Intervention of Fate
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, but it sure would be nice if I did. Also, this story is based heavily on animefan29's Strength of the Fox, cunning of the Snake. He has told me that it is highly unlikely that he would be continuing it, so he has PMed me saying that i have his permission to publish my own story, semi-continuing his own. Of course, I will beta what he has already done, as well as make some changes to what he already had, and will try to continue it as best I can.
"Hello" – Speaking.
'Hello' – Thoughts.
"Hello" - Demon/Boss Summon Speaking.
'Hello' - Demon/Boss Summon Thoughts.
Chapter 1: Prologue, The Fox meets the Snake.
Konohagakure no Sato, located in the Land of Fire, is known for many things that make it unique among the other Shinobi villages.
Konoha is the home of the noble Hyūga clan, who possess the famed Doujutsu known as the Byakugan (White Eye), which, combined with their Jūken (Gentle Fist) Taijutsu, allows them to kill a man with a single tap.
A second clan of Doujutsu users that helped Konoha rise to fame were the Uchiha, with the penetrating gaze of their Sharingan (Copy Wheel Eye) that allowed them to predict what their enemies would do based on muscle movements, and to copy any Jutsu that they see.
When the second and third Great Shinobi Wars broke out, Konohagakure came out victorious through the strength of their Shinobi, which led to many individuals gaining fame and notoriety from their exploits. Such individuals include: 'White Fang' Hatake Sakumo, 'Professor' Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Three Legendary Sannin; Tsunade, Jiraiya, Orochimaru; and Konoha's 'Yellow Flash' Namikaze Minato.
But, what has probably brought more fame to the Village Hidden in the Leaves than any other act was when Namikaze Minato, the Yondaime Hokage, defeated the Nine Tailed Fox Demon, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. This act would lead to the creation of a very special individual, whose true importance is only known to the older citizens of Konoha. This person is Uzumaki Naruto, who unknowingly holds the Kyuubi within his body, thus making him a Jinchūriki.
Like all Jinchūriki, he is viewed with mistrust, fear, and hate for the demon he carries, but because of the laws passed by the Sandaime Hokage, no one should be able to take any action against the boy, or even speak of what he is. While these laws were created to keep people from taking any sort of action against Naruto, they did not stop people from socially isolating the child, overcharging him while he was buying things or even refusing outright to deal with him, and even occasionally forming a mob to beat him half to death, all the while making sure that he never interacted with those who did not know his secret, despite these laws. The only friends that the blond boy could claim were the Sandaime Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen, whom he saw as a grandfather, old man Ichiraku, a man who ran a ramen stand who was like an uncle, and his daughter Ichiraku Ayame, who was like a cousin to him.
However, these three he sees as family are constantly busy, and have very little time for him, and are not enough for the growing boy. Fortunately, he is about to meet someone who will become a teacher and mentor, a guiding light that brightens the path Naruto will walk. Unfortunately for Naruto's enemies, this mentor is one of Konoha's most famous Shinobi. One who is infamous for his skills…and his crimes. He is a Shinobi whose name is almost as taboo as the Kyuubi. The S-class missing-nin and Snake Sannin, Orochimaru.
A six year old Naruto is found wandering through a deserted part of the forest within the walls of Konoha around midday. He had just been at the park where he tried playing with some of the other children, but no sooner did he start running in a game of tag when all of the parents came and immediately took their kids home, no doubt to poison their minds against him. And Naruto, once again, found himself alone. He wasn't feeling hungry, so he couldn't go to the Ichiraku Ramen stand to get dinner and spend time with the father and daughter that work there. And Hokage Oji-san was busy with official Konoha business, and couldn't be bothered with him.
At times like this, Naruto would always go to one of several places where people rarely went. Places like this helped him deal with the loneliness, as when we went to places like this; there was no one around to ignore him. Even being completely alone was far better than being segregated, in the blonde's mind. This particular spot was one of Naruto's favorites, as it had small pond right next to the edge of the Hokage Mountain, and it was surrounded by a thick grove of trees and bushes that hid it from view. It possessed a natural serenity that allowed the boy's spirits to be lifted when he was feeling down. And, any other day it would have, but today had been too much for the child, as it became obvious to the young boy that there was clearly something wrong with him that had the parents force their children away from him. Naruto couldn't help it as he sat under the largest oak tree, brought his knees to his chest and began silently crying, not noticing the presence that approached him from behind.
"Why are you so sad little one?" asked a smooth, somewhat high, yet distinctly male voice.
Naruto looked up startled at the sound and turned to see a man of above average height, with pale, almost white skin, black hair that went down to his upper torso, and bright yellow eyes that were similar to a snake's, wearing standard blue Shinobi sandals, gray Shinobi pants and shirt, with a black jacket with dark green sleeves (similar to what he wore when he searched for Tsunade). The man had a certain air about him that even an untrained child like Naruto could sense that he was very dangerous. "W-who are you?" Naruto asked fearfully, somewhat frightened by the man's aura.
The man's face broke out into a friendly smile that helped to dispel his aura a little bit. "My name is Orochimaru, and you have nothing to fear from me Naruto-kun." He answered.
"You know me?" questioned the blonde child, who was still nervous in the presence the pale man.
"But of course, Naruto-kun. It is hard for me to not know of a child that my sensei Sarutobi thinks so highly of."
"You know Oji-san?" asked Naruto, whose fear was starting to dissipate a little when Orochimaru mentioned the name of the Hokage.
Orochimaru chuckled as the conversation went the direction he wanted. "Why yes, I do. You see, Naruto-kun, I am one of Sarutobi-sensei's three students, who became known as the Sannin. I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't heard of us or seen us before, as the three of us, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and myself, prefer to remain outside of the village, performing our own tasks and only rarely stopping by." answered Orochimaru.
"But then, why are you here now?" Naruto asked.
"Well, I have just come back from a long-term mission and was just getting reacquainted with the forests, when I happened upon you," stated Orochimaru, leaving out the fact that he had been deliberately searching for the blond boy. "And, I grew curious as to why such a special child was crying out here in the middle of the forest when he should be playing with other children his age."
Naruto grew sad and angry as he was reminded of what he was doing here in the first place and tears gathered in his eyes. "It's because everybody hates me, and the only people who don't are always too busy to be with me. So I'm alone," he answered, "I just wish I wasn't." He bitterly finished.
Orochimaru's face took on the concentrated look of someone pondering a puzzle. "My, that is quite a problem. You, a young child, are for all intents and purposes, alone in the world. This has led you to desire that which you lack; companionship, admiration, respect, perhaps even love. Yet, since you are so young, it's practically impossible for you to accomplish anything that would allow you to obtain these things." Orochimaru's voice became softer as his musings continued, catching Naruto's attention. "However, if you were older, and if you were trained correctly…yes, it might be possible."
"Orochimaru-san, what're you thinking?" asked the young blond.
The Sannin turned his head so that he faced the mountain they were near. "Tell me Naruto-kun, do you know the name of this mountain and what makes it special?"
Naruto blinked at the odd question. "Of course. It's the Hokage Mountain, upon which the faces of the four Hokages are carved. Everyone knows that." He answered, not understanding the point.
Orochimaru turned back towards the boy. "Maybe I should ask this to help you understand. What makes the Hokage so special that the people would carve their faces into stone to immortalize them?"
Again Naruto blinked. "Isn't it because they were so strong that they were picked to lead the village?" he hesitantly asked, no longer sure if the obvious answer was the correct one.
Orochimaru smiled as he filled in the rest. "You are partially correct Naruto-kun. While it is true that strength in battle is an important factor to become Hokage, it is not the only one. If it was, then I or any one of the Sannin could have become Hokage, as our own strength is considered equal to them." Naruto's eyes widened at the thought of three other ninja that were as strong as Oji-san. "But, in order to become a Kage, a Shinobi must also have the trust, admiration, and respect of their village; because as the leader, it is their responsibility to care for the village and make sure it survives times of turmoil. So, the previous Hokage is very specific when they choose their successor. That's why I was never selected for the job. While I am strong; some of things I have had to do are not looked upon favorably."
Orochimaru's explanation bounced around in Naruto's head as he began thinking of what the implications of those words were. Soon, understanding shone in his eyes, causing the observing Orochimaru to grin. "That means that if I become a strong enough Shinobi and gain the trust of the village, I could become the next Hokage?" The light in Naruto's eyes shone brightly until a second realization hit him. "But how could I get that strong?" He muttered somewhat dejectedly. "I just started at the academy, and I'm the only one that's not getting outside help. Even the kids that don't come from Shinobi clans have someone in their family who became a ninja that can help train them. I don't have anyone." At that point, another revelation hit him. "But even if I do become as good as you say, I doubt that the villagers will ever trust me, much less love and respect me. I get becoming stronger and stuff, but I probably couldn't become the Hokage anyways." said Naruto sadly.
A hand was placed on his shoulder and Naruto looked up to see the face of Orochimaru, who was smiling kindly. "If it means that much to you, then I could at least help you gain the strength to be stronger." The Sannin kindly offered.
"R-really?" asked the blond boy who was starting to perk up a little. "B-but wouldn't you be busy with missions and stuff? And why would you want to train me?"
"Of course I will help you Naruto-kun. You have something special that will help you to grow strong, and I would hate to see such potential wasted. As for missions, we Sannin are more or less allowed to do what we want. I will admit that there will be times when I have to leave the village for weeks, perhaps even months at a time, but I will make sure that you have what you need to continue you training But be warned, my training is far from easy."
"YATTA!" exclaimed Naruto as he jumped up, excited that he would be trained for the one thing that was sure to get him stronger, and possibly respected.
Orochimaru couldn't help but let out an amused chuckle at the child's hyperactive antics. But now was not the time for celebration, but the time to get started on his training. "Calm down Naruto-kun. If you want to be stronger then there is a lot of work for us to do."
"H-Hai Orochimaru-sensei." The boy proclaimed as he stopped jumping around and stood before his new teacher.
"Now, before we begin, I must ask you, Naruto, to never speak of what we are doing, especially that you are training with me.
Naruto tilted his head, confused at the unusual request. "Why's that, sensei?"
Orochimaru's face became quite serious as he answered. "As I told you before, because of what I've done in the past, I am not the most well liked Shinobi in the village. And, because of your current status amongst the villagers, if word were to get out that I was training you, it would counter-productive to our goals."
At these words, a question that Naruto had his whole life came to the front of his mind. "Orochimaru-sensei, why is it that so many people hate me?"
This time the Snake Sannin's face took on an apologetic look. "I'm sorry Naruto-kun. There are many questions you can ask me, but there are only a few that I cannot answer. That is one of those."
"So, you know why?" The blond Jinchūriki pressed.
"Hai, I know the reason, as does most everyone in the village. However, it is not my place to tell you, at least not yet. I will tell you if I deem that you are both strong and mature enough to handle the answer. Until that time, you will just have to trust me when I say that you are not ready to know that secret." His sensei explained.
Naruto contemplated this before he spoke again. "…Hai sensei. I'll trust you to tell me any secrets once you feel that I'm ready for them."
Orochimaru grinned at hearing his new student's response. "Excellent! Now Naruto-kun, here is how we are going to start your training." With that, he began outlining a complex training regime that included calisthenics, meditation, stealth exercises, various weapons training, the twelve standard hand seals, how to draw on and mold chakra, and the katas for not only the basic academy Taijutsu, but several others that were both native and non native to Konoha, as well as Orochimaru's personal Hebiken (Snake Fist) style.
Once Naruto had started his training and was doing his calisthenics, Orochimaru let the grin he wore slip and be replaced by a slightly more sinister smirk as he saw one of his most brilliant plans began to unfold before him. 'Kukukuku…When Akatsuki makes their move against the Bijū and the Jinchūriki, they will be in for quite a surprise once they come for Naruto-kun.' Orochimaru chuckled as the sun setand the shadows expanded to engulf him, leaving only his eyes visible as he continued to watch Naruto finish his exercises and prepare to go home; the young blond not knowing just how important he would be to Konoha, Orochimaru, and nine S-class Shinobi that he had never heard of before.
Author's Notes: Yet another story idea that I had to write. I am particularly interested in writing up future chapters for this. As for why Naruto seems to be a bit mature and darker here compared to canon, that's because in this Fanfic, due to the harsh way in which he grew up, he was forced to mature early on and wise up, so that he could effectively live on his own and take care of himself, both physically and mentally. I count this as more realistic, as most real children growing up in similar conditions to him would likely be mature for their age too.
The next chapter is the Genin Exam.