Hello everyone, this is Bocefaus here with another Naruto Fanfiction, this one however is a Fanfiction Challenge posted by Methos-Kyuubi777. (And my first Challenge Fanfiction that I'll be doing too.) To learn the exact specifics of the challenge and to see if you want to participate in it as well I encourage everyone to check out his profile.

This begins an interesting chapter into Naruto's life, I hope everyone enjoys this story.

Naruto and the Hunter's Path

Chapter 1.

The betrayal.

five years after the attack by the Masked Man and the Nine-tailed Fox, the Hidden Leaf Village was bustling with excitement as usual. Stores were prospering and people were having a good time outside. All but one child who was swinging by himself on the swing in front of the Ninja Academy.

The boy was 5 years of age, blonde spiky hair with vibrant blue eyes that were currently looking down at the ground and occasionally to the 4 faces of the Hokage monument above the Village. The most interesting features on the boy are the whisker marks on his cheeks, three on each cheek. The clothing style seemed to be the simple white t-shirt with the swirl on the back with black shorts and blue sandals. The boy continued to glance between the faces and the ground and sighed. "Man, today is going to be boring...and it's still early in the day." he said, today was one of the day offs for the Academy and the boy had nothing to do.

After a while the sounds of footsteps walked up to the boy and he sighed, expecting another harsh comment or something to happen, what came next surprised the young boy. "Hey, Naruto, whacha doing?" came a young female's voice as the boy, now named Naruto, turned around to see a young girl, same age and blonde like him, a little less bright blonde, but still blonde, with blue eyes that seemed to have no pupils. She seemed to be wearing tan shorts and a purple shirt.

"Oh...uh..." Naruto tapped his head trying to remember the young woman's name, 'Dang, I had to be bad with names...' He thought as the girl chuckled and shook her head as he popped his fist into his palm remembering. "Ino, right?" he asked as the girl nodded. "I uh...well honestly I don't know what I'm doing, sitting around I guess." he said shrugging as Ino giggled. "What?"

"It's just that you got a lot of energy, and you're just sitting around, it's funny." Ino said, finding the humor in it as Naruto blinked and shrugged. "You wanna play a game? My dad's on a mission so he won't be home for a while." she said.

Naruto beamed with happiness. "Yea, I would like to play a game, what did you have in mind?" he asked as Ino thought.

"How about a small treasure hunt game, I hear that folks leave things lying around all the time." Ino smiled as Naruto nodded. They soon got up and started looking around the area to see if they could find anything. After about an hour of searching, they both found themselves in a training field not too far off from the hospital, that's when something caught Naruto's eyes.

Naruto went over and bent down to take a closer look as Ino followed and both gasped. Naruto picked up a kunai with three pronged blades, yellow straps for the hilt with a seal on it. "I-is this-!?" he started for Ino to finish.

"It has to be, one of the Fourth Hokage's special Kunai's!" Ino said surprised. "My father told me that he use to scatter them all around so that he could be anywhere he needed to be quickly, all around the village, and that it's still possible that there are many still missing!" she said, eying the kunai with interest, which Naruto noticed.

"Hey, Ino, why don't you keep the Kunai, you probably have a better place to keep it than I do." he said as Ino was about to protest, but Naruto smiled. "It's to say thanks for spending time with me." He said as Ino hugged him, thanking him.

The joy was short lived however when a rock hit Naruto on the head, and in turn, hit Ino as well as they both rubbed their heads and looked to see a mob of villagers with bats and other rocks staring hatefully at them both. "You dare disrespect the Hero of the Hidden Leaf!?" one yelled at Naruto. "And you!" said man pointed at Ino. "You disrespect our very village by willingly being near this 'think.'" he said as Ino was scared stiff at the scene till Naruto pushed her away.

"Go!" Naruto yelled as the mob ran after them, but Ino didn't run, this time not out of fear, but she wasn't going to abandon her friend to a bunch of lunatics as she got ready to fight with Naruto. "What are you doing?" he asked as she looked at him.

"I won't let anyone harm my best friend while I'm around." she said as the statement shocked Naruto who looked at the mob, now he had a reason to stay and fight.

Although brave, the two children didn't stand a snowballs chance against the rocks and bats that the villagers used in the initial hit, sending both Naruto and Ino to the ground and soon they were both surrounded and beaten on with the all the bats and rocks. Naruto tried to get to Ino to help her but kept getting pushed down. "Leave her alone!" he yelled only for them to ignore his plea, and soon Ino yelled in pain as a bat hit her on both of her shins at the same time as tears ran down her face as Naruto finally snapped. "I SAID STOP!" he yelled, and this time his voice seemed to create a wall of wind like force that scattered the villagers, like a gust of wind on sand or something. Soon there were two Anbu who arrived when they heard the commotion and saw the situation and glared at the Villagers, one saying "We might not like the kid any more than you, but to attack to kill!? What the heck is wrong with the lot of you!? He's still a kid, container or not!" he yelled, which earned a confused stare from the two crying children as Ino looked to Naruto.

She gasped when she saw his eyes. "N-Naruto, your eyes!" she said as Naruto blinked as she pulled the Fourth's kunai out so he can see the reflection and see that instead of his usual blue eyes, he now had purple eyes that had rings around the pupil.

Naruto blinked a few times to see if what he was seeing was accurate, then he heard the second Anbu smacking the first on the back of his head. "Careful what you say ya buffoon, Last thing you want is to get into a pot of hot water." he said as the Third Hokage walked up and looked at the first Anbu, who rubbed the back of his head.

Sarutobi sighed, "You're lucky you didn't break the entirety of the law...and that you're a veteran, we'll talk about your punishment later." he said as the first Anbu bowed, knowing he got out of the worst of it. "Now, arrest these men and women and show them how fierce the law can truly be." He ordered as the two Anbu were quick to jump on the Villagers as the Hokage quickly got the two children into the hospital to treat their injuries.

The following day, Ino had woken up in the hospital, remembering what had happen the day before after her and Naruto found the Fourths Kuni and found it beside her bed, smiling at what Naruto said to her when he said for her to keep it. Sarutobi was about to visit Ino to check on her when she saw another shadow approach, it looked to be her father, she soon heard the conversation taking place. "Ah, Inoichi. I'm not surprise to see you here so soon, let me go ahead and tell you your daughter is doing fine, she'll be sore for a few more days, but fortunately Naruto saved her before anything broke." he said as Inoichi let out a sigh of relief but looked at Sarutobi again. It would seem that the old Hokage knew what he was thinking. "You can't blame Naruto for what happened to Ino." he said at which Ino was confused, she knew that Naruto got the worse of the beating than her.

"I...I know sir..." Inoichi sighed. "It's just that...you know this wouldn't have happened if..." he then let out a sigh as he shook his head. "Ah well...what's done is done...she's safe and Naruto has earn my gratitude." he said as they both walked into the room to see Ino awake, they both paled a bit, not thinking she would be awake so soon from her injuries, which means she more than likely heard them talking. Inoichi though snapped out of it and rushed over to his daughter and hugged her. "Are you alright sweety, you weren't injured badly were you?" he asked, already knowing but wanted to make sure she would be alright mentally as well.

Ino nodded. "I'm fine Daddy." Ino said as he sighed in relief and soon went wide eyed at the sight of the Kunai of the Fourth by her bed. "Oh, me and Naruto found this while playing treasure hunt, he said he wanted me to keep it as thanks for playing with him." she said smiling and Inoichi let out a small smiled as Sarutobi let out a sad look. To which they both saw. "I got to give it back...don't I?" she asked, a little sad.

Sarutobi shook his head no. "No...I'm sorry, that's not what I'm sad about...but, I will personally give you a case for it." he said as Inoichi got up, concerned as to what was wrong and the Hokage knew he couldn't hide it any longer. "...Naruto is doing fine, he's already out of the hospital...and as of now, probably out of the Village." he said as both Ino and Inoichi gasped at this. The Hokage pulled out a note wrote by Naruto and started reading it.

"To Grandpa Third and Ino: I'm sorry for having to leave you both, I know you are worried about me, but I can't stay any longer. The looks of hatred and scorn are one thing, and the fact that they attacked me was bad yes. But those aren't why I'm leaving. I'm leaving because I couldn't stand the fact that they attacked my best friend Ino just for being around me. I know now that she'll be guarded more closely by Anbu than I was-" at which the Hokage glared at the Anbu that had received the punishment, who was accompanying Sarutobi, as said Anbu cleared his throat. "But I also thought that if I'm not around, then they would have no reason to attack Ino as well. So I'm sorry, but this is farewell to everybody."

Both Ino and Inoichi looked sad, Ino because her best friend left because of the Village and Inoichi because he at least wanted to help the boy who saved his little flower from the mob. Sarutobi sighed. "Unfortunately, non of my Anbu have found him, though not surprising sense he is well known for hiding from them when he has pulled off a prank." he said chuckling at the memories, but still looking sad as well as the others as Ino held the Kunai close to her.

Ino looked at Sarutobi and at her father. "Uhm...what...what did the Anbu mean by him being a container?" she asked as the Hokage sighed, knowing she would find out sooner or later by herself.

"You will have to promise not to tell a soul." the Hokage said as Ino nodded as he took a deep breath.

Over with Naruto, he had been hiding from some Anbu trying to find him, some calling his name in hopes to coax him out, one even offered to buy him all the ramen he could eat, only to receive an arm punch from one of his comrades to which he only shrugged, what else could they do? Naruto sighed. "Sorry guys, but I can't let my friends get hurt anymore." he said as he quietly crept away from the Anbu, who never sensed him in the slightest.

Ino blinked, having been told about the Nine-tailed Fox that was inside of Naruto and looked at the Kunai, both the Hokage and Inoichi expected her to throw it away or give it to Sarutobi, but what happened next surprised both of them, she held the Kunai closer to her as she cried. "So, he was suppose to be seen as a hero...but they only fear and hate him...why?" she asked as all the men inside sighed and Inoichi and the Anbu stepped forward.

Inoichi decided to go first. "For my part, it really isn't much about Naruto as it is the seal that is holding the Fox back...I worry that it will break, and though I am worried about Naruto's safety at this concern...I am more worried about the village and our clan...I'm sorry." he said stepping back and the Anbu went next.

"My reason is a bit stupid I admit...but at any moment I fear that the Fox may influence him. Make him into a killer, or make him undo the seal, so I don't like the kid because he's too loose a cannon, doesn't mean what those idiots did was right, in fact I hate the fact that they attacked Naruto. I said this once, I may not like the kid, but like heck I'll let any harm befall him, he's still a kid." The Anbu said. Sarutobi didn't exactly like what the Anbu said, but he knew he could at least trust him to protect Naruto out of duty at the very least.

Ino stayed silent, not really liking either reason as she just looked at the Kunai as all three looked at each other, leaving her to her own thoughts, though keeping an eye on her just to be safe. She soon pulled out some string that she keeps for making necklaces, ting one end to the end of the Kunai and then she tied it around her waist, she was going to keep the Kunai as a reminder, and a promise that if she finds Naruto again, that she'll make sure that he has a good reason not to leave the Leaf this time. "Father...you still there?" she asked as Inoichi stepped back in. "...I need to train..." she said simply as Inoichi understood and nodded.

A month later after leaving the Leaf village, Naruto was looking around and found a small house, which seemed to be abandoned for some years. "Hm...well if no one owns it, might as well call it home, it's a good ways away from the village..." he said stepping into the house and looking around, he soon found something that caught his interest, a sword on the wall. (I hope I describe this right.) Naruto got onto a chair and grabbed it and took a good look at it, it's steel was sharp and seemed to be able to conduct chakra rather easily. It had green wrappings at the hilt and an orange symbol with two sets of horns going up and one set going down. The arms were made from the same metal and was a bit more blue in tint. Naruto smiled and looked at the plank it was on and it read 'Valmanway.' Naruto also found a few scrolls that would help him learn some sword techniques and read a few, learning how to channel chakra into the sword.

Naruto decided to see what the sword could do with some chakra running through it, he already practiced the Almighty Push and Pull so he was good on those two. He stepped outside and faced a tree that was the beginning of a forest "Alright, lets see what you can do." he said as channeled the Push into Valmanway and thrust his sword in a stabbing motion and right when he did he dropped the sword for a burst from Almighty Push channeled from the blade and out, causing an almost new formation, one might even call Almighty Stab. The tree was obliterated into dust and so was the stones and other trees behind it for a good mile or two as Naruto stared wide eyed. "Whoa...I think I'll keep this." he said smiling and looking at the blade, and back at his eyes that reflected off the metal, still getting use to the new look. He sighed because the purple reminded him of Ino. "...I wonder how she's doing right now..." he asked and looked in the direction of the village. "But...this is for the best...I hope you can forgive me for leaving, but it's best so the Villagers don't harm you any more than they did that day." Naruto said to himself.

A year sense he left had past and Naruto had pretty much mastered the Almighty techniques, even the new forms of Stab and Slice. Currently he was meditating, he had decided to look deep in his mind, he had thought of a reason why everybody hated him, figuring out one day on his birthday and realized it was the same day as the fall of the Nine-tailed Fox, 'could it be', he wondered. He walked along the halls of what seemed to be a sewer system. He was thinking of how he would approach the Nine-tails when he did find him, course at this point he was not the usual happy go lucky kid he use to be. He admitted that he would show the Fox who was boss, for when he thought of this theory, his anger hiked at the Fox. He thought of how it was the Nine-tails' fault that he was shunned and that the Villagers attacked him and Ino. When he thought of the Villagers however he stopped and went wide eyed. 'Wh-what am I thinking? Am I becoming just like them? Just like the people that harmed Ino?' he thought as he looked at his hands, having just thought of something, could it be that the Nine-tailed Fox was the way he is because of other folks treating him poorly? Could Naruto live with himself if he treated another like how he was treated? No, he couldn't, so he decided on a new approach right there and then, he decided to put on a happy mask for once and try to make friendly talk to the Fox, to prove he wasn't like the Villagers.

He kept on walking down the halls when he heard what sound like a chuckle from a very, very deep voice. Naruto gulped and approached the sound till he found a gate with the Kanji for 'Seal' on it, well now was the time of truth. "Excuse me." he called out, he found out that outside of the leaf, and at different villages he went to buy supplies and do odd jobs for money that being polite, though admittedly the kind of polite that folks stayed away from, (think of Gaara when he was first came into the show.) seemed to get a better reaction out of folks, well better than the reactions he would have gotten from the Leaf Village. "Is anybody in there? Uhm...maybe...the Nine-tails?" he asked as he tried to look closer.

The voice chuckled again as two huge red eyes opened up and looked at Naruto. "Well, well, well, look who decided to grace me with their presence, heh, to what do I owe this honor?" he asked sarcastic as Naruto gulped.

"W-well, I wanted to see if you...well if you were really inside me." he said and then the fox laughed a bit more. "So, well now that we're here, I guess we get to know each other?" he said.

The fox stopped laughing and got closer to Naruto, reveling himself as he tilted his head. "Uh, y-you do know who I am, I am the Nine-tailed Fox...'The' Nine-tailed beast, who is the strongest and most feared, right?" the fox asked and Naruto nodded. "Uh...okay then...did...did you get hit hard on the head by that rock?" he asked and Naruto shrugged, to which the fox nodded a bit weary, this was a first in...well ever sense the Sage of Six Paths.

Naruto on his part smiled a bit. "Hey, I just want to get to know you...you've been threw a heck a lot worse than me, and I been threw the realm of Hades and back because of the village." he said and the fox nodded in a 'you don't know the half of it.' manner. "So, that makes me think, you don't have any friends, so why not make one now? I'll go first. My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I like ramen and my friends back at the village who I miss dearly. I hate the folks who harmed Ino when they attacked us. My hobbies are training with my new eyes and my sword Valmanway...also watering the few flowers I find. My dream...well it use to be the next Hokage, but now it's to be the best ninja that has ever lived on Earth." he said smiling.

The fox blinked some more. 'Kid has gone loony...' the fox then shrugged and cleared his throat. "Okay then...I suppose it couldn't hurt that much...my name is Kurama, which not a lot of folks know...uh likes, likes...likes...hmm...I like rabbits...I think that's about it...Hates, well...everything, course...well I'm sure you understand." Kurama said and Naruto nodded, listening. "Uh...let's see...hobbies...well before I was sealed...hm...well, it's kind of odd, but...well I use to...carve some canyons and what not...I uh, liked carving into the Earth...and last, dreams...hm...heh, uh...well, that one is kind of odd...I don't really have any, wait, no, wait that's a lie, I do have one...and that's to actually gain permanent freedom...course...I'm not sure how to...'yet.'" Kurama said, finishing up.

Naruto nodded at the last one. "Right, the second you get out, everyone tries to seal you away...by the way why did you attack the Leaf Village?" Naruto asked.

"Ah, wondered when you would ask, well, the first strike was not of my own free will, you see a man named Madara Uchiha controlled me with his Sharingan...at least...at least I think it was Madara...an Uchiha I am most certain...Madara...not so much, still I was not of my own free will...course...I didn't exactly stop the attack when I broke free either but...yea." Kurama said with Naruto nodding a bit.

"Seems you got a lot of pent up anger needing to be released, I'll try and find a way to let you vent it out when I can." Naruto said smiling and Kurama laughed.

"Haha, thanks kid, er...Naruto, thanks...Listen, I can tell ya a bit about those eyes, their called the Rinnegan, see the Sage of Six Paths use to have them, uh the most direct decedents...crap, who was it...I think Senju, also Uchiha, but soon after the Uzumaki clan married into the Senju clan...course I'm not sure how you and no one else got those eyes." Kurama said as they both shrugged, not able to come up with how. "I mean...I suppose the great stress you went though was enough but still...anyways you know the direct effect, the Almighty Arts, I suppose I shall train you in the different Elemental Natures you can use now." Kurama said as Naruto jumped up ready to train. Kurama chuckled. 'Yep...a Loon...but, at least I won't be board now.' He chuckled again, knowing that this was going to be a step into the beginning of a grand adventure, but neither one knew just how grand it would truly be.

I hope this was to your liking everyone, this is the first chapter of many for this story, and I will do what I can to see it to the end, and trust me, we didn't even touch the surface of what all we'll be seeing in this new Naruto story.

Until next time, See you in the second Chapter.