Disclaimer: Yeah, I own Naruto! Nah, I'm just messin' with ya. I don't own Naruto.

A/N: This is the first of a series of fic 'trials' I am going to do. Basically I am going to write a few fics for Naruto and whichever ones do well I will continue to work on. For full details please see my profile or PM me. I would appreciate feedback and ideas to help me develop the story and if you could pass word of the fic onto your friends.

'Yet another wonderful birthday.' Naruto thought.

The blonde was currently lying in one of the intensive care rooms of Konoha Hospital. A multitude of tubes protruded from underneath a number of bandages wrapped around his wounded body. The eight-year-old child's body was small and thin, his bones pushing against the skin making them horribly noticeable. Despite that he had a healthy tan built from his many hours of wandering the village, his skill unmarred save for the whisker-like markings on his cheeks.

He sighed as he scratched his head, making sure not to disturb the tubes. It was October 10th, his birthday. For most a birthday would consist of being surrounded by friends and family, eating cake and opening gifts. That was the norm for a child's birthday. Well, any child that wasn't Uzumaki Naruto, the village pariah.

For as long as he could remember, the villagers and even a few ninja of the village didn't like him. No that's not true. They hated him. For whatever reason they always tried to find a way to make his life just a little more miserable. He often asked his persecutors why they did this to him but the only answers he ever received were on the end of a fist. He lived in a run down, little apartment near the outskirts of the village with few personal possessions, no friends, no family the only food he could get came from the kind old man at the local ramen stand.

To say his life was shit was an understatement.

The only person who showed him even an ounce of humility was the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen or Jiji as he was affectionately called by Naruto. The old man often took him out to eat or, if he was really lucky, took him to other villages when he had to go meet a bunch of old guys who wanted something or other. Naruto pretty much tuned him out when he talked about stuff like that. It's not like he did it on purpose but Jiji's job sounded so boring sometimes.

He heard the door open and he turned his head to see the (old) man he had just been thinking about enter the room. The Hokage was wearing the traditional robes of office as usual, his triangular hat perched on his head. He smiled when he saw that Naruto was awake.

"Ah Naruto." He greeted. "It's good to see you're awake."

Naruto gave a small smile. "Hey Jiji."

Sarutobi took a seat beside the boy's hospital bed. "You'll be happy to know that we captured the people who attacked you. I'm going to make sure that they are put away for a very long time."

Naruto nodded and looked down at his lap. "Good."

Sarutobi could sense something was off with the child. "Is anything wrong Naruto?"

Naruto sat quietly for a while, gathering his thoughts. Sarutobi wisely kept quiet, waiting for Naruto to break the silence.

"Jiji?"

Sarutobi looked up. "Yes?"

Naruto took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "It's no secret that the villagers hate me. They glare at me, call me names, throw things at me and attack me. Everybody does something for a reason. You've always told me that you'll explain everything when I'm older but I just can't wait that long." He look up at the Hokage, a very serious expression on his face. "Why do they hate me?"

Sarutobi sighed. Naruto had always been a very bright child and could appear years older than he actually was when he wanted. This was one such occasion. "Naruto I can't tell you yet but-"

"No." Naruto cut him off. "If they are going to keep making my life hell I want to know why."

Sarutobi scratched his head. "Naruto I can't-"

"Jiji." Naruto growled, his patience finally fraying. He'd had enough of being in the dark and he wanted answers. He looked the Hokage in the eye. "Tell. Me."

Sarutobi thought furiously for a moment before he let out a long, tired sigh, his arms dropping to his side. "Okay Naruto I'll tell you. You must know that this is an S-ranked secret. As this pertains to you, you are free to tell who you want but I'd suggest that you not tell anyone from outside the village as that could make you a target to enemy villages." He took out his pipe and lit it. "Do you know what today is?"

"My birthday."

Sarutobi nodded. "Yes but what else happened on this date?"

Comprehension dawned on Naruto's face. "The Kyuubi attack."

Sarutobi nodded again. "That's right. Eight years ago the Kyuubi attacked the village. The demon went on a rampage across Fire Country, killing and destroying as it went until it reached Konoha. The ninja were mobilised to fight the creature but where easily overwhelmed. It a fit of desperation the Fourth Hokage came up with a plan to stop it. The plan succeeded and the Kyuubi was defeated…but not killed."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Wh-what? But how?"

Sarutobi took a long drag from his pipe. "The Kyuubi was essentially a massive amount of sentient chakra and therefore impossible to kill. The only way to defeat it was to seal it…in a child who's chakra coils hadn't developed yet."

Naruto sat stunned. "Me." It wasn't a question.

Sarutobi nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

Naruto's mind was in shock as he tried to process this. "It's sealed in me. The Kyuubi. They were right. I'm a monster."

"No!" Sarutobi said sharply, cutting him off. "You are Naruto not the Kyuubi. No matter what anyone says you are human. The Kyuubi is your prisoner. You are a hero in every sense of the word."

Naruto swallowed, nodding dumbly at the Hokage. "Why me?" He asked in a pained whisper

Sarutobi flinched and looked away. "I'm sorry Naruto but-"

Naruto growled loudly. He was tired of all these secrets. "Damn it Jiji, tell me! Why did the Fourth use me!?"

Sarutobi sighed and rubbed his head wearily. He glanced at Naruto's angry and confused face and sighed again as he closed his eyes in thought. 'Minato, Kushina…what do I do? If I tell him and it gets out then he'll be in grave danger but if I don't he could loose any trust in me he has left and do something drastic.'. After several long moments of contemplation Sarutobi opened his eyes and fixed Naruto with one of the most serious expressions he had ever worn around the young blonde.

"Naruto," He began slowly, making sure Naruto understood every word. "I'll tell you why but you must understand that this secret must not get out. Not yet. Even though this concerns you greatly you must promise me you won't reveal what I am about to tell you to anyone without talking to me first."

He waited for Naruto's slow nod before he continued.

"When the Kyuubi attacked we were desperate. Nothing we did worked and people were dying. We knew how to seal the Kyuubi but it was considered to be a last resort. The reason for this was because, as you know, a child had to be used to contain the demon's power. The Yondaime was powerful but he was also compassionate. He hated the idea of sacrificing a child even if it meant saving the village. When we realised that nothing could stop the Kyuubi the Yondaime was forced to use the Shiki Fuuin seal. As Hokage, the Yondaime knew that he could never ask another family to do something that he wasn't willing to do himself; sacrifice their child to save the village. So he had to make a choice. The Yondaime gave everything for the village. His life, his soul…and his family."

Naruto's eyes were wide by this point, his breath coming in short inhales. 'He couldn't…I mean he can't mean…'

The Hokage's next words confirmed it. "He had to give up his own son for the sealing."

Naruto fell back against the headboard of his bed, shock numbing his system. The magnitude of what he had just been told had effectively rocked his world. He was a child of a Hokage. He was the son of the Yondaime. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out, only a low croaking sound. He was snapped out of his stupor by Sarutobi's hand on his arm.

"Naruto?" Sarutobi asked in concern. "Are you okay? You looked like you were going into shock."

Naruto looked around wildly before his gaze settled on Sarutobi, his eyes wide with disbelief. "The son of the Fourth." He whispered. "I'm the son of a Hokage."

"Yes, you are." Sarutobi said with a smile.

He was having a better time with the information than Naruto was. "The villagers treated me like crap." He whispered. "I'm the son of the Yondaime, you call me a hero for containing the Kyuubi…and they hate me for it. Why didn't anyone tell me? Why did I have to grow up alone? Why the hell didn't they help me!?"

Sarutobi flinched and looked away. "People…people don't think rationally when grief is involved. I'm not excusing the way they've treated you but you must understand that there was so much destruction when the Kyuubi attacked. So much death. The villagers, instead of finding a way past their heartache, chose to focus all their sorrow and anger towards the Kyuubi and since they couldn't get to it directly they harmed you as a means to enact revenge."

Tears were pooling in Naruto's eyes. The unfairness of it all was like weight on his chest, causing his heart to beat uncomfortably. He lost his parents and his childhood to the Kyuubi. He had been shunned for something that he had no control over and instead of looking after him the village chose to dehumanise him, put him on the same level as a rat or a piece of trash on the street. Well he was having no more of it.

Gritting his teeth he began to quickly pull out the tubes and wire attached to him, ignoring the Hokage's pleas for him to stop. Throwing his bed sheet aside he shakily got to his feet and staggered over to his clothes before Sarutobi's stern voice stopped him mid step.

"Naruto!"

The aforementioned blonde panted slightly, both from the exhaustion of his body and the effort it took not to let his tears fall as he looked over his shoulder at the Hokage.

Sarutobi looked both concerned for the boy's safety and agitated at being ignored. "What are you doing? You're still not well, you need to rest."

Naruto shook his head violently as he pulled his worn shirt over his battered body. "No Jiji. I'm not going to be a punch bag for these stupid villagers to take their grief out on any more. I'm leaving."

Sarutobi's eyes widened in shock. "What are you talking about Naruto? You can't just leave!"

"The hell I can't!" Naruto snapped as he pulled on his sandals. "They don't want me here. I don't want to be here. Everybody wins."

"Naruto you're eight years old!" Sarutobi cried. "You can't expect to survive outside the village on your own."

"I will survive because I refuse to stay here!" Naruto growled as he began to make his way to the door.

"Naruto wait!"

Naruto looked at the Hokage who had an expression on his face clearly showing him in deep thought. "I think I have an idea. You may be able to get away from the village and I won't have to worry about you. It could take a day or two before I could implement it but it should satisfy everyone involved. I only ask that you trust me."

Naruto thought about it for several long moments. There was no way he was staying in the village and truth be told he didn't know how he planned to survive on his own. If what the Hokage was saying was true there could be a way for him to leave the village and get help doing it. Finally he decided. "Okay Jiji I'll wait. But no more than two days."

Sarutobi nodded his consent and helped Naruto back into bed before calling a doctor to reattach the tubes the boy had removed. After making sure he had the boy's promise that he wouldn't run off he left for his office.

He had a lot of work to do.

Sarutobi lowered himself into his comfortable office chair with a sigh. He hoped he was doing the right thing. Forcing Naruto to stay in the village against his will would most likely lead to him hating the village even more than he seemed to already. He hadn't wanted to tell him about the Kyuubi and his father until he graduated the academy but there had been no choice in the matter.

The leader in him told him that his decision could cause problems but another part of him, a more grandfatherly part told him that Naruto had every right to want to leave. He faced daily persecution and abuse at the hands of his own village and since he was a civilian he was not bound to Konoha.

With a practiced flick he lit his pipe and took a long drag, letting the smoke fill his lungs before blowing it out and pulling a legal looking document towards him. Dipping his pen into the ink he began to write.

Konohagakure Shinobi Designation

Rank Title: Teisatsu-nin (Reconnaissance ninja), Information Division, Special Jounin branch.

Duties to be carried out: Travel the Elemental Nations, gather information pertaining to enemy troop movement, patrol boarders, report suspicious activity.

Special Equipment Needed: Specialist survival equipment, trained personal messenger bird.

Special Skills Needed: High skill level in tracking, survival training, hunting, foraging, search and rescue, stealth training, knowledge of flora and fauna, geography.

Assignment Length: Indefinitely until recalled.

Direct Superior: Acting Hokage.

Assignee: Uzumaki Naruto.

These orders are to be carried out effective immediately.

Under My Authority.

Sarutobi Hiruzen

Third Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato.

Sarutobi signed the document with a flourish before adding his personal seal making the document legal and binding. This meant that as of now, Naruto was an unofficial ninja of the village. He found it strangely ironic that the young blonde was now a Special Jounin when most children his age were just entering the academy. He chuckled lightly. Naruto was probably the only Jounin in the Elemental Nations who couldn't fight, channel chakra or even throw a kunai.

The only question was who to send with him. It needed to be someone that he could trust to look after Naruto and that meant someone who held no grudge against the boy. Hatake Kakashi sprung to mind immediately but that was impossible. The masked ninja was currently acting as the captain for a unit of Anbu and this mission would take him away from the village for years. His team couldn't function without him so he was out.

Uzuki Yuugao was also a prime candidate. She was often part of Naruto's Anbu guard and had developed a soft spot for the whiskered blonde over the years. She had the necessary skills and he could trust her.

Sarutobi cursed when he remembered that Yuugao was on a mission to Claw Country and wouldn't return for another three months. She was out.

Sarutobi drummed his fingers on the table as he wracked his brain trying to think of anyone that he could send. They needed to be trustworthy and skilled enough to teach Naruto how to be a Teisatsu-nin.

A light bulb seemed to off over his head as he realised who he could send. Yes, he would be perfect for the job.

Sarutobi stood and strode from his office to find the man he needed.

Naruto walked down the street, towards the Hokage tower. He had been released from the hospital an hour ago and he had taken one step out of the place when an Anbu appeared in front of him and passed on a message from the Hokage telling him to come to his office.

He glanced at the villagers as he walked, noticing the usual sneers and glares of hatred. He just frowned and shook his head in disgust.

'Bunch of ungrateful bastards.' He thought. 'Its not like I asked the damn Fox to attack or for it to be sealed in me. My father gives his life for them and they spit on his sacrifice. Heh, wonder what they'll say when they find out the truth.'

Shrugging he continued on to the Hokage tower, pointedly ignoring the other inhabitants of the village.

"You rang?" Naruto droned as he stepped into the office. The old Hokage was sat behind his desk, a smile visible around his smoking pipe as he waved the blonde to a chair.

"Hello Naruto. How are you?"

Naruto shrugged as he lowered himself into the chair. "A little sore, nothing major. So what did you want to talk to me about?"

Sarutobi leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers in front of him, If Naruto agreed then this would be the last time he saw the blonde for many years. The thought saddened him greatly as he had become quite accustomed to the whiskered child following him around, begging for ramen and pestering him with his many questions. Part of him was hesitant to let him go but he knew that Naruto needed to get away from the village for a while. He just had to accept it.

"Naruto I promised you that I would find a way to allow you to leave the village for a while and give me the piece of mind to know that you are alright. Tell me; what do you want to do with your life?"

Naruto answered immediately. "I want to be a ninja."

Sarutobi smiled. He already knew the answer but he had to make sure before things went into motion. "Well how would you like to be taken away from the village to be trained as a ninja?"

Naruto's eyes lit up. He was going to be a ninja! Well he already knew that he was going to be a ninja but now he was going to be one sooner! Then a thought occurred to him. "I thought I had to go through the academy before I could be a ninja."

Sarutobi nodded. "Yes usually you do but there is a rule stating that if a child is apprenticed to a Jounin then they can skip the academy and learn from the Jounin to get the skills they need."

Naruto grinned. "Then does that mean that I'll get my hitai-ate as soon as I learn everything from this Jounin?"

"No."

Naruto's face fell into a confused pout. "I thought you said I could skip the academy and be a ninja."

Sarutobi took a long draw from his pipe before answering. "You will be an unofficial ninja of the village. No matter the skills that a person has they are always required to go through the academy to get their hitai-ate. It's a law that the First Hokage set up to ensure basic understanding of the village's shinobi conduct code is understood by anyone hoping to become a ninja. It is mealy a formality."

Naruto was still confused. "So what does it mean if I'm an unofficial ninja?"

"Basically you wouldn't be able to call from assistance from another Konoha ninja if you need help with any enemies. You wouldn't be able to access any ninja only sections of the village, you wouldn't be trusted with any major village secrets and if you were capture the village would deny any connection with you."

Naruto scoffed. "I think they would deny any connection with me even if I were an official ninja."

Sarutobi gave a non-committal grunt as he pulled out a form. It was the form he filled in earlier stating Naruto's ninja capacity. He passed it to the blonde and watched as he read it, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion in some places. Finally he looked up at the old man.

"I'm supposed to do what?"

Sarutobi smiled. "It means you are to travel around Fire Country and the surrounding nations. You look for any suspicious activity; an increase of missing nin, enemy ninja encroaching into our territory and the like. You spend most, if not all of your time in the wilderness in different environments like jungles, deserts, mountains and other places like that. Occasionally I will send you a message via messenger bird asking you to check something out like suspicious troop movement. You'll head to the location and investigate, making sure no one sees you. If anything is out of the ordinary then you send a message back to me and I'll dispatch ninja to investigate. In a time of war you would be sent ahead of the main army to gather data about the enemy."

Naruto looked excited. This would mean he got a free pass to trael as far as he liked from the village provided he did his Jiji a favour and checked out weird stuff that he was worried about. Then something occurred to him. "Hey Jiji? How come I've never heard about any ninja like this? I mean I know most of the ninja positions but I've never heard of a Teisatsu-nin."

Sarutobi smirked around his pipe. He knew Naruto would like this. "That's because there has never been a Teisatsu-nin. You are the first in history."

Naruto blinked. Then blinked again. Then his face broke into a massive grin. He leaped up and stood in his chair whooping with joy. He was the first recon ninja in history! He was famous! He was falling!

He hit the ground with a thud. In his excitement he wobbled the chair a little too much and the thing toppled over. He smiled sheepishly when he heard Sarutobi's laughter and he quickly righted the chair and took his seat again.

After getting his laughter under control Sarutobi looked at Naruto. "So do you agree that you want to take up a job as a Teisatsu-nin?"

Naruto nodded vigorously.

"Then after you meet your Jounin sensei you will both leave the village and commence your training."

Sarutobi saw Naruto's hesitance when he mentioned the Jounin. Past experience taught Naruto to be extremely wary of strangers. He attempted to ease the boy's mind. "Naruto I know you haven't had the best experience with people you don't know but I made sure that the ninja going with you would be one you could trust and someone who would look after you. He was even part of the Anbu squad assigned to protect you for a while and in that time he made sure that no one hurt you."

That eased his worry. If his Jiji said he could trust the guy then he'd give them the benefit of the doubt and if what he was hearing was true then he may have found another person who didn't despise the fact that he still breathed.

"Okay Jiji."

Sarutobi smiled at the blonde. "Are you ready to meet him?"

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out slowly before nodding. Sarutobi made a motion with his hand and suddenly an Anbu appeared in the room behind his desk. At a nod from the Hokage the Anbu removed his bear mask to reveal the face of a man. His face was rather unremarkable, the most noticeable features were his large dark eyes. A strange hitai-ate-like faceplate framed his face and his brown hair was cut short. He smiled down at the boy as Sarutobi explained the new arrival.

"Naruto this is Tenzou. He'll be your sensei for the next few years. He'll teach you everything you need to know about surviving in the wilderness, train you how to fight and basically show you how to be a ninja."

Naruto waved shyly. "Hey."

Tenzou nodded to the blonde, a kind smile on his face. "Hello Naruto."

"Tenzou already has all the things you need and has collected you belongings from your apartment. You and him will leave the village after we are through here."

"Don't I get some time for one last ramen and get a chance to say goodbye to Teuchi and Ayame-nee-chan?"

Sarutobi shook his head. "I'm sorry Naruto but we should get you out of the village quickly before some of the council hear of the plan. I doubt they could stop you from going but I feel its better if you left before they found out. Don't worry, I'll tell Teuchi and Ayame goodbye for you."

Naruto nodded, a little sad that he wouldn't get to see the owner of the ramen stand and his daughter before he went. They were the first people (besides the Hokage) who even showed him kindness in any way. They were practically family to him. He looked up when the Hokage spoke again.

"Tenzou you should go change into some different clothing. We'll meet you at the main gate." The Anbu nodded and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sarutobi looked back at Naruto.

"Naruto before you leave there is one thing I have to know. What are your thoughts and feelings about your father?"

Naruto sat back in his chair and closed his eyes as he pondered the Hokage's question. The bight he found out about the Fourth being his father he had been up all night pondering it. Part of him loved his father and part of him hated him for what he did. If it wasn't for him he wouldn't be the Kyuubi container and the villagers wouldn't treat him like dirt. Then again if his father hadn't sealed the demon in him then there wouldn't be a village or a him to mistreat. After much thought he came to one conclusion.

"To be truthful Jiji I tried hating him but I found I couldn't. He grew up in a caring village where no one hated him and everyone loved him. Konoha was his home and I imagine that when he sealed the Kyuubi in me he couldn't possibly think the village would treat me like they have. As it is I actually respect him a little more. Because he was the Hokage he could have ordered one of the other families of the village to provide a baby for the sealing and spared me but he chose to use his own son even though it probably killed him to do it. Well…actually it did kill him to do it but the point is I don't hate him. I hate the villagers for how they treated me but screw them. It will be funny as hell to see their reaction when they find out the truth but even if I do forgive them I won't forget and part of me will always hate them for how I was treated."

Sarutobi nodded at Naruto's mature stance on things. He had been worried that revealing the truth to him so young would cause him to see only his fathers actions and not the cause or feelings behind them. Once again Naruto had proved just how mature he could be when it mattered.

"I'm proud of you Naruto. You thought things through and didn't ;et your anger cloud your judgment. I can see that one day you'll be a great ninja and a fine man." Sarutobi chuckled at Naruto's blush, showing that the blonde could act as old as he wanted but he was still just eight years old.

Getting up he motioned for Naruto to follow him as he left the office and went into the streets. They chatted about what Naruto would learn, where he would be going, would there be ramen? Soon they found themselves in front of the gates where Tenzou was waiting dressed in full Jounin attire with two large packs on the ground beside him. Stopping at the gate Sarutobi knelt down so that he was eye level with Naruto. He carefully scanned the child's face, burning every detail into his memory. He would miss the boisterous child and he hoped that Naruto could find some peace in the wild.

"Naruto," He said. "I want you to listen to Tenzou. He'll be able to teach you many things I expect you to become the great ninja you are supposed to. But more importantly I expect you to take care of yourself and come back one day so you can tell me all about your travels. We can go get some ramen and catch up." Sarutobi smiled.

"Okay Jiji." Naruto felt a prickling in his eyes. He was slowly realising that he wouldn't be seeing his Jiji for a long time. They wouldn't talk in his office anymore or visit other towns when he needed to do Hokage stuff. Before he even realised what he was doing he flung himself into Sarutobi's arms and wrapped his arms around the old man's neck. He felt the Hokage return the hug and he managed to get a few words past the tightness in his chest.

"I'll miss you Jiji."

Sarutobi patted his adoptive grandson's back. "I'll miss you too Naruto."

They stayed like that for a few more moments before pulling away, Naruto suspiciously wiping his eyes. Sarutobi placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder and led him over to Tenzou who had been keeping a respectful distance, as to not intrude on the tender moment. He smiled down at Naruto.

"Are you ready to go Naruto?" He asked.

Naruto only nodded, still a little bummed about leaving his Jiji. Tenzou swung one of the packs onto his shoulder before picking the other up. Naruto went to stand beside him and they both looked at the Hokage who was smiling at them. The teacher and the student. Sarutobi had a feeling these two would get on well.

He cleared his throat. "Well time to be off I suppose. I'll give you some time before I start sending you missions so you can train and get to know each other. And do an old man a favour and try to make sure you keep each other alive."

"We will." The new teacher and apprentice chorused. Sarutobi smiled. Yes, they would get along fabulously. With that Naruto and Tenzou walked through the large archway and out of the village. Naruto looked over his shoulder to look back at Sarutobi who was smiling encouragingly at him. Taking a deep breath Naruto turned away from the village gates and followed his new teacher into the wilderness.

A/N: Well that was the first chapter of Into the Wilderness. Please tell me what you think and give any idea's to improve it. If the fic does well I will move it to my other pen name, Fox Sannin, and continue it until completed. Also this will be a romance/action/adventure fic so I would love ides on who Naruto's new love interest will be. No yaoi, harems, love triangles, sensei's like Kurenai or Anko and no Tsunade for the pairing. I'm thinking Sakura because Naruto deserves some good in his life and since he hasn't met Sakura yet she won't be a bitch to him.