The night sky draped over the hidden leaf village like a thick blanket. The majority of the villagers had turned in for the night, and the only remaining shinobi awake were of the elite anbu guard who patrolled the city walls.
The hokage monument stood proudly over the village of konoha. The elaborately carved portraits of these warriors seemed to guard the village with their obelisk eyes. One head commanded more attention than the others, it was not the woman's who stared defiantly outward at the male dominated world, and it wasn't the three battle worn heroes that spoke their wisdom and experience outward from their stone features. No, it was the young man who's face captured the undying faith of all who saw him.
It was inside this young man's face, in a secret cave separated from the emergency caverns of the village, that a similar young man began his night life.
The water dripped and rolled of the cave's stalactites and dropped into puddles on the rocky ground. Our young man checks his inventory, to prepare for his assault.
Abandoning the traditional pouches of the ninja, he checked the mechanisms on his battle ready combat belt, equipped with pockets that held all the weapons and tools he'd need.
Next he tested his scalloped gauntlets on a stalagmite, slicing the jutting rock in half. His weapons checked and double-checked, he slipped into orange and black body armor, similar to those worn by the anbu guard of his village. Clipping on his belt, buckling his steel toed ninja tabi, and sliding on his boots he walked toward a mannequin like bust in the cave. On the sculpted head of the bust, a mask sat. The cowl had the features of a human, and those of a canid, small pointed ears and piercing eye holes adorned the face. Slipping it over his head, leaving only his jaw exposed, the man pulled a cloak from a hanger above the bust, and draped it across his shoulders.
Finally, the man pulled his gloves over his hands and began his walk to the caves exit.
It was late, far too late for a child to be out alone, but this boy had snuck out on a dare. Becoming frightened, he turned around when he was halfway to his friend's house, and on his way home he had become lost.
He was perfectly innocent, just a stall merchants son, but desperation is blind to innocence. As the boy wandered back and forth frightened, a pair of eyes followed him.
In his hand, the pair of eyes held a knife, a knife that was getting dangerously close to the flesh on the back of the boys neck.
"Who- Who's there?"
Now, the moment to strike, the boy had turned around, a lethal blow to the heart was now easy to administer.
The pair of eyes lunged forward, and the boys terrified screams filled the night, but no flesh was cut.
A gloved hand gripped tightly around the throat of the would be murderer, and in throwing two blows to his face, knocked the vermin out cold.
"Run home kid."
The young boy looked in the direction of the voice, but knew inside that he was once again alone. However he no longer had any fear, for he knew inside that whoever just saved him would always be looking out for him. He turned his head, ready to begin his journey home when he realized where he now stood. The boy knocked three times on the door he stood before, and his mother opened the door in tears. She embraced him, and then rushed him inside.
Standing tall above the rest of the village, a lone guardian embraced the wind that fluttered his cape through the night sky. He would protect this village till the end of his days, for he knew it was his responsibility, he knew it was up to him.
Pulling the mask off his face in a moment of pride, he gazed outward, with the sudden realization that what he was doing now made him feel more complete then any other act he had committed in his career of being a ninja.
Naruto Uzumaki pulled the mask back over his head, and continued his patrol. The patrol of FOX-MAN!
Corny I know, but i had fun. Lemme know what you think.