A/N: Well, hello again. Nature of a Hero is on hiatus for an unspecified amount of time. I can't quite figure out where I'm going with that one… Thanks to all of the people who reviewed Faint, and any of my other stories. Anyway, here it is, my next attempt at any sort of serious writing whatsoever. Peace! KingofFoxes
Glass SoulNaruto slowly rose from his battered futon. It was early in the morning, too early for his tastes, the sun had barely risen over the forest in the east, and the dawn chorus of songbirds had yet to begin their song. The blonde stretched his arms above his head and went for the light switch. He flicked it, but nothing happened. He tried again. And again. Still, the fixture didn't light up his room.
"What the hell? I changed the bulb last week…" He muttered as he walked through his room. "Dammit!" He yelped as he stubbed his toe on the doorframe while trying to leave his room. He made it out of his room and down the stairs quickly enough, and stepped into the kitchen. He flipped the light switch and again, nothing.
"What the hell is this?" He roared as he opened the fridge door, only to have a blast of warm air assault him. He looked at the block of cheese that had been sitting in a Ziploc bag for a week, and noticed that it was well on it's way to being liquid. Being the middle of summer, the remaining cold wouldn't have lasted very long without being sustained. "God DAMMIT!" He yelled, as he realized what had happened. He walked over to the mail slot in his door, and, sure enough, there was a letter waiting for him. He opened it slowly and prepared for any traps that had been set. There were none, just a letter from the electrical company.
'Dear Mr. Uzumaki,' it read, 'your repeated failure to procure any type of payment for the electrical services you receive has resulted in our canceling of said services. If the time comes when you can produce the necessary funding on time, then your power will be reconnected. We apologize for any inconvenience.'
"This is just perfect!" He yelled gripping handfuls of his hair in each hand. "How am I supposed to live without electricity? This sucks!" He flopped down on his couch, fuming. This was the third time this year that his power had been cut. It wasn't like he could do anything about it, either. Other ninja were given a little extra time to gather the necessary cash to pay their bill on time if it had been a slow month, but not Naruto, no if he didn't pat the bills on time; he was cut off, and moved to the bottom of the reconnection list. He sighed dejectedly. What was the point? He was constantly humiliated, looked down upon, scorned, all because of something beyond his control. There were times when he would catch himself about to curse Yondaime's name, to swear that when he died, there would be a reckoning between the two. It was all the Fourth's fault after all, that he had been cursed to live like this. It was the Fourth who sealed the Kyuubi no Yoko within Naruto on the day of his birth, sacrificing his life to do so. Naruto grimaced. The townspeople; they all worshiped Yondaime as a tragic hero. The brilliant Fourth Hokage who had given up his life to protect them. They failed to see that Naruto died a little more every day of his life, dealing with the insults, the beatings, the… everything. He was the output slot for all of the village's frustrations; and he was sick of it. He had put up with it long enough. But now, after all this time, he had had enough. He slowly stood and walked back to his room, got dressed and readied his gear. As a finishing touch, he tied the hitae-ate around his forehead and marched out the broken door, leaving it to swing shut on its cracked and rusty hinges. He sprinted down the street, toward the bridge where his team was supposed to meet for their training mission. Today he'd show them, for once in his life, they'd have nothing to criticize him about. He grinned broadly as he approached the path leading to the bridge, forcing chakra into the soles of his feet, pushing himself faster down the path. Soon, he arrived at the bridge, his feet sore from the exertion, only to be greeted by a familiar sight.
"Naruto, you're late again! I swear you're as bad as Kakashi-sensei sometimes!" Sakura's voice carried through the fresh morning air. He looked up and saw her and Sasuke leaning against the side of the bridge. Sakura was wearing a look of exasperation, while Sasuke was looking like his regular, emotionless self. The corners of his mouth curved slightly upwards in a half-smile.
'This is it.' Thought Sasuke. 'I'll finally have the upper hand on that dobe. Let's see him surpass me now!' He moved slightly closer to Sakura and took her small, delicate hand in his larger, calloused one. Sakura gasped and looked at him questioningly. Sasuke just smiled and moved in to kiss her.
"That's enough Sasuke!" Naruto roared. Sakura looked in Naruto's direction with an insult on the tip of her tongue. The idiot was gonna pay for making her miss her chance with Sasuke. When she noticed him, what she saw amazed her. His hands were clenched into fists at his sides, his eyes squeezed shut, and tears were slowly running down his cheeks. "I get it Sasuke. You win." Sasuke looked at his teammate in astonishment. He had been expecting a challenge, or a fight, or anything. What he had not been expecting was a final surrender of will.
"N- Naruto…" Sakura whispered. She had never seen her blonde friend look so… broken. It was eating her alive knowing that she was one of the causes of his pain. She looked over at Sasuke, who had pulled away from her, and was slowly moving toward Naruto.
"Look, Naruto… I just-" Sasuke began, but he was quickly silenced by the blonde's quiet voice.
"Sasuke… do you enjoy hurting me?" Came Naruto's voice, clearly audible though he was looking at the bridge deck. "Do you enjoy causing as much pain as humanly possible?" Sasuke was taken aback. Did he enjoy causing Naruto pain? The answer was simple, of course he didn't… he just enjoyed getting the blonde boy riled up so that they could fight. He didn't enjoy causing him pain.
"N-no!" Sasuke said, his voice ringing out, cutting through the morning calm. "Of course I don't! Who do you think I am? My brother?" Sasuke said those last words like they were poisonous to the ear. He looked, and saw that Naruto was still standing there, head bowed in defeat. Suddenly the boy raised his eyes and looked Sasuke square in the face.
"Then why is it that whenever I've found something I like, you have to take it from me?" Cold fury radiated off of Naruto. He had changed from the village idiot into a person to be feared and respected. "Why Sasuke? Why is it that you ridicule me, treat me like I'm less than the dust under your heel? Why is it that every time I advance all you do is act like it's some great mystery how I do it? What the hell is your problem?" He screamed. Sasuke was astonished. Uzumaki Naruto, the dobe of Konoha was asking what Uchiha Sasuke's problem was. Wasn't it obvious?
"Are you retarded dobe?" Sasuke burst out angrily. "My entire clan was slaughtered in front of my eyes by my brother! Who the hell do you think you are Naruto? You don't have the right to talk to me like that!" At this point, Naruto was so mad he was shaking. Red chakra was pouring from his body, swirling around to make a spiraling column around the bridge. Kakashi appeared on the shrine gate as he usually did, late as usual directly in front of this spectacle. He dropped his book and instantly threw himself at the bridge, but was repelled and flung into a tree by the power of the demonic aura. Naruto stood in the center of the maelstrom of energy, his fists clenched and his teeth bared at the last of the Uchiha, who was sheltering Sakura behind him. Kakashi dragged himself up off the ground and ran back to the cyclone of power. He started bashing his fists into the barrier of chakra that was keeping him from reaching his pupils.
"Naruto! Let me in!" He cried, his desperation reaching the ears of the jinchuuriki in question. "I've already lost one team of mine Naruto, and I'll be DAMNED if I lose another one! Please, let me in and we'll talk about this!" He started using complex jutsu against the barrier, hoping that something in his arsenal of deadly techniques would be enough to smash Naruto's chakra to bits. Then Naruto turned and fixed Kakashi with his crimson eyes.
"I'm sorry about this Kakashi-sensei, but I'm afraid that you'll have to take a little nap now." And with those words, a fist made of the red chakra zipped out and caught Kakashi in the chest, throwing him back against the same tree he had hit before, smashing the poor foliage to bits.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, holding her face in her hands. "Naruto… what have you done?" She whispered, sinking to her knees. "Who made you like this? Where's the little grinning idiot that we knew?" A few tears slid down her cheeks as she murmured a small prayer to any god that was watching. Naruto turned and looked down on her, insanity shining in his eyes.
"Who made me like this, Sakura?" He asked, turning his now crimson gaze to her. "Are you sure you really want to know? Are you sure, beyond a shadow of a doubt that you want to know?" He grinned viciously, his red eyes flashing at the memories of the villager's treatment. Sakura looked at her blonde comrade, tears still running down her cheeks.
"N- Naruto… what happened?" She stuttered. Sasuke still stood in front of her, a kunai drawn, ready for Naruto to make his move.
"What happened Sakura? You ask like it might be one little thing… like Sasuke and his… family matters." Sasuke snarled fiercely at this, and tensed for an attack. A wave of killing intent so strong it was palpable washed over the Uchiha avenger, causing him to drop his kunai instantly. Sasuke staggered backwards from the pure fear that shot through him. This was nothing like Orochimaru, this presence surrounding Naruto… it was ancient, and evil. Naruto's eyes flashed as they settled on the dark haired ninja. "What's wrong teme? Mad that someone came forward with a life that was worse than yours? Mad that I've beaten you again? Are you mad Sasuke? Are you mad enough to KILL ME?" Naruto roared, and his eyes glinted with insanity. Sasuke rolled to his feet and charged Naruto with blue chakra surrounding his hand, making the sound of a thousand birds.
"CHIDORI!" Sasuke screamed as he rushed the blonde, intent on destroying the evil force that held Naruto hostage. The blond stepped forward and caught Sasuke's wrist, twisting violently. Sasuke screamed as his wrist was snapped like a twig; it was like fighting his brother all over again. He didn't even have time to avoid the flurry of punches and kicks that Naruto pummeled him with. Within ten seconds, Sasuke was lying face down on the bridge, blood dribbling from the corner of his mouth and forming a pool around his broken body.
"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried as she rushed forward to help her fallen crush. A wave of red chakra knocked her back away from him though, and she was sent spiraling across the bridge to land in a crumpled heap.
"Don't help him!" Naruto growled. "He needs to learn what being alone truly feels like. What do you think Sasuke? What's it like having to lie on the ground and lick your wounds like a dog? Now you know what I've dealt with since before I could defend myself!" Sasuke pushed down with his arms, and managed to raise his torso roughly six inches off the ground. He looked at Naruto with his now Sharingan eyes. The three tomoe in each eye began spinning rapidly, and Sasuke came rushing forward.
"BASTARD!" He screamed, and he launched a flurry of kicks and punches at the blonde boy. Naruto proved to be too quick for even Sasuke's master Sharingan to track, as he dodged or blocked every attempt to hit him. Naruto suddenly lashed out and struck Sasuke between the eyes, sending him flying into the barrier. Sasuke hit the ground on all fours, and began coughing up blood. He glared at the Jinchuuriki, and slowly rose to his feet, swaying slightly. Naruto looked at him with appraising eyes. Sasuke was unwilling to give up for some reason. Perhaps he was simply unwilling to be beaten by the village idiot. At that thought, the beast in Naruto flared up again, and he walked over to Sasuke. The Uchiha squared his feet and let loose a barrage of kunai and shuriken that spiraled straight at Naruto's head. As soon as the weapons left his hands, his fingers were moving, rapidly forming complex seals for one of his most powerful techniques.
"Katon: Karyu Endan!" He roared and exhaled mightily. A blast of flame in the shape of a dragon fired from his mouth and spiraled toward Naruto. Sakura turned her face away as her teammate was incinerated in a bright orange light. Sasuke was breathing heavily as he collapsed to his knees, shaking. He had just killed Naruto. His best friend, and most bitter rival. The man who had brought him back from the realm of Orochimaru a month ago. Tears rolled silently down Sakura's cheeks as well, as she remembered her blonde friend. The good times they had shared and the bad. But something was wrong. The red chakra wasn't dissipating. In fact, a small whirlwind of it smashed into the deck four feet from where Naruto had been incinerated. There was a flash, and Naruto stood before them again. The sky darkened, thunder boomed on the horizon, and a fell wind blew through the village.
"You think your pitiful attacks would work on me, Sasuke? You're more pathetic than I ever gave you credit for." Naruto said, stepping forward from the crimson tornado. "I'm more powerful than you are Sasuke. Admit it. You can't beat me and you know it. In fact," Naruto grinned broadly, oversized incisors glinting in the morning light, "You can't even touch me."
"You're not Naruto!" Sakura spat, rising to her feet. "Naruto would never attack us like this, let alone have enough power to beat Sasuke! Who are you, and what are you doing in his body?" The quiet that followed her accusations was penetrated only by the deep booming cackle reverberating around the clearing. "What's so funny?" Sakura screamed, at the blonde, hands forming fists at her sides. Naruto's voice was harsh and guttural, as though a beast was speaking through the boy.
"What's funny is your infernal ignorance, girl." The voice spoke, and Sakura took an involuntary step back, away from the Jinchuuriki. "You're right on one aspect, however, this is not Naruto speaking, even if he is here as well. He was the one that humbled your friend over there, but he decided to let me out in order to prove a point." Naruto vanished and reappeared in front of Sasuke in the blink of an eye. "I'm more powerful than either of you could EVER imagine." With that, his hand flashed out, grabbed Sasuke's throat, and lifted the injured ninja above his head. "And I'll prove it too… now." He flexed his arm, spun once, and threw Sasuke through the barrier where he collided with Kakashi. His hands slammed together, forming several arcane seals, none of which Sakura recognized. "Akipou: Ryokushuuha!" Sakura gasped in amazement as a ball of black light formed between the hands of the demon-vessel. Naruto calmly held his hand out and the ball was released. It spiraled towards the town, ripping through trees as it went. It smashed into the village, leaving a wake of destruction as it tore through walls and roofs, sending the people of the village stampeding through the streets like cattle. Sakura stood in shock at the act of atrocity her teammate had committed. Tears began flowing down her cheeks once more as she stared at the feral grin on Naruto's face.
"Naruto, how could you do this to your own home?" She asked as she sunk to the ground one hand covering her mouth. "How could you do this?"
"Because I'm sick and tired of being treated like shit." Came the boy's natural voice. She looked up and saw that the crimson in his eyes had faded and the tornado of red chakra had faded. "All I've ever wanted was to be acknowledged by the people here as a human being. But All I've ever received from them was violence and torment. I'm sick of it Sakura. One way or another, these people will recognize my name. If they want to see a monster, then a monster will appear." He looked down at her sadly. "I wish things hadn't come to this, I really do; but I can't take it anymore Sakura-chan… I'm sorry." With that, he brought his hand down on the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. Naruto stood and quickly swiped the back of his hand across his eyes. 'Well Kyuubi, I guess it's come down to this. It's time to give the people what they want.'
'Are you sure that this is what you want, Kit?' The deep, rumbling voice rang through the corridors of his mind.
'I'm sure. I've been taking it for too long. Time to give some of it back.' Naruto strolled into town, just like he would've any other day. The throngs of screaming people passed through deaf ears as he made his way towards the Ichiraku. If he was gonna have his revenge, he'd better not do it on an empty stomach. A man appeared on the street, walking straight at Naruto, killing intent radiating off his body like light from the sun.
"You little bastard! I'll kill you!" He roared as he swung his fist at the blonde's face. The man was a simple villager and Naruto was a ninja. Needless to say, the outcome was… predictable. Naruto sidestepped his strike and lashed out with his right arm, sending the man spiraling through the air to land on the street gasping for breath. Already he could hear the whispers traveling through the air, his sensitive ears picking up on them. 'Did you see that… That brat's becoming too big for his britches… Should teach him a lesson… Bloody demon…' Naruto gritted his teeth and turned to face the crowd, throwing his arms wide.
"What? Are you surprised that the demon-brat finally fought back? I've put up with you bastards for sixteen years, and I'm not taking any more shit from you. Bring it on, if you think you stand a chance!" He yelled at the gathering mob. A man, obviously elected spokesperson for the crowd stepped forward.
"Who the hell do you think you are, demon? This is the second time you've destroyed out homes and families. You think we'll leave you alone because you've decided to put on some tough-guy act? C'mon guys, let's get him!" He yelled, and roughly a dozen members of the crowd, all large men rushed the blonde Chuunin. Naruto moved immediately. His left hand brushed his kunai pouch, and before anyone could react in time, or shout a warning, six men were down with the steel knives in their necks. The others halted their rush momentarily, giving Naruto enough time to perform his favourite technique.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" Instantly there were ten more Nautos surrounding the small lynch mob. "How does it feel to be outnumbered and surrounded by people stronger than you?" The Narutos roared. "How does it feel to be completely helpless and at the mercy of your tormentors?" The clones rushed forward, and before anyone could blink, the remaining men were dead, their necks snapped like brittle toothpicks. A single Naruto stood in the center of the ring of corpses, blood running off his hands. He looked up and eyed the crowd with no forgiveness or regret in his gaze.
"Anyone else want some?" He growled, and the people stepped back, away from the blood-spattered teen. They parted for him as he continued on his way, and watched as he disappeared around corner at the far end of the street.
"Someone's got to tell Hokage-sama." One said, and they looked around for volunteers. When none could be found, the one who had assumed responsibility after the original spokesman's death pointed at a shopkeeper at the back of the crowd. "Chinsuke! You go tell Tsunade-sama about the beast's treachery. We'll arrange for a bounty to be put on his head and see to the burial plans for them." He pointed to the corpses on the ground before them. "Those fools. They didn't stand a chance against the demon, even when he's in a human body." He muttered. The one named Chinsuke nodded once, and sprinted off in the direction of the Hokage's Tower. The others headed immediately to the ANBU Headquarters, in hopes of raising a fine bounty for the child's death.
Naruto entered the Ichiraku Ramen Bar as he normally did, and sat down in his usual seat. The owner's daughter looked over at the sound of someone taking a seat and brought her hand to her mouth as she saw the blood-coated Naruto.
"Naruto-kun! What on earth happened to you? Why are you covered in blood?" She rushed over and instinctively began checking him over for wounds. Naruto gently pushed her away.
"It's not my blood Ayame-chan." Naruto said quietly. He looked up and saw confusion written on her face. "Don't worry about it Ayame-chan. I'm fine. I'd love some ramen though. How about two miso and a pork one?" He said, his trademark wide grin adorning his face. She cocked her head slightly, but nodded, and set about making the food right away. As she worked, Naruto's eyes were flashing all around him. He knew that it was only a matter of time before Tsunade sent a squad out to capture or kill him. Hopefully, they'd let him finish his dinner first.
"Here you go Naruto-kun. Enjoy." Ayame said as she handed him the three steaming bowls. Naruto licked his lips and picked up his spoon.
"Thank you Ayame-chan! Itadakimasu!" He said, and dug into the meal with vigour.
- - - - - - - Meanwhile, at the Hokage Tower - - - - - - -
"He did WHAT?" Tsunade's voice thundered through the halls of the Hokage Tower. Shizune rushed into the room, expecting to see a fire, or a hurricane. All she was one terrified shopkeeper and a furious-beyond-belief Tusnade.
"Tsunade-sama! What's wrong?" Shizune asked, coming to stand between the man and the furious Hokage.
"This… SCUM thought he could pin a dozen murders in broad daylight on Naruto! These people were killed in the middle of the street, there's no way that Naruto is capable of such an atrocity." Tsunade roared, spit flying from her mouth as she stared down the unfortunate man. Shizune looked down at Chinsuke with sympathy on her face.
"You'd better leave before Hokage-sama does something she'll regret." She said, and ushered the man towards the door.
"Hmph, who said anything about regretting it?" Muttered a bad-tempered Tsunade. Shizune gave her mistress a sharp look before shepherding the poor fellow out. Just before he reached the door, he stopped and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
"Just thought I should tell you, Hokage-sama; if you won't take responsibility for dealing with this, we will. And I can assure you, we're willing to go to any lengths to achieve our ends." With that, Chinsuke exited the office, leaving a steaming Hokage, and a slightly baffled assistant in his wake.
"Tsunade-sama, you don't think what he said could be true, do you? I know that you deal with accusations against Naruto-kun every day, but they've never been this serious… Maybe we should investigate these claims against him…I just hope he hasn't done anything that he'll regret." Shizune said as she walked out of the office, leaving a slightly disturbed Hokage alone with her thoughts.
"I hope not, Shizune, I hope not." She muttered as she took a long swig from her bottle of sake and vanished in a puff of smoke.
- - - - - - - Ichiraku - - - - - - -
"That was great, Ayame-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, setting aside the now empty bowls. He laid some money on the table, stood and turned to leave, only to come face to face with the one person he really didn't want to see at the moment. Tsunade stood in front of him, her hands on her hips and a steely look in her eyes.
"Naruto, is it true what they're saying about you? Did you kill a dozen men in the middle of the street?" She asked, despair in her voice. Everything about her told him that she didn't want to hear that he was guilty. He looked her in the eyes and spoke.
"Yes, Baa-chan. I did. I killed the twelve men who tried to kill me." He intoned gravely. The Hokage's eyes filled with tears when she heard him say this. She had expected him to deny it, or at least show some remorse about what he had done, but instead all she heard was a guilty plea. Naruto turned his head to the side and slipped past her and into the street. Tsunade's voice rang out from behind him and he stopped to listen.
"Naruto, you realize what this means, don't you? You're now a wanted criminal on the same level as Uchiha Itachi. You have an hour. I'll be sending ANBU after you Naruto. Now go." Her heart broke as she spoke those words, and when she heard his steady footsteps retreating into the night, she sunk to the floor and sobbed. "Naruto… forgive me." She whispered through her tears, as Ayame rushed from behind the bar to help her.
"Hokage-sama! You can't send the ANBU after Naruto-kun! He's only acted in self-defense! He has done nothing to merit an ANBU squad!" She cried as she knelt beside the Hokage, her own tears just as visible as Tsunade's.
"I don't know what to do, Ayame!" Tsunade wailed. "He's like my son! I love him, but I'm the Hokage, and I have a duty to my people! Naruto has attacked the townsfolk, and I know that they won't rest until they get revenge!" She smashed her hand through the floor in frustration. What could she do? Time was running out for Naruto, and she couldn't do anything about it. She was still sobbing when a familiar pink-haired ex-student of hers ran up to her.
"Hokage-sama!" Sakura yelled, running up to her mentor. "You have to come quick! Naruto's completely lost it! He knocked out Kakashi-sensei and almost killed Sasuke-kun. He said that he couldn't take it anymore… something about being treated like shit all the time!" She said, her frantic voice laced with desperation. Her hair and clothes were dirty and in disarray, and it looked like she had just run a great distance. "Please, Hokage-sama, you're the only one who can talk some sense into him before he hurts any innocent people!" She shouted, kneeling next to Tsunade. She looked at the Hokage's state and noticed her tear-stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. "Tsu…nade-sama?" What-?"
"It's too late, Sakura." Tsunade whispered, slowly rising to her feet. Sakura's eyes widened and she looked at her mentor in confusion. "Naruto has already killed twelve people. He'll likely kill more unless ANBU intervenes. He's too far gone Sakura-chan." Sakura shook her head violently.
"No! There's go to be something we can do!" She said, defiance written across her face. A resounding crack split through the night air. Sakura reached up and touched the bright red mark on her face from where Tsunade had slapped her. Tsunade was panting and stared her pupil straight in the face.
"Get it through your head, you idiotic girl! Naruto is beyond both of us now! This is a job for ANBU, not for an aging woman and a teenage girl! Don't you understand? He could kill us both." She said, cold fury emanating from her very essence. Sakura looked her in the face and stared her down. She narrowed her eyes and looked Tsunade straight in the face.
"Well, Hokage-sama, I don't care what you think. I almost lost Sasuke today, and I'll be damned if I lose Naruto! I realized something just now. Naruto has always been just like the rest of us. He's always been strong, and now I realize that it was to protect us, the ones he cares about. He never allowed anyone too close though, he's always had a glass soul, and everyone knows that glass, no matter how thick, shatters over time." Sakura turned away from her teacher and looked of the village. "I don't know why, but I can't bear to part with him… not after everything the two of us have been through together. He brought Sasuke back to me, and now I'm going to bring him back. No matter what." With those words, Sakura turned on her heel and sprinted from the building. Tsunade stood, and looked at her student's retreating form.
"Stupid girl…" She muttered to herself as she vanished in a whirl of leaves.
- - - - - - -
Naruto marched through the streets of Konoha, his orange jacket open, and the black shirt beneath showing though. He had taken out another several villagers that had given him some trouble on his way home. He kicked the down door to his apartment and walked in. We walked into his kitchen and turned on his radio. It was his only source of information regarding the events of the world. He quickly turned it on and listened intently to the messages. One specifically caught his ear immediately.
"This is a warning to all those in Konoha! Be on the lookout for Uzumaki Naruto! He is armed and extremely dangerous! He has killed, and will likely kill anyone in his path, so hurry home! This is not a joke!" Came the radio announcer's voice. Naruto bowed his head and smiled sadly at the floor. The people were getting what they wanted. A monster; a killing machine with no emotions or remorse. A freak of nature that would kill them all in their beds just to watch their blood flow. A few tears dripped down Naruto's cheeks. It wasn't supposed to be like this! He was supposed to be strong, immune to everything… but it all added up over time… He walked up the stairs to his room, still as messy as it had always been, and opened his closet. He reached in and pulled out an orange and black duffel bag, which he threw onto his bed. He had no idea where he was going to go, or what he would do when he got there, but one thing was certain. Once gone, he could never return. He emptied his drawers of clothes, ninja equipment, and his few other possessions. He took a last look around the room, and grabbed something off of his nightstand, stuffing it into his jacket pocket; he turned, grabbed the strap of the bag, hoisted it over his shoulder and sprinted out of the building. The streets were empty; it was expected after the warning on the radio though, which meant that Naruto would have a difficult time avoiding the ANBU and other ninja. He quickly ducked into an alleyway as he heard rapid footsteps approaching. Iruka rushed into the alleyway, straight at Naruto.
"NARUTO!" He roared, launching a flurry of attacks at his former student. "What made you do it? How could you betray the village like this? Aren't you any better than Mizuki?" He screamed, his frustration and blood pressure mounting as Naruto easily dodged or blocked his attacks.
"I'm sorry about this Iruka-sensei. I hope you can forgive me one day." Naruto whispered, before he hit Iruka full in the face with his fist. The Chuunin stumbled backward, holding his face in pain. Naruto lunged forward and kicked him back into the wall of the alley. "Iruka-sensei… I'm so sorry…" He whispered, and he hurled a handful of kunai and shuriken at Iruka's injured form. Iruka's eyes widened momentarily as the projectiles hit him, and narrowed at Naruto.
"Naruto… You'll pay!" He yelled, and flung himself at the surprised Jinchuuriki. Naruto saw Iruka flying at him, and raised his hands to defend himself.
- - - - - - -
Iruka stumbled into the Konoha General Hospital, blood running from his mouth, the unconscious Naruto draped over one shoulder. He staggered to the reception desk and muttered hoarsely to the secretary.
"Get Hokage-sama…" He gasped, his blood dripping on the floor of the hospital foyer. The horrified girl nodded once, and hurried to a telephone. Naruto was quickly admitted to a room, and Iruka left, insisting that he would bandage himself at home. Tsunade arrived at the hospital within minutes and looked upon Naruto's unconscious form.
"See what you've caused Naruto? You're going to have to be executed! Damn it Naruto see what you-" She looked at the body on the bed. It was no longer Naruto Uzumaki, but Umino Iruka, peppered with kunai and shuriken. "Iruka? IRUKA!" She yelled, and started slowly extracting the weapons from his chest. She began healed his wounds, and called Shizune.
"Hokage-sama… you called?" Shizune panted as she rushed into the room.
"Yes. Shizune, inform the ANBU that Uzumaki Naruto has become an A-class missing nin. He is to be captured if possible, but killed if he resists. He has become too dangerous. We cannot allow him to leave the village." Shizune looked at her mistress with tears in her eyes.
"Yes… Tsunade-sama… It will be done." With that, she disappeared.
- - - - - - -
Naruto sprinted through the streets of Konoha. He hoped that his henge had fooled Tsunade long enough for him to get into the forest. He picked up the pace, and soon the houses fell away, and only the great, wooden gates of Konohagakure stood in his path. He gritted his teeth and raised his hand, concentrating his chakra into the palm of his hand. A whirling blue sphere of energy formed in his hand, and he leapt into the air, thrusting his arm at the gates.
"RASENGAN!" He roared, and the gates were blown apart as the chakra sphere smashed into them. The sentries that weren't obliterated in the blast or crushed by flying debris rushed him.
"There he is! It's that damn fox!" Get him!" The sentries yelled as they rushed him, kunai drawn. Naruto continued his mad dash for the gate, focusing his chakra into his hand. He delivered fierce chops to the back of the sentries' necks. Each of his victims fell to the ground, the carotid, jugular, windpipe and spinal column all severed internally. Naruto smirked slightly as he left the scene. Kabuto's chakra scalpel certainly did come in handy when modified. He was free, now outside the village, and heading deeper into the woods with every step. Perhaps he could head to the Land of Waves and live with Inari, Tsunami and Tazuna. Or perhaps he could flee to one of the other major powers in the ninja world. Sunagakure was always an option, or maybe Yukigakure, though it was more remote. He could take a leaf out of Sasuke's book and run to the Sound, or a leaf out of Itachi's and join with the Akatsuki. Naruto was so lost in thought that he never heard the rustling through the trees behind him until it was too late. A group of seven armoured figures appeared in front of him, blocking his path and forcing him to skid to a halt.
"Uzumaki Naruto!" Came the first masked man's voice. "You are an A-class missing nin of Konohagakure! Come with us peacefully or we will be forced to kill you." Beads of sweat rolled of Naruto's jaw. As sure of his skills as he was, beating off seven ANBU wasn't something he did on a regular basis.
"You just try and make me!" He yelled, shaking his fist at the man in front of him. "There's no reason for me to go back! If I do, I'm only gonna be hated even more! There's no point!" A second ANBU stepped forward.
"Regardless, you are a wanted criminal. We are authorized to use deadly force on you if deemed at all necessary." An ANBU from the back of the group stepped forward.
"Screw it guys! Let's just kill 'im and tell Hokage-sama that he struggled!" He yelled. The rest of the group looked at each other and nodded.
"Good enough." The first one said, and the group lunged forward. Naruto's eyes widened momentarily, as a sword was thrust into his gut. He let out a whimper of pain, and staggered backward. The rest of the ANBU began pelting him with kunai and shuriken. It wasn't very ANBU-like behavior to be sure. Finally, Naruto collapsed in a bloody heap on the ground.
"Alright guys, let's dispose of the body and get the hell out of this forest. This place creeps the shit outta me." Said the one who instigated the attack. They slowly approached the prostrate form when suddenly Naruto began to twitch. His arms pushed himself up off the ground, and he rose to his feet. The ANBU turned surprised eyes to the teenager standing before them. He was battered, bruised, and had more things stuck in him than a pincushion, but he was still getting back up on his feet.
"You got guts, you little bastard, but you can't take much more of this!" Yelled an ANBU wearing a cat mask. He ran forward and swung his fist at Naruto's face.
"No." Naruto said as he caught the man's fist in his hand. "NO!" He yelled, and pulled the man forward, delivering a chakra scalpel to the shocked man's neck. "I'm not gonna die… not by your hands. When I die… It'll be on my own terms. Believe it." He pulled the sword from his stomach, and stood there, facing the ANBU, his blood dripping steadily down the burnished steel blade.
"Sh- SHIT!" The ANBU quickly vanished into the trees, squirreling themselves away from sight. Naruto quickly brought up his hands to form a single seal.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" He intoned, and an army of shadow clones instantly surrounded him. "Let's hunt some pigs." He said, and the small force disbanded.
- - - - - -
Sakura hurried through the forest, pushing through bushes and small trees. She had felt Naruto's chakra signature spike suddenly several minutes ago. Somehow, she knew he was in danger, and she had to stop him from being hurt. He had done so much for her, more than she had ever known. He had retrieved Sasuke for her, even though it meant that he would never have her. He had allowed her to vent her spleen on him whenever she was slightly annoyed. He had always been there for her when she needed him. Whether she needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to shield her from danger, he was there. Her eyes misted over as she fought her way through the forest, desperate to reach him before it was too late. She rushed into a clearing, and was greeted by the body of one of Konoha's ANBU lying on the ground dead, with torrents of blood gushing from his mouth. She bent down and checked his vitals, but noticed that though his skin was unflawed, all the muscles, veins and bones in his neck had been severed. She chocked back a sob and stumbled back, away from the corpse. This had to be Naruto's doing. During her awkward retreat, a rope noose snatched from her foot underneath her. She gave a short scream and vanished into the canopy of a tree. The first thing she was aware of was that she wasn't alone in the tree, as a pair of hands grabbed her from behind. She immediately started struggling.
"Lemme go you sick bastard! I'll give you something to think about!" She yelled as she flailed her fists around and around. She was rewarded with a meaty smack and a yelp of pain from her assailant, but was shocked by the voice from behind her.
"Ah! Sakura-chan, that hurt! Why are you so abusive?" Came Naruto's voice from the darkness of the canopy. The rope that held her leg was slashed, and she flopped onto a lower branch. She turned and glomped the boy leaning against the tree trunk.
"Naruto-kun!" She cried. "You're all right!" Naruto was slumped against the tree stump with the sobbing kunoichi hanging off him.
"Shh… Sakura-chan, be quiet. The ANBU will find us if you're too loud." He said. The irony of the situation was overwhelmed by the seriousness. They were in a tree, surrounded most likely by ANBU, Konohagakure's most elite ninja.
"What drove you to this, Naruto-kun? Why have you acted like this?" Sakura asked, looking Naruto in the face. The blonde nin looked at the branch beneath his feet.
"Sakura-chan… if you don't already know, I won't tell you. You can ask Hokage-sama in the morning." Sakura looked at him confused.
"What on earth do you mean, I can ask her in the-" Sakura never finished her sentence, as a chop on the back of her neck silenced her before she had the chance. She slumped forward and fell from the tree, landing in a thick bush. Naruto looked down at her unconscious form from his high perch.
"Sakura-chan, I hope you never find out why I'm doing this." He said, and he leapt into the clearing. He landed in the center of the ring of trees, and whirled around. As he turned, a ring of ANBU formed around him.
"Uzumaki Naruto, you are sentenced to die by the laws of Konoha. Do you have any last words?" An ANBU in an eagle mask asked him. Naruto shifted his body, and the entire ring tensed. He relaxed, and shoved his hands into his pockets.
"I have one thing to say." He said, as the hunters prepared to pounce and devour their prey. "I finally got my one wish. To be recognized as the greatest shinobi Konohagakure ever produced." He moved his hands again, shifted into a defensive stance. "I guess you'd better make it two things, as there's something else I want to say to you."
"Too late!" Came a voice from behind him. There was the sound of metal slicing through flesh and bone, and pain flashed across Naruto's face as the blade severed his head from his body. Blood splattered everywhere.
"Good riddance!" An ANBU wearing a walrus mask came forward, and made a few quick hand seals. "Katon: Goukyaku no jutsu!" He intoned, and Naruto's body was incinerated in a flash of fire. The ANBU watched as the body burned to ashes, before gathering them up in a jar and carrying them back to the village.
- - - - - - -
The next day, it was announced that Uzumaki Naruto had been apprehended and annihilated at the hands of the ANBU, and there was rejoicing in the streets. For the entire day, the throngs of people in the Village Hidden in the Leaves remembered the trouble-making, murderous, useless demon that should have been destroyed at birth by the Sandaime. The Hokage herself was noticeably not present at the festivities, choosing instead to be with the few people who gave Naruto any respect. Tsunade, Iruka, Kakashi, the rookie nine and Gai's team all gathered around a small plot at the top of the Hokage monument, saying their final farewells to their fallen comrade. It was a tearful affair, as the small group each shared something that they would always remember him for. Only one question was running through their minds at that time, though.
"Why?" Asked Ino, as she leaned heavily on Shikamaru's shoulder. "What could drive someone to go so far?" Iruka stared down at the hole, in which rested the small earthen brown urn which bore Naruto's remains. He answered slowly and carefully.
"None of us could hope to understand what he went through. Naruto carried a great burden for this village, ever since birth. For that reason, everyone here despised him. He grew up alone, with no one to praise him, or show him love. The best he could hope for was attention, and he could only get that by getting into trouble. The Third said it best. He said to me, 'Iruka, can you imagine what it is like to be hated and despised wherever you go? Can you imagine what it would feel like to be surrounded by many who would even deny you the right… to exist?' Naruto has experienced more in his short life, than many have during their time here. He was an exceptional ninja, and was well on his way to becoming the next Hokage… but even someone like him, who was so strong in mind, has a soul made of glass. He was a broken person at the end, thinking more along the lines of Gaara's former personality than his own." Iruka looked at the battered brown pot. It was all that the money Naruto had put aside for a burial had allowed for. "He may have been hated by the villagers, but he deserved better than this." He said bitterly.
Soon it was sundown, and the congregation of funeral-goers had departed. Kakashi, Iruka, Sasuke and Sakura had stayed the latest, placing a small marker on the front of the grave. They worked late into the afternoon, but it was soon time for them to go as well. As the saddened silhouettes of his former teammates disappeared into the horizon, Naruto's gravestone shone in the light of the full moon that had risen over the mountain. To anyone passing the site, they would have seen nothing but disturbed soil where the Jinchuuriki had been interred. Kyuubi's final parting gift, his grave would never be disturbed by anyone other than his friends. The wish he had made all those years ago was fulfilled. No one had thought much of him back then, but just like he had claimed while tied to that stump in front of the Shinobi monument, his name was entered. And for all intents and purposes, Naruto Uzumaki was dead.
- - - - - - -
Deep in the forest, a blood-soaked boy stumbled through the underbrush. His blonde hair knotted and tangled, his clothes torn, and his eyes bright red with obsidian slits for pupils.
- - - - - - -
Phew. There's another of my over-length one-shots under my belt. Hope all of you who read it enjoy it, and reviews are always welcome. Just to clarify once more, Nature of a Hero is on hiatus for an unspecified amount of time. Need to conquer my writer's block on that one. Well, 'till next time, this is KingofFoxes, signing off.
KingofFoxes