Hello everyone, this story is done in request to a fabulous reader who wanted me to do a Female Naruto Story. Yes, I know it has been a little while since the request was made and I hereby apologize. Life decided to fight me tooth and nail when requested to give me time to type up conjunctions to my stories and possible new requests. Sorry.

Anyways, please note that this story is obviously not written by a seven year old in which Naru is at the start of the story, so it is in turn descriptive. It will not be in Naru's prov as of yet and is set before the actual Naruto show even begins, with her thoughts and feelings of course added to it. I had decided to pair her up with Gaara, since I simply love him, and the rating will be T for now. Female Naruto, Naru, will be a Kitsune. There will be mention of child abuse and survival of it. Friendship, hurt and comfort with eventual romance in much later chapters.. will be continued only if you awesome people like it. :)

This is Ravaged.

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Above the trees deep within the heart of the mountains, the sun slowly fought it's way through the heavy white clouds to shine the bright rays that it possessed upon the hidden leaf village known as Konohagakure. The village itself was as it was every morning that the people opened the eyes to see the sunshine playfully dancing on everything that it touched. There was a huge, light brown mountain that overlooked the village with the stern features that had once belonged to some of the most powerful ninja Hokages of history engraved upon the mountains face as both a monument as well as offering protection to the villagers even through death.

Laughter cut through the air as the joyous sound fell from the mouths of children of all ages as they chased after each other through the market where many of their parents were torn between calling out to them to stay close and trying to bargain the prices down of much needed supplies. Above them, different species of birds took flight as their small bodies dipped and dived in a blur of color against the pale blue of the sky, a chipper yet eerie tune upon their beaks.

Yes, Konohagakure was both beautiful and prestigious with many types of famous ninja clans with the abilities that passed through one generation to the next calling it their home. However, it was within the shadows that lingered in the background that most people, if not all, turned a blind eye to. The dirty, poor slumps that the village had to the far northern side was a place where even the sun dared not to go, now held a small child of seven years each and every night. The young child didn't mind it much though, for it was a place to get away from all the irate adults that took every chance they had to throw anything they could get their hands on in her direction.

A loud gasp reached Naru's ears suddenly, drawing her attention back to the present from where she cautiously hid her fragile, skinny body under one of the market tables that was covered with a cloth that was a wonderful shade of red. Small hands grabbed at her stomach to try to keep it quiet as it threatened to growl predatorily at hearing the splash of water nearby along with the mouthwatering smell of meat. Her ribs were visible through the worn, dirty white tunic that was four sizes too big upon her thin frame and had more holes decorating it than the piece of swiss cheese that she once saw a child munching on. Her legs were covered with black pants that she constantly had to roll up a few times to keep from tripping over them.

Bright blue eyes shook with fear of being discovered as she physically winced when a loud crashing sound cut through the air, followed closely by an unknown man's wordless yell of outrage. Something quickly moved the cloth in front of her and Naru only had a few seconds to curl up into a fetal position to try and protect herself before it hit her. Only.. it wasn't a hand reaching out to grab her harshly like she had come to expect whenever she ventured out into the village. Instead, a dark shadowy ball of red greeted her eyes, followed closely by another.

"My apples!" A highly irritated screech emitted from the man, "I'll be unable to sell any of these now, you stupid brat! Where are your parents? I demand you bring them to me. I will make sure that you pay for every last-"

Naru didn't need to hear anymore, she grabbed the two apples and sneakily disappeared into one shadow followed by another until she was safely away from the market. As much as she truly did not like stealing by any means, she wanted to live just as much. The people that lived in Konoha refused to give her anything to eat or drink either so it was up to Naru to find the things to keep her alive.

Besides she felt like the boy and his mother would be happy that they wouldn't have to pay for the two apples that she took for herself. She only wished that she would have been able to take them all so the boy wouldn't get into trouble and she would have something to each.. but she knew very well that if she tried and got caught, she wouldn't have anything to each and would no doubt get hit.

Naru didn't have parents to love her and take care of her, as much as she wished upon a star each and every night before she fell asleep on the worn mattress that she had, a spring twisting out of one of the holes that adorned it. In all her seven years in this world, Naru was sure that there was never a second that she hadn't felt alone..

Naru shook her head to clear away the depressing thoughts circling around her brain and carried her bare, bloody feet as fast as she could manage to the bridge that she sat under more than once to hide from the angry mob of villagers. Her reflection stared back at her after she took a familiar position in the water with her back leaning against the underside of the bridge. She slowly pulled both apples away from her chest where she previously held them protectively and ever so gently brought one up to her eye level.. then the other.

So.. this was an apple, those things that she saw some of the villagers eating from time to time? It wasn't soft like how she suspected from eyeing them from a distance all these years. In fact, it seemed to have some kind of protective shell of red around it that was still glinting brightly in the sun even with a light coat of dirt on each of them. It made her wonder why the man was so mad when he could have easily washed it off..?

She moved to sit indian style with her legs criss crossed and with one apple trapped in between her legs, Naru slowly lowered one of her new treasures into the water that modeled her small, unhealthy body. The water sparkled brightly under the sunlight of the early morning but all Naru was concerned about was one of the red prizes in her small hands.

Small fingers delicately traced circles on the apple with one of her thumbs as if she were handling a bird's egg instead of something as hard as an apple. After silently confirming to herself that indeed she had not only one apple but two, a cheeky smile curved on her lips as the three fox-like whiskers on each of her cheeks twitched with excitement.

Just when she was satisfied with her job well done in cleaning it, moving it up to her mouth hesitantly, a voice sounded out around them. Cutting through the noises of nature with it's reverberating boom that held but teasing and some foreign emotion that she was unable to identify at that very moment.. "Now, where did you get that? I dare say I never have seen a child so encaptured by an apple.."

With a startled shriek emitting from her mouth, Naru dived away from the voice and away from the punishing blow that would soon follow.. cradling the two apples as if they were something of a precious treasure and not just of a fruit. However there was no punches or kicks aimed at her, something that gave her great pause for she knew they wouldn't hesitate to do so beforehand, and Naru blinked her breathtaking shade of blue up at the person. Tilting to her head as she watched him staring at her in something that she could have sworn was pity, how.. how unusual.

Though then again, it seemed so was the man. He stood before her as a very tall man with waist length, spiky hair that was void of color - tied to the back of his head in a pony tail with two shoulder length bangs that framed either side of his face. Red lines ran down his facial features from his dark eyes and wore a spiked forehead protector with some sort of kanji that she didn't have knowledge of it's meaning. Dressed in shinobi attire of soft gray pants that matched the same color of his shirt, a black belt at his waist, a red vest hanging over his form and sandals upon his feet that were also black and red.. there was something about him that Naru thought was familiar to her. Yet she also could have sworn she never laid eyes on his before, he knew her though. That much the young girl was sure of, the way that he looked down at her was one of sadness.. frustration..pity and love.

"Who -" Naru started to question him, gulping down the hard lump that formed within her throat due to her nerves, but was stopped short by the man offering his hand slowly down to her. As if to help her up.. as if he cared about her and didn't want to bare witness to her struggling.

Something within her clenched, her hands tightening on the apples within her grasp as she wondered if he wanted them.. if the man was expecting her to hand them over. However when he spoke next, it denied that thought all together, "You can keep the apples, Naru.. You can trust me. I promise not to harm you."

Strangely enough something inside of her willed Naru to believe him, and with one hand still holding her treasures close to her heart in case it was indeed a new trick the villagers conjured up to get even with The Demon of Konohagakure.. The child hesitantly reached her other hand up until it made contact with the rough, callous pads of his own.

This act alone, completely unknown to Naru at the time, was the precise moment where things changed. Kami shone upon the child like a beacon of light from the heavens above, faithfully guiding Naru Uzumaki to the path she was meant to walk. Raised by a family friend that would protect her from the dangers that lingered within the edges of her life, threatening her life just to carry out their destruction.

This is the exact beginning of a new age.. the age in which Konohagakure would indeed rue the day they abused a child, especially one with so much power pulsing through their veins.

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Okay, I would love to hear what you readers think so far. Yes, I picked Jiraya to raise her. He would keep her safe, teach her and would not be pervy around her to taint what's left of the innocence that Naru has. He did travel the world to gain knowldge to help his friends, people. Love him, hate him, this is what is happening. Gaara/Naru in future chapters. Friends that develops into love, possible smut much further within the story. I hope you let me know what you think? Thank you for reading.