Wind and Leaves
Chapter One
The morning sun rose to its position in the morning sky. Many people awoke from a good nights sleep. Almost all of them notice something from their windows and sighed. Today was one of those days.
"Lord Hokage!!"
An old man turned his head away from his morning position, a pipe in his mouth. "What is it?" he asked. "Is it something about Naruto again?"
"The demon is graffiting the mountainside images of all the heros! In paint!" yelled the messenger.
Townspeople gathered around to see the mess of the morning. They shook their heads.
"Enough stupid pranks!!" yelled one. "Grow the hell up!!" yelled another.
"You Losers!! Don't have what it takes to do something like this!!" a blond boy yelled back swinging around on the rope tied around him. He wore a pair of green goggles on his forehead with a paint can and brush in his hands. He had on orange sweat pants with an orange top tied around him.
The Hokage made his way through the crowd as he spotted a familiar face. "Iruka?" he asked
Taking a deep breath the teacher yelled, "Idiot!! What are you doing up there? Get down and get back to class, now!!"
The boy hesitated. "Oh man! Its Iruka-sensei!! I'm in trouble now!!"
--
Now at the academy, Iruka resumed his class.
"Tomorrow you all will pass the final and graduate from our ninja academy, but you've already flunked twice in every course you took in the secret arts. So you end up choosing now for you stupid tricks?!"
"Yeah, whatever." Naruto answered tied up in the front of the class.
Iruka's temper started to boil. "Then today we'll review the arts of illusion." Students in the class started to gasp. "All you have to do is conjure a form that looks like me."
As the first student stepped up, he did just what Iruka wanted. "Next up, Naruto."
Naruto stepped up receiving glares from other students. 'Alright here goes nothing,' he thought to himself.
Gathering up chakra there was a big puff of smoke. In Naruto's place was a nude female with blond pigtails. She blew a kiss to Iruka.
The poor teacher fell backswords with his nose bleeding all over the place.
Transforming back to himself, the village idiot let out a laugh. "I call that my Sexy Jutsu!"
"STOP WITH THE STUPID TRICKS!!" Iruka yelled, his nose plugged.
--
Naruo scrubbed away the paint. Iruka stood quietly on top watching him. He was still a bit angry at what happened that day.
"You can't leave until every last drop of paint is gone!"
"Okay, whatever Iruka-sensei."
Iruka had a guilty look on his face as he watched his idiot student scrub.
"Naruto.."
"What?"
"When you finish...I'll...um...I'll buy you a bowl of ramen."
"Ah, no thanks."
"What...?" Jumping down he placed a hand around Naruto's face to check for a temperature.
"Stop it sensei. I'm not sick."
"Then what's the matter then? Its not like you to turn down ramen."
"Nothings wrong. Its just that Nee-chan is coming home today. I can't miss that."
'That's right!' his teacher remembered. 'His sister's coming home today.'
Throwing the sponge into the bucket of dirty water Naruto turned to Iruka. "I'm finished sensei."
--
Naruto sat on the railing in front of his door. He stared into the night time sky. Everything was quiet. He felt a little breeze blow by and he knew she was home.
"Temari!" he yelled sliding around to hug his sister. "I missed you!"
"Naruto!" she hugged him back. "I missed you, too!"
Of course his sister was a blond too. Her hair was held up in four pigtails. She wore what looked like a black tunic, long sleeves covering her arms and hands tied back with a purple ribbon. Tied around her neck was the leaf headband.
The two walked inside the apartment closing the door behind them.
"How was your mission?" Naruto asked eager to know.
"Boring. Nothing interesting happened." Temari replied..
"You mean all that time you were gone you did nothing?! Thats a rip off!!"
"Well then, what did you do today?"
"Um..well..."
"Naruto."
"Um..I..."
"Naruto?"
"..."
"Naruto!"
"What?! I was only having a little fun." He fell back on the couch, removing his goggles, and arms crossed over his chest.
His sister sat down beside him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Come on Naruto. You have to stop doing things like that."
"I can't help it Nee-chan. I really can't. I just...I just..."
"I know Naruto. I know." She pulled him close to her. He buried his face into her chest. She started to speak in a soft, gentle tone, one that could calm any savage beast. "Its okay. Its okay. Nee-chan's right here." She slowly stroked his blond hair. Calming down her little brother.
"Come on Naruto. Tomorrow's a big day remember?" Naruto didn't replie. "Come on. I'll take you to your room."
After calmly and lovingly putting her brother to bed, Temari planted a kiss on his forehead and exited his room.
She entered her room and turned on her bed-side lamp. Removing her ponytails, she brushed her hair flat. As long as she could remember, her little brother was always causing trouble in the village. Everyone was always against him never talking with him or playing with him. He was always so lonely. She tried her best but that wasn't always enough at times.
She felt useless.
And being Naruto's older sister made it hard for herself too. No one wanted to be around her either. All she could remember that same feeling of uselessness.
She plopped herself into bed. Her problems weren't important right now. Naruto needs her. He is always her top priority. As long as he was happy nothing else mattered to her.
As her thoughts slowly faded, she turned out the lights.
--
Naruto woke to the sound of running water. 'Temari must be in the shower.' he thought getting out of bed. Walking to the kitchen, he saw a bowl of ramen on the counter with a pair of chopsticks beside it.
He couldn't help but grin. It wasn't a dream, Temari was home. She always left him ramen in the morning before he got up. One of the best reasons he loved his sister.
Sitting down he started his breakfast. The water stopped and after a few minutes his sister walked in. She wore a plain red kimono with her hair tied back in four stylish ponytails, not like the ones she has everyday. The sleeves were way too big to see her hands, but she likes wearing clothes like that.
"Good morning Otouto!"she greeted. "Ready for today?"
"...no. Not really."her brother replied. "I'm...a little nervous."
"Its okay to be nervous Naruto. You'll do fine."
"I hope so..."
--
Naruto sat on a tree swing by himself. He watched as former students were having one of the best times of their lives. He felt so sorrowful as he saw the metal plated headband they wore.
From a distance two females were looking right at him. They started to talk. "Hey isn't that...?" one asked.
"Yeah, that's him. The only one who failed." said the other. "Serves him right."
"Yeah. Imagine what would happen if he became a shinobi. It's bad enough his sister's one."
"What a loser."
Naruto wanted to let it out right there. His sadness was overcoming him. A breeze slowly began to blow around him. She could feel his pain. She knew what happened. And she didn't even have to be present. He took comfort from the breeze as he got off the swing. It felt like she was there with him.
Iruka watched from a distance. Lord Hokage slowly came up to him. "May I have a word with you later?" he asked.
"Sure."
--
Temari wondered the dark streets. It was late and Naruto hadn't come home yet. She received a few looks and glares from some people who spotted her, but she didn't care. The only thing that was on her mind was Naruto.
--
Iruka lied in his bed, staring up at the night time sky. He could hear it all over again.
Flashback:
"Iruka?"
"Yes Lord Hokage?"
"I understand how you feel about the boy. Growing up similar like you. He only has one person in his life that is trying to give him all the love he needs."
End Flashback
He could see it. The demon fox. And he was being carried away. Not able to help.
Knock Knock
Getting up he answered his front door. "Mizuki? Whats wrong?"
"Its Naruto." Mizuki replied trying to gather his breath. "Somehow he's found out and stolen the secret scroll!"
"What?!"
Now with other shinobi, Iruka and Mizuki set out to find Naruto.
Iruka stood on a peak looking out toward the village. 'Where could he be?' he thought. He then felt weight on his shoulder. Turning around he saw a young girl in a red kimono.
"Excuse me Iruka-sensei, but-"
Iruka looked startled. "Do I know you?" he asked.
"You probably don't, but I know you. I'm Temari Uzumaki. Naruto's older sister."
So this was the famous Temari he heard so much about from Naruto. She looks like such a sweet girl. "Oh. Have you seen Naruto by any chance?"
"That's what I was gonna ask you. He never came home today..."
"I kind of figured. Well, do you know of any places he could be?"
The two thought for a moment until the same place hit them at the same time.
"The forest!" they said in unison.
--
Naruto sat on the ground exhausted . He huffed and puffed until he noticed a shadow that appeared over him.
"Gotcha!" Iruka said looking down at his student.
"Hey! I found you!" Naruto told him
"No, we found you!" Behind Iruka, Temari appeared standing next to her brother.
"Hey Temari!"
"Naruto, what have you been doing all this time? I was starting to get worried."
"Aww, sorry Nee-chan. But you guys did come pretty fast. I was only able to memorize one technique." He turned to Iruka. "Wait till I show you!! Once you see what I've mastered, you'll have to let me graduate!"
"Naruto, what's with that scroll your carrying?" Iruka asked. Looking behind her brother, Temari saw a giant scroll strapped to his back.
"This? Mizuki told me about it. And about this cool place too! He said that if I could learn the techniques in the scroll then you'd have to let me graduate!"
"Mizuki...?"
In the corner of his eye, Iruka saw kunai coming their way, fast! He pushed Naruto out of the way along with Temari as he took the hit. He was sent backwards against an old wooden shack.
In a tree nearby was Mizuki. "I didn't think you would know where to go Iruka. Plus you brought along another brat."
'Now I understand!' Iruka thought.
"Naruto, give the scroll to me." Mizuki ordered
"No Naruto!! Don't give it to him! Protect it with your life!" Iruka yelled. Hearing that last part made Temari jump. She sprang in front of her brother with a kunai in hand.
"Naruto, that scroll is more dangerous that you can imagine-it holds the records of a completely forbidden ninja art! Mizuki used you because he wants it for himself!" Iruka yelled
"Naruto," Mizuki started, "It doesn't matter if you've already read it, its still meaningless. I can show you what it means."
Temari was a bit confused at the moment, but she could feel Naruto move closer to her. Whatever they were talking about was upsetting her brother.
"Shut up!! Don't say anything Mizuki!!" Iruka yelled.
"You want to know what really happened in the incident where the fox demon was sealed up twelve years ago don't you?"
"Wasn't that when the Forth Hokage sealed it away?" Temari asked. Though she was clueless, she might as well find out what Mizuki was talking about.
"That's true but since that incident the people of our village have been bond by the strictest decree."
"A decree? I don't remember about hearing that?" Temari told him.
"Me either." Naruto said also.
"Of course you wouldn't know Naruto. That was part of it. Everyone would know but you! And if that brat in front of you is that so called 'sister' you talk about of course she wouldn't know either."
"Everyone except us? Why not? What are you talking about?" Naruto asked walking past Temari closer to the tree Mizuki was in. He stood near it being a few feet away from Iruka and Temari.
His sister was just as lost as he was as she lowered her kunai.
"What was the decree?" Naruto finally asked
"That no one must ever tell you that you really are...is the Fox Demon!"
"What?" the two siblings asked together.
"STOP!!" Iruka yelled.
"What are you talking about?"
"In other words, it was you who murdered Iruka's family! You who destroyed the village! Naruto, YOU are the Nine-Tailed Fox!"
"STOP IT!!"
"Then the Forth Hokage trapped you in this form. Since then, you've been made a fool of by everyone!!"
Naruto's eyes began to water.
"Didn't you think it was strange to be despised everywhere you went?"
Temari covered her mouth with her hands, letting the kunai drop to the ground.
"Even Iruka would admit that he hates you too!!"
"No! No! No!" Naruto yelled as chakra started to surround him.
"No one could stand to be around you! You never knew a parents love! Since the day of your birth you've been shunned by the entire village! The best you could hope for was attention, not love, and you could only get that by doing things that would get you into trouble! You didn't care about anything as long as it meant that someone was paying attention to you. That scroll you've stolen, it was the instrument of your bondage! It was a nice performance but it was just to hide your loneliness and PAIN!"
Thunck!
Naruto was shocked. "...What?"
Iruka was above him. He had taken a blow from Mizuki. A giant shuriken stuck out from his back.. "With my parents gone, there was no one to praise or respect me. I was so lonely. I did crazy things. Anything to get attention. I just wanted to be noticed. Someone to be proud of me. But every time I would have to pay for it. It hurt so much."
Looking up, Naruto saw tears. Tears and blood...from Iruka.
"I know your pain Naruto and me being hard on you didn't make it any better. It must have hurt. If only I had been better..maybe none of this would have happened." Naruto slowly slid from under Iruka. He ran off with Temari's hand in his.
"Naruto!" Iruka yelled. "Naruto!"
--
Lord Hokage watched from a crystal ball.
'This is not good. Mizuki spoke, driving Naruto off the edge...so that all of that power has begun to burst froth from within its bones.' he thought. 'There is always the possibility that he might find a way to fully restore his demon form, and unleash his nine-tailed power.'
--
Iruka jumped from tree to tree searching for Naruto. He quickly spotted him not too far away.
"Naruto! Give me the scroll! Its what Mizuki's after!"
Naruto stopped on a branch and head butted Iruka who slammed to the ground.
"What's wrong Naruto?" There was a puff of smoke. "How did you know I wasn't Iruka?" Mizuki asked in his place.
"Because I am!" Iruka said sitting against a tree.
Naruto sat behind a nearby tree with the scroll in his hand and Temari beside him.
"So noble of you saving your parents murderer...and for what? What happens if we let him live?""
"At least the scroll is safe from someone like you."
"You're a fool. You know that Iruka? Naruto and I are two of a kind."
"Two of a kind?"
"I can use that scroll to achieve the same kind of limitless power! The demon within hungers for that power! You were right to despise him."
'So it's true!' Naruto thought. 'Iruka-sensei really does hate me.'
"Maybe I do hate the fox, but not Naruto. I have nothing but respect for him. He's an excellent student. He works with all his might. Sure, he may be awkward or clumsy. People have shun and mocked him and its given him strength. He knows what it means to be in pain. That boy is no longer your demon fox!"
Naruto never heard that before. No ones ever said that.
"He is a citizen of Konohagakure Village. He is Naruto Uzumaki!"
Tears started to pour down. 'No ones ever said that before. Iruka...' He silently sobbed as Temari pulled him into a hug, her face also full of tears. Someone did understand her brother!
"What a speech Iruka! I feel all warm and fuzzy inside!!" Mizuki pulled another shuriken out. "I planned on killing you last, but plans do end up changing so..." Spinning it he launched forward.
"Say Good-bye!!"
Naruto went forward hitting Mizuki under the chin. The shuriken dug into a tree.
"Keep away from Iruka-sensei. Or I'll kill you!" Naruto told Mizuki.
"Naruto! Get out of here! Save yourself!" Iruka yelled.
"Stupid brat!! I can kill you in one blow!"
"Bring it on you jerk. Anything you throw at me, I'll make you eat."
"Your welcomed to try!"
Both pairs of eyes widened.
"Ninja Art, Shadow Clone Jutsu!!"
Both looked in shock as Narutos were everywhere.
"What's the matter tough guy? Come and get me!"
"Come on!! Your going to kill me in one blow right?"
"If your not coming I will!!"
--
Naruto stood in front of Iruka. Mizuki was on the ground out cold.
"Sorry. I guess I over did it." Naruto said rubbing his head.
"Naruto come here. I've got a present for you." Iruka told him.
--
Lord Hokage walked to the group of bustling shinobi. "We have nothing to fear anymore."
"Lord Hokage?"
"The scroll will be back."
--
"May I open my eyes now sensei?"
"Yes Naruto. You can open them."
Naruto opened his eyes to see his sensei smiling.
"Congratulations Naruto! You Graduate! And to celebrate I'll take you out for ramen!"
Nauto looked down at the ground and then up to Iruka. He could feel the headband move about his forehead. He jumped on top of him.
"Iruka-Sensei!!"
In a nearby tree, Temari watched the two celebrate. She got up and left with the scroll in hand. She was happy Naruto was finally a ninja and that he grew a bond with his teacher but...why did she feel so...so...
Empty?
Arriving at Hokage Tower she went inside. Lord Hokage was at his desk doing paper work until he saw the young miss walk in.
"Hokage-sama, here's the scroll." she said placing it on the desk with a bow.
"It takes a lot, doesn't it?"
She looked up. "Excuse me?" she asked. "What are you talking about?"
"You feel pain inside about something young one. I can see it." He got up and walked over to her, wrapping her in a tight hug. "Its all right you'll be fine."
Temari's face slowly filled with tears as she returned the hug.
"Thank you...Hokage-sama."