the little shrine you and Sakura like playing around, under the Buddha statue, good luck.
Under the letter were three techniques and the steps to learning them. Naruto read the first one, labeled 'rasengan'. It seemed easy enough. The second one was labeled 'hirashin' and the last was labeled 'Reaper Death Seal'. Naruto studied all of them and when he was reading the last one it clicked, the Reaper Death Seal must have been what his dad used to seal the Kyuubi, the only thing that stumped him was it said 'two beings'. Which would mean Naruto wasn't the only person his dad used to seal the monster, but he didn't dwell on it, as the doorbell rang. He quickly hid the scroll and went to answer the door.
It was the Haruno's, and they were carrying all of their possessions with them. He ushered them in and his new life began.
The Haruno's had been surprised at a change in Naruto's attitude, he was now solemn and brooding, and he always carried the sword his uncle had made him. But the worst part about it was he was cold, most of the time he'd speak only one or two words at most to them, but when Sakura was around, he always put on a smile, and he played with her until they were old enough to go to the Ninja Academy.
Naruto excelled, he was first in his class, and was greatly admired, but the only person he ever talked to was Sakura, before she began to drift away as she made new friends, whose favorite sport was obsessing over the two most mysterious boys in the class, A.K.A himself and a certain black haired boy who pissed him off like no other, Sasuke Uchiha.
Sasuke was the younger brother of Itachi; the man who had killed his family, and the resemblance was infuriating. Sasuke was a powerful person though, he was second only to Naruto in every aspect, but the boy tried his hardest to surpass Naruto, and heated words had been exchanged many times in the first year.
Not only was Naruto passing his class, but he was also furiously training at home every day. The Haruno's stayed away from the areas where Naruto's family was killed, opting to stay in the other areas of the compound, so Naruto always trained alone, and it was not long after he learned how to control his chakra that he began working on the rasengan, and he almost had it complete by his third year in the Academy. But there was something that stopped him from completely getting it. He would be able to get it going, but he wouldn't be able to keep it going, it would dissipate and he would be drained of a lot of chakra.
He also trained with the scroll of the Uzumaki's, who were the best wind users in Konoha. He mastered technique after technique, until he had learned every jutsu in it and could perform them flawlessly. He also trained with the Third every so often, and the old man gave him a technique to replace his pitiful clone jutsu, simply because, for all the control Naruto had, he couldn't use so little chakra, he had way too much. So the Shadow Clone Jutsu was also his to use.
Then came the day of graduation, and Naruto wowed his teachers as usual. He took his headband and left with an emotionless stare that was quite normal for him. Sakura passed as well, and her family threw a small party for them that night. Naruto forced a smile and pretended to enjoy himself. It lasted for a couple hours, and then the Haruno's decided to retire for the night, leaving Naruto and Sakura alone.
Sakura scooted closer to him, and he turned and plastered on a smile like he usually did. "What's up Sakura? You look uncomfortable, is something wrong?"
Sakura saw right through the smile, as she had been able to since they were five. "Naruto, I wish you'd quit treating me like a little kid, we're ninja now, and I'm your friend. Why are you so cold to everyone, Sasuke is a little bastard to everyone but at least he still talks."
"Don't ever, ever, mention that bastard's name around me again! Naruto shouted. He then stood and walked off without looking at his friend.
Sakura stared at his back with tears in her eyes as he walked away, knowing that she had just endangered her longest friendship, she know stood on thin ice, and with Naruto the way he was, apologizing might just lead to more problems.
She got up after him anyway.
Naruto had never been as pissed as he was now. He had just been compared to Sasuke, him, and to top it all off, it was Sakura that had made the comparison! It was enough to drive him insane. He slammed his fist against a wooden pole and watched as his fist sunk into the wood, splinters and debris flying from the broken support. He looked at it like his and Sakura's friendship. Did he want that, the whole thing falling apart because of a few words?
It was then that Sakura rounded the corner. She was running fast and wasn't looking where she was going, and the next thing either of them knew, Sakura was laying on a dazed and confused Naruto, her hand upon his chest and his arms wrapped around her. She looked down at the boy that held her for a few minutes before she realized what was going on. She jumped out of his grasp with a shriek and stood behind a door as he slowly got up.
"Don't yell, you'll wake your parents, and then both of us will be in trouble." Naruto said, standing shakily. He turned to her with a smile. "But I guess I forgive you, and for earlier too. I think you should get to sleep, we've got team assignments in the morning." He said as he walked toward his room.
Sakura stood there stunned. "Sure." She said quietly when he had disappeared from view.
The Academy had treated her different than it had him. She had made friends, especially a girl named Ino, who liked the same thing she did, well, things, A certain raven haired boy and the blond who had just been holding her.
Cha!! Her inner voice said. Victory is mine!!!! Take that Ino!!!
Sakura blushed at the thought of how close she and Naruto had been. She had been standing there for a while when a cold breeze wafted past her, she realized she was outside and turned to head to her own room. She was halfway there when she heard it.
The howl of a wolf.
The next morning saw Naruto dozing off in a chair while names were listed in teams. He was bored out of his mind, hoping that the two he was stuck with didn't suck.
"Team seven, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha." Iruka said; staring at the three genin he had called.
"NO FUCKING WAY!!!!" Naruto shouted, he inhaled and exhaled a couple of times before talking in a more calm and respectable voice. "Um, sensei, I believe you're supposed to pair the teams evenly. I mean come on, Sasuke is the second best ninja in here, why pawn him off on me?"
Iruka sighed. "Your team was specifically requested by your jounin sensei, as all the teams were this year, so you'll have to deal with it."
"Aww man." Naruto said as he slumped in his chair muttering something about degenerate, incest, losers like the Uchihas.
Sasuke jumped onto the desk that Naruto was sitting at. "What did you just say?" he growled.
Naruto glared at him. "You heard what I said, you inbred son of a bitch."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth to say something else when somebody bumped into his back and threw him forward, straight into Naruto. The two were shocked as their lips locked for a brief second. Sasuke felt a demolishing blow to his temple as He fell, and it launched him away from an angry and sputtering Naruto.
"You fucking homo!" Naruto shouted at him. "Kissing me, you sick FUCK! My mouth is poisoned; I ought to kill you for that!" Naruto advanced on the stunned Uchiha, and was about ready to throw another punch when Sakura draped herself on his back.
"Naruto, come on, leave the poor guy alone, I'll treat you to ramen if you behave." She said, getting him to drop what he was preparing to do and sit down quietly.
Iruka coughed, alerting the class that he was still there. "Now if you'll please wait here, your new instructor will be here to pick you up and begin your training. But for now, go to lunch." He said.
Naruto and Sakura sat at a picnic table outside the school. Sakura kept fidgeting, scooting closer and closer to Naruto. They were almost touching when…
WHAM!!!!!!!!
Naruto spun around and clobbered someone who had been ready to strangle him. He stepped around the table to see none other than Sasuke Uchiha.
"Why were you sneaking behind me, Uchiha, do you really think I'd be that easy of a target."
Sasuke wiped a bit of blood away from the corner of his mouth. "Naw, I just thought I should try to get you back for that shitty punch from earlier." He said.
"Shitty punch huh, I'll show you a shitty punch you motherfucking, and I mean literally motherfucking son of a bitch!"
"What did you just say about my mother, you little orphaned shithead!"
Naruto bristled. "Then let's go, right here, right now."
"Fine by me." Sasuke said, settling into his family's fighting stance.
Naruto lunged at him at high speed, right at the max of what you'd expect from a genin, and delivered a devastating right hook to Sasuke's face, sending the raven haired boy spinning. Sasuke, no less a genius in his own right, used the momentum of his spin to launch a spinning kick aimed at Naruto's ear. Unfortunately, Naruto had thrown his arm up after making contact, and his arm fell in between his head and the incoming kick, the shock still sent Naruto sliding, but the boy easily back flipped and charged again. He had almost made contact when he heard the ominous crack of someone's knuckles. A very pissed someone.
Sakura was glowering, she had been SO close to him and now someone had interfered with that, and that said person, even though he was hot too, had been in the process of trying to kick said hottie's ass, even though it was his own that was getting tanned.
"SASUKE…NARUTO…"
And there you go, chapter one of The Path I Walk, I hope you enjoyed, till next time.
Seeya!