Prologue: The Legend Unfolds

I don't own Naruto.

It was a particularly blustery day in Konoha as a father and his son enjoyed a care free walk through the village's beautiful open space. The father watched proudly as his son ran around appreciating things he as a child had never been able to. The boy in turn so happy to be spending the day with his father was enjoying everything more than usual. The shade of the trees made him grin as if they shared a innocent secret and the warm winds whispered sweet melodies into the child's ears. The simplest of occurrences transformed into gifts from the gods in the child's eyes.

The father wished he could go back to a time when he could see the good in everything, but those days were long gone hidden away in the springtime of his youth. Closing his eyes and dreaming of the past the father laid down in the cool dry grass, his conscious remaining intact only to listen to his sons laughter and remember.

"Dad what are you doing? You said we were doing something special today you can go to sleep!" The father shook himself awake and tentatively opened his eyes. He flinched as a leaf flew by his face spinning around a pair of short legs and disappearing into the hand of a man about his own age.

"Greetings Shikamaru," the man said in a voice too high for his muscular physique. "I see you and your son are enjoying this youthful day."

Yes, Shikamaru thought looking at his son, the day is youthful. He shielded his eyes from the sun with his hand and looked up at his old friend. "It's good to see you Lee."

"Indeed it has been too long and it is most wonderful to bask in your youthful spirit as well Asuma." Lee said turning his attention to the child who would begin enrollment in the ninja academy in the spring. Asuma smiled so brightly it even impressed Lee.

"It's good to see you again Uncle Lee." Asuma said politely.

"You're growing very quickly. How old were you the last time we met?" Lee asked incredulously.

The boy pretended to think as if he could not recall finally saying"I was seven and a half the last time we met and in two months I'll be nine."

Lee feigned disbelief. "Nine!?! I must be getting old."

Shikamaru smirked, "You are old Lee."

The taijutsu expert chuckled, "that was low blow my friend." Then he paused. "Shikamaru do you know what day it is?"

Shikamaru looked up at the clouds his main comfort. "How could I forget?"

"Then you'll come with me? That is if you don't mind bringing your son. I'm going to pay my respects and I'm meeting Gai-sensei there."

Shikamaru turned to see Asuma distracted by a butterfly his eyes glossed over as he followed the creatures graceful fluttering predicting its movements with stoich geometry. "I'll come and I'll bring Asuma as well. We can't shelter our kids and then expect them to succeed in the real world now can we?" Shikamaru and Lee shared a knowing look immersed in the sadness of the subject and moved on. "To tell you the truth I already planned to take Asuma I just decided to enjoy the morning first."

Lee, Shikamaru, and Asuma walked to the memorial stone where a few other people were already gathered. Among those gathered were Gai, Shino, and Hinata. The group was an odd mixture of people many of whom seemed not to belong in the same place as their peers. Yet they all stood around the memorial stone. Asuma looked at the faces of those gathered and unsurprisingly he knew several of them. Curiosity overpowering him he turned to his father who was greeting the people gathered. "What is this rock for? And why are all these people here?"

Shikamaru paled considerably hearing Asuma's question as he said hello to Hinata. The beautiful woman knelt down to inspect Asuma. "My you have grown Asuma-kun."

Asuma scrunched up his face in frustration as he failed to recall the person in front of him. "Umm thanks..."

Hinata did not seem overly hurt that she wasn't recognized. "My name is Hyuuga Hinata and in answer to your question this is Konoha's memorial stone. It is the reason why everyone is here today."

Asuma felt he eyes drawn to the stone. He examined the stone carefully before asking his next question. "Is today's date important?"

The head of the Hyuuga clan nodded, and for a moment she seemed to look through Asuma in an instant it was gone. "But I think I'll let your father tell you the significance its his right."

Shikamaru walked Asuma away from the group so Asuma would not be distracted by the throng of ninjas talking in whispers. Today's date as you concluded before is very important. Today is October 10th and it is the day our village was blessed with a gift... It is also the day that that gift was taken away."

"What was the gift?" Asuma asked.

"The gift was a savior. A boy destined to save our village. But ten years ago while on a mission he disappeared and never took his rightful place as Hokage. His name is engraved on the memorial as an unworthy tribute for all that he has done for us. Our village has never praised heroes as much as other places in the world. Perhaps that's because somehow more of them end up here than anywhere else. Either way there are statues dedicated to him in most of the other villages but in Konoha his name if forgotten to all but a few."

"What's his name? Asuma asked, awed by his fathers complete admiration.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

Asuma for a long time stayed quiet. "Dad I want to hear his story."

Shikamaru sighed. He had known this day would come. It was impossible not to want to hear a legendary story especially if it's true. "Very well Asuma. This is how it all began."

Um just something I needed to write. This is the first idea that has inspired me to write in months. Especially since I haven't been too pleased with the manga and show recently. Anyway I need a beta. Probably the last story I'll ever write for Naruto kind of sad really. Don't worry about Naruto's Father though, I'm still trekking through that (even though it is being a bitch.)