AN: I was asked to write Tokyo ghoul story by someone and decided to do some reading of their fanfiction. Doing so I have had inspiration from IForgotToUsername's Unraveled Bandages. I love that story but I felt that it followed canon a little to religiously. Here is my take on how things would've been different with Eto being raised by her father as well as Kaneki not being a submissive wuss he was twisted into by his mothers ideology. This Kaneki will be shaped by that he did not agree with his aunt taking his moms money and that he wanted to be the best at everything so he could succeed in life and help his mother. He often disagreed with his moms philosophy regarding life. He has not found his own philosophy but he most certainly will not follow 'its better to be hurt than to hurt other's'.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tokyo Ghoul

XXXX

Kaneki Ken lived what he would call a hard life. He at a very young age seen the horror of the world, his aunt would mercilessly take of advantage of his mom's policy of 'Its better to be hurt than to hurt other's'. He disagreed with his mom trying to tell her people were just using her. She smiled a little disappointed that her son didn't agree but accepted it none the less. So in route of this he strived to be the best at everything he did. He was an honor roll student who went to school everyday and even took lessons in martial arts to protect him from the dangers of the world. That was another thing, in his world their were ghouls beings who looked human but could change that facade on a dime.

Kaneki did not hate the ghouls he knew they were just trying to survive in this world. Though this did not mean he didn't prepare himself for the eventuality that he would be targeted and trained extensively in martial art's reaching black belt by 16 years of age. Sadly his mom perished due to stress that she got from trying to support everything on her shoulders. Kaneki swore on her grave that he would come to her the day he found his philosophy. She was buried in a grave in the 20th ward where he lived.

The time he reached 18 he had a scholarship to his school Kamii university and lived on his own. Not wanting his aunt to ever have anything to do with his life he supported himself by performing his hobby he liked since he was young. He was an author and a rather famous one at that. He went by a pen name Haise Sasaki. His rival or at least that's what some people were calling her was a lady named Sen Takatsuki. He assumed she had a pen name like him since she was just as media shy as he was. They were considered rivals because they both wrote horror stories about ghouls and humans alike. Their manner of writing was so similar that sometimes people assumed they were the same person.

When Kaneki started attending Kamii he had brought a lot of attention in himself because of his prodigy like grades. He even had started attracting female attention because the button up shirts with ties he wore did not hide his impressive build thanks to martial arts training. He even had a promised job working for the CCG when he graduated with them offering him an impressive salary to work for them. The female attention though always embarrassed him because he was shy around girls. This was solved by the manner of his best friend Hide. He met Hide when a group of aggressive girls tried getting to Kaneki, Hide showed up and shooed them off in his loud manner and proceeded to say his was Kaneki's best friend.

This only made girls try harder though because Hide was popular and well liked as well. The two became brothers in arms against fangirls. Hide loved the attention and Kaneki liked that they could get the attention off of him.

Today after the school the two decided to head to a coffee shop called anteiku, they had heard it was pretty popular and decided to see what it was about. They did not know that this would change their lives drastically.

XXXX

"All I am saying is that you should indulge some more Kaneki" Hide said.

"And I am saying no, that one girl that I gave my virginity to started shouting how she got me first. Then the 'hunt' as we now call it got worse for us. I just want a relationship not something like that Nishiki guy going around with lots of girls. I mean just today two girls approached me just so they tell their friends they got to me." Kaneki ranted.

"exactly I would be enjoying it." Hide pouted. "Oh well there is only one girl for me and she works here." Hide said walking up to the door of Anteiku. He opened it and shouted "Touka-chan I'm here!".

You could hear a groan come from inside the coffee shop. Touka sighed as that annoying guy came in. She thought he was cute but she was a ghoul and it wouldn't work out. Still she turned around and gave him a smile. She lead him and his rather popular she heard friend to a table. "What will you boy's be having?" Touka asked.

"Coffee with cream please" Kaneki said.

"Cappuccino, made by Touka-chan" Hide said with a bright smile.

After she left Hide spoke up. "You know you could have a lot more girls after you if you just became public Haise Sasaki" Hide said snidely.

"Hide, you know how I feel about public attention I get enough as it is!" Hissed Kaneki after he heard a gasp from a table behind them.

XXXX

Eto was just sitting in her fathers coffee shop working on her next book. She must remain ever diligent her rival Haise might be releasing his next book anytime. She was the one secretly feeding their rivalry loving the drama it caused as it helped her write. She wondered what her life would have been like had her father abandoned her like she thought he would all those years ago. She was happy though she loved her dad. That was why she was here she liked visiting him as often as she could.

She noticed a bell chime and two college students walked in. She immediately ignored the loud one, and focused her attention on the quiet boy. He dressed in a black button up shirt with a white tie and had black slacks on. His hair was black and he had steel gray eyes. She noticed he had the build of a fighter which surprised her as she expected him to be more timid.

When he was at his table talking to his friend, she took note that he even spoke in a timid voice. She decided he was interesting. She had her mind blown though when she heard the boys friend call him Haise. Her rival he was here right in front of her! She could not let this chance to go to meet him, she was even more interested in him now that she had that piece of info on him.

She got up from her table and walked over to them.

XXXX

Kaneki was talking to Hide about why he didn't want to go into public when a pretty green haired girl walked over to them. She just sat down at their table and smiled a cheery grin. "So your the famous Haise Sasaki ehh?" Eto said. Kaneki shot Hide a betrayed look, who just scratched his head sheepishly. Kaneki just sighed and looked at the green haired girl. "Yes how may I help you miss?" He replied hoping for her name.

"The names Sen Takatsuki" She said smiling still. Hide just started laughing, while Kaneki's smile became fixed.

"Figures the one person to hear your pen name is none other than your rival" Hide said laughing.

Kankei had know idea how to react to the fact that this pretty girl is his rival. "Look miss Takatsuki I don't really look into the whole rivalry thing. I am not sure who started it actually." Kankei stated.

"It was me. I used our rivalry as my muse." Eto said cheerfully. "Now that I have met you, I find you very interesting. You mind if I ask some questions and ne ne wouldn't be funny if we signed each others books?" Eto said on a roll. Hide just started laughing harder, they were lucky they were the only three their at the moment.

"Kaneki is actually a big fan of yours, your books are why he started writing in the first place so this must be a dream come true for him." Hide chuckled.

"Hide!" Kaneki said embarrassed.

Eto was shocked to find out she was his inspiration as well. She brought out a copy of his book she had as she liked them. Kaneki seeing her taking out one of his books did the same as he had a copy of hers. Both smiling signed each others books. Hide couldn't be more amused two famous authors use each other as their muses without knowing the other did the same.

Eto seeing that her book signing was about to start reached into her bag and pulled out a card. "Well if you want we can talk more about our books and brainstorm a bit, here my address and my real name is Eto see you around Kaneki." Eto said leaving.

"I seriously envy your luck Kaneki, first you get a date with some girl I have yet to meet and now your invited to the house of your rival who is cute by the way." Hide said almost pouting before Touka brought their drinks to them making him do a complete 180. "Touka-chan Kaneki is being mean you should let me take you on a da-" He couldn't finish as she glared at him as if waiting for him to finish. Hide chuckled nervously and said "Nevermind". It was at that moment that the door bell chimed and Rize walked in in all her glory.

She seen Kaneki and smiled a smile that put Touka on edge knowing she only smiled like then when she was about to eat. She felt saddened but knew their was nothing she could do.

Kaneki spotted her and waved her over. Hide seen her and stared jealously at Kaneki "Seriously you have the devils luck Kaneki. Well don't let me keep you have a good time" Hide said walking off. He did not know that he would regret those words later on.

XXXX

Rize and Kaneki had a good date in his opinion as they went to the book store, seen a movie and went out to eat and now he was walking her home. They had just cut through a come to a constructions site when Rize stopped. "Is something wrong Rize?" Kaneki asked.(He is more confident in this story thanks to the way I built him up). She just chuckled. "Ne Kaneki-kun, I wonder how do you taste?" She asked as her eyes switched to the Kakugan. Kaneki's breath hitched and before he could do anything she was already on him biting him. Kaneki's instincts took over at that moment and he used his training to judo throw her. She crashed into a crane and he took off running. He didn't get very far before he opened his mouth in a silent scream as he looked down he seen a red scaled tentacle impaled upon his stomach. "Ehhh you can fight ne? I just took your build for a person who like to keep in shape. This makes you so much more delectable." Rize said as she held in up in the air with the tentacle. She then smashed him on the ground and stabbed him with all four of her tentacles.

Kaneki knew he was about to die and cursed the fact that even with all of the mrtial arts he only bought enough time to run a little bit. "Ahh are you already dieing on me well I want to enjoy you while your warm so its time to eat." She said manically. Right before blacking out Kaneki spotted something falling towards them as Rize bent down to eat from his puddled like stomach. 'Serves the bitch right to...die….with...me' He blacked out at that.

XXXX

A nurse was bending over a boy with greyish white hair that had black streaks through it. His vitals shown that he was about to wake up. She guessed that meant Dr. Kanou's procedure was a success. Poor boy she thought. He came in looking like a mess. All of sudden a hand shot up and grabbed her the collar of her dress. He had a Kakugan in his left eye and the right eye was the normal color. She gasped a little scared.

"Did the bitch die?" He asked. She assumed he meant Rize.

"Yes miss Rize perished in the accident and you were given her organs to survive." The nurse stated as he let her go.

Kaneki looked down at himself and noticed his stomach that used to look like pudding now was perfectly healed with no scar. He then panicked a bit. He studied ghouls and their biology as it was a requirement for the job he was promised, which if he was right he wouldn't be getting anymore.

"Can I speak with my doctor as I have some questions." Kaneki stated. The nurse nodded and left.

A couple minutes later Dr. Kanou entered the room. Kaneki looked at him with his half and half eyes and asked one question that would change everything for him. "Did you implant me with a Kagune sac as well as the others organs that were replaced by miss Rize." Kaneki calmly asked knowing panic wouldn't help here.

The doctor was shocked he was not expecting the boy he experimented on would have that kind of knowledge on ghouls. He had to tread carefully now. "Yes, it would seem it was a success considering your left eye. While everything seems to be healed I would like you to stay for a week to make sure everything is fine." Kanou said.

Kaneki nodded knowing he was in a dangerous situation if he had a Kakugan. "So what am I a ghoul now?" He asked.

"Not a full ghoul you are half ghoul, a one eyed ghoul as they are called." Kanou said.

"I see. Can you get me something to eat I am starving." Kaneki stated subconciously.

"You know your diet is changed to that as a ghouls right." Kanou said slowly.

"Oh" Kaneki stated lowly.

"Yes I recommend that when you get out you talk to the owner of Anteiku he is a ghoul and offers food from their to feed ghouls." Kanou stated.(I am not sure if Kanou knew about Anteiku but considering everything seemed to perfect of timing to me I am stating him and yoshimura knew each other.).

Kaneki was shocked that the owner of that place was a ghoul. He also did not know what to do about Hide. Kaneki nodded to the doctor who left. As he closed the door Kaneki breathed a sigh of relief. He was so pissed at that man for experimenting on him and he smelled so good that Kankei wanted to tear him apart. He didn't do anything because he knew the CCG would have come after him then. He then felt sleepy and fell alseep.

XXXX

He woke up in a field of white flowers. He was confused until the one of the only persons he now hated more than anything appeared.

"So Kaneki what will you do now. Your just like me." Rize said in her seductive voice.

"I am not like you. I accept that I am a half ghoul now. I will use it to protect whats precious to me. I will use this power I have from you. I will kill any ghoul and eat them who attack my precious people." Kaneki stated. Rize seemed amused by this change. "Starting with you" He said as half of his field of flowers turned blood red as he devoured Rize who just started laughing greatly amused by this turn of events. She wanted to corrupt him sure but she never expected him to accept it so fast.

"Good the Kaneki-kun eat me then and use my power." She stated as he devoured her head.

XXXX

1 week later

The whole week was antagonizing to Kaneki as he just wanted to tear that doctor to shreds. He had used that week to come to terms with himself. The devouring of Rize at the start really helped him and he found out it came with the Knowledge of his powers as if she were his ghoul abilities all of them knew how to use by instinct. While in the hospital he found out how to turn on an off his Kakugan. Though his left eye now had a tint of red in its steel gray.

Once he was out he went into an abandoned alley way and lifted his shirt and activated his Kagune. He noticed it hurt like hell but he held the scream in. He hoped it would stop hurting the more he used it, they were four blood red scaled tentacles that moved as if they were water. He noticed it was a rinkaku. He really loved the fact that he studied up so much on ghouls now. As he knew his antithesis was a bikaku. He retracted them and left for Anteiku hoping they could do something for his hunger.

XXXX

He arrived at the store and walked in, noticing how it was empty except for the person he wanted to speak with. "Excuse me mr. manager can we talk somewhere private?" Kaneki stated.

Yoshimura looked down at the boy and nodded leading him upstairs to a room. Once the door was closed he turned and looked at him. "Now what can I do for you, and you can call me Yoshimura" He asked. So Kaneki told him everything, about the date, and the doctor using him as an experiment and even its results showing him his Kakugan and surprising the old man by activating his Kagune. Kankei noticed he felt better after letting all that out and he also noticed that the Kagune did hurt less this time.

"I see and I am assuming your here for food. I must admit I am a little shocked by how fast you could activate your Kagune afterwards but from what you told me of this mindscape I am guessing the Rize in your head was your ghoul instincts and with you accepting them instead of rejecting it, it helped you gain control of your abilities." Yoshimura explained. Kaneki nodded.

"Well if you pick up a couple of shifts around here I don't mind giving you food, and I will even pay you." Yoshimura said.

"Well money is of no issue to me as I am a pretty famous author, I am actually Haise Sasaki." Kaneki said.

"ohh my daughter is your rival then." Yoshimura said smiling at the thought of his daughter.

"Eto is a ghoul to!?" Kaneki said shocked.

"Well she is more like you in that she is a half ghoul. I had a human wife. It amuses me that the rivals are more alike than they thought" Yoshimura said. He then handed Kaneki a brown package. He also handed him a black canister.

"Here this will tide you over for a while, and the canister will help the cravings just drop them into coffee" Yoshimura said handing it to him.

"Will this let me control my urges enough to still attend the university and would it be okay if I told my best friend Hide I don't think I could hide this from him." Kaneki said.

"As long as you eat regularly, you shouldn't have the urges. So yes you can attend school but I am going to have my daughter help you out in learning to act human. She can help you with other things as well. Only tell your best friend if you think he can handle it. Also I am sorry to say I cannot help you with the doves if he tells as this place is a safe haven for our kind." Yoshimura explained.

Kaneki just nodded, after all he would do the same thing. He then left for home.

XXXX

When he got home he sat on his couch and opened the package. It was a good chuck of human flesh and it smelled delicious. Deciding to get it over with he took off a piece and stuck it into his mouth. He salivated just from the taste as it was divine. He then cut out a big enough piece to satiate his hunger and rewrapped it putting it into the fridge. He sat down and ate afterwards.

He then texted Hide to tell him he was home and that he wanted to talk to him. Hide messaged back that he would be over in an hour. Kaneki was a little nervous as he didn't know how Hide was going to react but he would be truthful with him.

XXXX

Annnd done short chapter but I want to get into thick of things next chapter.