Story Summary: This story starts a month after the failed Sasuke Retrieval mission and follows the life of the Leaf shinobi. After the loss of Sasuke, the Konoha 12 need a replacement. Luckily a young boy named Zishi Shiranui comes along. Can he be trusted? What secrets does he hold in his past? How will he change the world or Naruto?
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any extent and am not taking credit for any of Kishimoto's hard work. This is just a story by my own creation involving his characters.
Rating: T for violence, language, and some adult themes
A Naruto Tale: The New Kid in Town
Chapter 1: Depression
BEEP...BEEP...BEEP
"Ugh..stupid alarm clock. SHUT UP already," a boy wearing an orange jumpsuit says as he covers his head with a pillow.
He looks at the time, 10:30. Another day sleeping past breakfast and another day with Sasuke still gone.
The boy trudges out of bed and into his kitchen, where he makes himself some instant ramen. He hears a knock on his door and grudgingly walks over to answer it. He opens the door and sees a tall, silver haired, one eyed man reading a little book.
"Hey Kakashi-Sensei. Are we going to go training or something because I'm not really feeling up to it right now," the boy says while walking back to his food.
"No, Naruto, nothing like that. I was just checking up on you since I haven't seen you in three weeks," Kakashi says while opening Naruto's cabinets.
"I just haven't had much motivation to do much. Tell Sakura I'm sorry for not helping you guys train or do missions."
Kakashi nods and says, "Will do," before closing the cabinets and thinking to himself, "Damn, even Naruto's feeling down. I thought Sakura had it bad, but Naruto hasn't left his bed in weeks and he's almost out of ramen."
"Thanks," Naruto says in a monotone voice.
Kakashi walks over and steals Naruto's ramen before taking his chopsticks out of his hand.
"HEY GIVE ME MY RAMEN BACK!" Naruto yells to a smirking Kakashi.
"Good, you're not totally depressed yet," Kakashi yells as he dumps the bowl into the trash and opening the cabinets again.
"WHAT THE HELL KAKASHI-SENSEI? I WAS EATING THAT. WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?," Naruto screams while doing some outrageous hand gestures.
"I could ask you the same question. You haven't been the same since that mission. I know you're upset about Sasuke, but he's gone and you moping around isn't going to bring him back," Kakashi says bluntly while grabbing more ramen from the cabinet.
Naruto starts waving his arms in the air obnoxiously and frantically yells, "HOLD UP. PUT THAT RAMEN BACK. WHAT DID MY RAMEN EVER DO TO YOU? NOTHING THAT'S WHAT, SO LEAVE IT OUT OF THIS!"
Kakashi gets an evil look in his eye before threatening, "If you don't get out, get some fresh air and sunlight, and start training again, I'm going to burn all of this ramen to ashes and any ramen you eat for the rest of your life."
Naruto looks like Kakashi just kicked his puppy before tears began to well up in his eyes, thinking about all of that ramen going to waste.
"B-b-but Kakashi-Sensei..."
"No buts." Kakashi interrupts while making some hand signs. As Kakashi finishes the last hand sign he says, "So what's it going to be?"
"Umm...but...I don't...," Naruto stammers.
Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu (Fire Style Fireball Jutsu)
Kakashi shrugs and puts his hand up to his face in an O as he burns the ramen in his hand to ashes. A distraught Naruto looks wide eyed in terror at the sight before him.
"OK. OK. OK. OK. Just stop. I can't take it," Naruto pleads as Kakashi stops the jutsu and smirks.
"So you're going to start training again,?" Kakashi ask, raising his eyebrow.
Naruto drops his head in defeat and says, "Ya I will. I give you my word."
Kakashi walks over to him and states, "Good. It would have taken way too much work to force you."
Naruto looks up and declares, "Well after we are done training today, you are going to treat me to some Ichiraku ramen!"
"No need," Kakashi raises his hand and snaps in front of Naruto's face, "Dispel and release."
Naruto opens his eyes and sees a bowl of ramen in front of him and Kakashi standing in the doorway.
Kakashi smirks once again and says, "Let's go."
Sakura is currently kicking a wooden pole, mumbling to himself, "I have to get stronger. I was completely useless. I have to get better. Ugh."
Naruto and Kakashi walk into the training ground and see Sakura beating on the pole.
"Umm..how about I train with you guys tomorrow, Kakashi-Sensei,?" Naruto says tentatively.
"No. She's been like this for weeks now. You are both upset about Sasuke and you just take it differently. You sleep in and lose all motivation, while Sakura trains harder than ever and becomes very antisocial. Either way, you guys are hurting yourself and I don't like it."
Naruto looks at Sakura with sweat beading down her face and bruises and blood all over her arms and legs.
"Fine. What do you want me to do,?" Naruto asks defeated.
"Go talk to her. Make her feel better," Kakashi orders while walking away with his book in hand.
"Wait. Where are you going?"
"You don't need me. I'll just get in the way," Kakashi says while waving behind his back, before disappearing leaving Naruto alone.
"Ugh. He's so...conniving," Naruto thinks to himself before smiling to himself, "That was a good word. I should tell Sakura."
Naruto's smile quickly fades as he hears Sakura scream and break the pole in half. He slowly walks up before gathering himself to speak.
"Umm. Sakura-chan," Naruto mumbles as he walks over and taps her on the shoulder.
Sakura jumps and punches Naruto in the face before realizing who it was and yelling, "Don't sneak up on me like that, you idiot."
Naruto grabs his nose before saying, "I'm sorry. I was just worried about you."
"Worried about me?"
"Ya. Kakashi says you've been taking the... situation badly and you've been training straight for weeks."
Sakura looks down sadly and says, "Ya. I just don't want to be so useless anymore, you know. I want to get stronger, so I can help you get him back."
"You were never useless, Sakura-chan. I'm sorry I couldn't get him back here sooner, but I will keep my promise."
"Thanks, so do you want to train with me?"
Naruto smiles, gives a thumbs up, and says, "Ya!"
Kakashi is listening and watching his two students reconnect from the vantage point of a large tree.
"Hmph. I love it when a plan comes together. Now I just hope they can distract themselves and move on."
With that Kakashi smirks and jumps off to the bookstore to check if the new Icha Icha Paradise has come in yet.
He makes it to the bookstore only to be interrupted by one Might Gai.
"Hello, my eternal rival. I think it's about time for another win for me, my youthful friend. I challenge you in a race around Konoha on our hands using only our index fingers,' Gai declares with a gleam in his eyes.
Kakashi pulls his book out while Gai is talking and when Gai stops looks up and says, "Oh did you say something Gai?"
Gai smiles and says, "You never drop that hip attitude my friend."
Kakashi looks up again and asks, "Oh, you're still here?"
Gai grabs Kakashi by his arm and says, "Let us go my youthful rival. We will go to the entrance of Konoha and begin our challenge."
Kakashi gets a helpless look in his eye as he sees Kurenai and her team watching as Gai drags him along the road. Kurenai waves as she suppresses a giggle and thinks to herself, "Look at Kakashi trying to look sad. I know he actually likes Gai's little challenges."
Gai makes it to the entrance of the village and announces, "On your mark. Get set..."
Kakashi puts his hand in the air to stop Gai and says, "How about we do something different this time?"
Gai looks up interested and asks, "What do you have in mind my old friend?"
Kakashi gets a gleam in his eye before saying, "How about a game of hide-n-seek?"
Gai scratches his chin for a few seconds and Kakashi gets nervous thinking he will refuse. Gai suddenly looks up and sticks his hand up in a thumbs up.
"It sounds good."
"Ok. You hide first. We will time how long it takes me to find you and then I'll hide," Kakashi says with an evil look in his eyes.
Gai gives another blinding smile and disappears.
Kakashi walks back into the village and thinks to himself, "I'm having a great day. I got my team out of their depression..." he hears a tree falling in the direction of his training grounds and thinks, "Well almost out of the depression. Plus, I got Gai to leave me alone for awhile. Now if the new Icha Icha Paradise is out, my life would be perfect."
Kakashi walks into the bookstore, finds the last book on the shelf, and buys it. He walks out the way he came and smiles before strutting down the dirt road reading his new book.
"Life can't get much better than this."
Author's Notes: Well this is my first fanfic ever. I have some great ideas for the future of this story and I hope you guys read, review, and support me. Any constructive criticism is greatly appreciated and reviews will inspire me to update faster and have better quality work. For the record, I will be adding an OC to the mix, but he won't be the main character. I know how much you guys hate any OC. Well that's about it. Bye.