Prologue
Eleven year old Naruto Uzumaki stood in the weird, circular room, glaring at the flaming chicken that sat on a golden perch. The perch was in the east side of the room, sitting beside an open window. In front of him sat an ornate desk with feathered quills and rolled up scrolls. Behind the desk sat an old man who seemed to have worse taste in clothes than even Naruto himself. He was wearing a dress and half-moon glasses. Not just any dress, but an extremely bright orange dress that seemed to make even his jumpsuits look dreary. Little silver stars twinkled on his sleeves, and his chest was covered by the longest beard he had ever seen.
Poor Naruto really didn't seem to know what was going on. One moment, he was in the beautiful, tropical village of Konoha, the next he was somewhere that felt quite different. All he could think, was that it was that chicken's fault.
He had been in his room, minding his own business and packing for the second part of the Chunin exam, when that… that THING appeared in a ball of fire. The next thing he knew, it had latched onto his pajama top and kidnapped him! Minutes later, he appeared in the middle of the strange office.
The old man leaned forward at his desk and tipped his eyeglasses forward to look over them at the boy. A puzzled frown graced his lips, and he quirked his eyebrow at the genin. With a glance at the bird, he asked, "Fawkes, is there a reason why you have brought this child to me?"
"Who are you?" Naruto demanded, "and is that your bird?" The blond chaos magnet didn't even bother trying to keep his temper. Unfortunately, the old man ignored him. "Yo! Answer me, dammit!"
Fawkes chirped a long string of notes, almost as if he were laughing. The old man seemed to understand, amazement flashing across his face, and his eyes twinkling with humor.. "Very interesting. Are you sure?" Another string of notes followed. "Hmmm… Yes, I see. Of course. I will have to contact the Japanese Ministry for a demonologist so that we could exercise the kitsune before he could start classes, but I have a feeling the boy would not be too upset about that."
At this, Naruto panicked. He didn't know what was going on, but he did know what would happen if the furball was taken. Who the heck was this guy, anyway? "Sir, I'll die if the fox is removed! Besides, I don't know you! For all I know, the stupid villagers might have hired you to kill me!"
"Kill you? Nonsense, my dear boy! As for who I am, my name is Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. If Fawkes is to be believed, and he is never wrong, I'm also your magical guardian. You're Grandmother left me the responsibility of finding you, as well as placed me in charge of your estate until you reach your majority."
"Grandmother? What are you smoking? No one knows who my family was."
Albus smiled, knowing in his infallible way that he was about to make the child extremely happy.
"Fawkes tells me that you are Naruto Uzumaki, son of Namikaze Minato and his wife, Uzumaki Kushina. Uzumaki Kushina was part British. Her mother, your grandmother, was Abigail Smithers. Abigail was my goddaughter. Very sweet girl, but she had a tragic end." Dumbledore sighed. "She was only sixty-five when she died of a broken heart. Her marriage to your grandfather failed, and her only child, Kushina, followed your grandfather back to the hidden elemental countries. She lost contact with Kushina about a month before your birth, but your parents had already told her that you were a boy, and they had decided to name you Naruto. She left everything to you in her will. There is a sizable estate in Kent, as well as a very large vault in Gringotts."
Dumbledore sat back then, watching as the boys face danced through every emotion. Shock, awe, hope, joy - it was all there. His eyes twinkled even more than normal. He really enjoyed surprising children.
Naruto was speechless. He would even say his mind was quite broken at being told all of this. He knew his parents names. All his life, he wanted to know that. He had always wondered who they were, if he had family, a clan, anything at all. Did he look like his dad, or his mom? Was he an only child when he was orphaned, or were there other children in the village that might be his siblings. He wanted to believe the old man in front of him, but was desperately afraid that it might be an evil trick from the people that hated him. But, then again… it still wouldn't explain how he changed climates in seconds. That, and he left his apartment at night, and the sun was near noon here. That seemed to settle his mind a bit. He would believe the old man. "Where they shinobi?" It didn't matter, really. They could have run a restaurant and he would have been happy.
"Your father was leader of the village… I believe your mother called him a Hokage? She had come to Konoha with a group of refugees from another village. If I had known that you were an orphan, I would have come for you myself. Unfortunately, believing that you were being raised by your family, I could not until you reached school age, and that only if you inherited the ability to use magic. Your mother could not, by the way. It was for that reason why she left with her father. It is difficult living in the wizarding world without magic."
Once again, Naruto's mind stopped working. His father was the Hokage? There was only one Hokage that it could have been. His hero, the Yondaime. The same bastard that earned his respect for sacrificing his life for the village's survival, but earned his curses for choosing him, as well. He knew that it had to be done. The Kyuubi would have destroyed Konoha. Now he knew that the Yondaime spared his village one other thing as well. No one had to give him a child to contain the fox, because the Hokage didn't ask for one. No other family would suffer for their happiness, only his own. Naruto didn't know whether to be pissed or proud, and the chicken seemed to realize it.
With a small flap of wings, Fawkes flew over to his knee and perched. Moments later, an unearthly melody began to fill the room, washing away all anger and confusion. It soothed and calmed the fox vessel, letting him think rationally. 'At least the chicken had some use.', he thought. 'but magic?'
"Is magic like Chakra?"
Dumbledore leaned back, thinking. "Close. The two can mimic the same results, of course. However, there is one major difference that tells me that they are different. With chakra, almost anyone with the correct training may use it, and everyone has it. A living being may increase their reserves by keeping both their mind and their body fit. However, it is mainly used for defense and offense. Magic, on the other hand, is a trait that is selective. Simply being alive does not guarantee it's presence, and the wizards reserves only increase with age. It is more versatile, as well. It may create, clean, defend, attack, amuse, as well as track. Wizards and witches incorporate magic into every moment of their lives, which is why someone without magic, like your mother, would never be happy in our world."
"And you say that I have magic?" Naruto's mind had calmed down with Fawkes influence, allowing the normally hyperactive brat to think clearly.
"My dear child, your name would never have been on our lists if you did not."
The possibilities began to tease at the young shinobi's mind. A power that can do all that, in the hands of a notorious prankster, in a place, like Konoha, that has absolutely no experience with it. He couldn't stop the foxy little grin that was playing on his face. He seriously had to learn how to use it. But first…"You said that your going to get rid of the fox." Naruto reminded the Headmaster. "But I've been told that I would die if he was removed."
"Normally, using chakra techniques, this would be true. However, as I've said, magic is more versatile, and our healing methods are more advanced. It would be Childs play to temporarily anchor your soul to your body long enough to exercise the kitsune's. The demon would go through the gate back to the Makai, which would close immediately afterwards. This would completely sever your soul from his, and we would be able to heal any damage caused to you before we dispel the artificial anchor and let your natural want and need to stay alive resume the task. Hence, you will not die."
Naruto blinked, before screwing his face up. He really didn't understand what the hell the old man just said, but it sounded impressive. He knew that he was smarter than the villagers thought, but this guy was on a whole new level than him. "What will happen to Kyuubi after that? Will he be able to come back and attack Konoha?"
"Not at all, dear boy. Demons can only leave the Makai when they are summoned. The demonologist that I will be contacting may also lay a geas, or a command that must be followed, that would keep the Kyuubi from ever attacking humans again. He would simply go on with his life in the demon realm, and you would continue on in the mortal realm."
"I have to talk to the Old Man…." Naruto mumbled. "I have to be dreaming…"
"If you ask Fawkes nicely, I'm sure that he would be willing to send a message to your village. I'm sure that you would like him to stick around long enough to acquire some clothes?"
The young shinobi blushed, realizing that he had been speaking to the old man in his pajama's and sleeping cap. Then again, he smirked, it was still better than wearing a dress…
Night had fallen over the shinobi village, lending cover to the many Anbu and Oinin that patrolled the streets. The Chunin exams were underway, and this year it was Konoha's turn to host them. The hotels were packed with foreign nins that were competing for their village's prestige, as well as the out of town families of the shinobi of fire.
In the topmost office of the administrative tower, an old man dozed at his desk. A small trickle of blood leaking from his nostrils were the only clue as to what the strongest ninja in the village dreamed about. Every once in a while, the old man giggled in his sleep, content that everything in his village was running smoothly.
Behind him sat an open window, letting in a breeze that cooled the otherwise stifling heat of a tropical night. The dark shadows of buildings could be seen through it, as well as the imposing visages of the former Hokage's that had been carved into the mountain that looked over the village.
Suddenly, a brief flash of fire lit up the darkened office, startling the old leader awake. His feet immediately fell off of the scarred, wooden desktop to slam into the polished wood of the floor. The Hokage stood, instantly ready for battle, only to relax and stand down at the sight of the legendary bird of fire.
Fawkes chirped around the letter in his beak, pure amusement shining from his beady little eyes. It was moments like this, that he realizes why he hung around humans. They were always good for a laugh! He flew over to the old man and dropped the letter at his feet before settling down on the windowsill.
Night had fallen over the shinobi village, lending cover to the many Anbu and Oinin that patrolled the streets. The Chunin exams were underway, and this year it was Konoha's turn to host them. The hotels were packed with foreign nins that were competing for their village's prestige, as well as the out of town families of the shinobi of fire.
In the topmost office of the administrative tower, an old man dozed at his desk. A small trickle of blood leaking from his nostrils were the only clue as to what the strongest ninja in the village dreamed about. Every once in a while, the old man giggled in his sleep, content that everything in his village was running smoothly.
Behind him sat an open window, letting in a breeze that cooled the otherwise stifling heat of a tropical night. The dark shadows of buildings could be seen through it, as well as the imposing visages of the former Hokage's that had been carved into the mountain that looked over the village.
Suddenly, a brief flash of fire lit up the darkened office, startling the old leader awake. His feet immediately fell off of the scarred, wooden desktop to slam into the polished wood of the floor. The Hokage stood, instantly ready for battle, only to relax and stand down at the sight of the legendary bird of fire.
Fawkes chirped around the letter in his beak, pure amusement shining from his beady little eyes. It was moments like this, that he realizes why he hung around humans. They were always good for a laugh! He flew over to the old man and dropped the letter at his feet before settling down on the windowsill.
Arching his brow, Sarutobi picked up the letter and leaned against his desk to read it. As he recognized the handwriting, an uneasy feeling began to sink into his chest.
"Dear Old Man,
I'm writing to let you know that I won't be able to take part in the Chunin exams. Heck, I probably won't be able to return to Konoha until next summer! It's not my fault! I was kidnapped by that funky flaming chicken!
Anyway, It seems that I have a guardian outside of the Elemental Countries. My grandmother, (Mom's mother), left him custody of me until I'm 17. He's enrolled me into this really weird school where I can learn to use magic like Mom's family!
He's also in charge of my estate. Did you know that I'm rich? Hey, did Dad leave me anything when he died? If so, can you continue to take care of his stuff? Headmaster Dumbledore has been taking care of the Smithers' estate for me, so you don't have to worry about that.
Love,
Namikaze Uzumaki Naruto
P.S. - can you send some clothes back with Fawkes? All I have are the pajama's he kidnapped me in!"
The Hokage groaned. Already, he had a headache and his stomach was turning. This was bad, very bad. The Council was going to have a field day about the disappearance of the boy. They would probably try to have him court marshaled when he returned as a missing nin! For that matter, Danzo has never forgiven him for not giving him Naruto for his Root division, so he would cause problems just to piss Sarutobi off!
He didn't know who this Albus Dumbledore was, but Kushina did tell him about her youth in England. He knew about magic, as well as the fact that Naruto had a grandmother still there. He hadn't known that the boy was wealthy, not that it mattered. The man must be legitimate, since he had been the only one that knew of Naruto's heritage. If this Dumbledore told Naruto, then he could only have learned from the boys real grandmother.
Sarutobi sighed, then signaled his Anbu to come in.
"How may I help you, Hokage-sama?" Cat asked.
"I need you to summon Kakashi, and then bring me a few outfits that would fit Naruto."
"Sir?"
"Naruto has been summoned by his legal guardian to attend school in England. Unfortunately, the phoenix took him in his pajamas. I need to send him some clothes back to England with the bird."
Cat's eyes bulged out behind his mask. Kakashi-sempai was going to be upset that he was missing his student, even more so once the Uchiha realized that he wouldn't be able to finish the exam without a third team mate. Cat didn't even want to think about the council, but he knew that the villagers would be happy to get rid of the boy. That is, until they realized how it would affect the Uchiha's progress!
"Well, it's not my problem." He thought, saluting the Hokage. Without anymore wasted time, he hopped out of the window. Within moments, he was banging on Kakashi's window.
"Hokage wants you immediately." He said, as soon as the jounin opened his window.
"What happened?" Kakashi asked. It was unusual to be called in the middle of the night with no warning, not unless something big happened.
Cat shrugged, then sighed. He really did deserve some advanced warning. "Naruto is no longer in Konoha. His guardian sent a phoenix to take him."
"What guardian? Damn it all! This has to be one of Naruto's pranks! Besides, there's no such animal as a phoenix! They Only exist in children's stories!"
"Kakashi-sempai… I know what I saw sitting in Hokage-sama's window… it's a phoenix." Cat hunched, as if he was apologizing, then took off. He had to get the brat some clothes. At least, he can separate the knucklehead from his orange jumpsuits!
Kakashi was agitated as he arrived at the tower. Sarutobi, noticing his anxiety, simply handed the silver haired man the letter. A few minutes later, he remembered what name Naruto signed, and gulped. That was a genin mistake, and he should have known better than to make it!
"Is it true?" Kakashi asked, eyes narrowed. He hadn't been aware that his sensei's child survived that night. More importantly, the old man blatantly lied to him when he had asked!
"Yes. It was Minato's last wish to keep his heritage a secret until he made Chunin. He did not want his son to be hunted down by assassins from other countries. However, neither of us thought that he would be able to use magic, as his mother couldn't. Since he can use it, he needs to train in it so that he doesn't destroy something by accident. I had no idea that his grandmother died, much less that she appointed a guardian to the boy if he was magical."
"I'm going to England to be with him. I was supposed to be his godfather, and I've done a shitty job of it so far." Kakashi stated, his tone firm. "My team won't be able to go farther in the exams. You can tell the council that they felt that they weren't ready, and that I took them on an extended training trip. That will keep them for trying to have Naruto labeled a missing nin."
"You plan on taking team 7 with you, then?" Sarutobi said, interested. He knew that he wouldn't have to explain the problem to the jounin. Kakashi was a genius, after all. More than that, he was right. It was a brilliant plan, when he thought about it.
"Yes. I'll tell them that we are to investigate his disappearance, and to ascertain if it is legitimate. Once there, I will remind them that they won't be able to finish the exams, and that we will stay there to improve on teamwork and personal abilities before the next exam. Sasuke should be angry enough that he'll go just to beat the crap out of Naruto for leaving, Sakura will go because Sasuke is."
"Alright. Go pack and collect your team. If you could throw a bag together for Naruto, it would be appreciated. However, don't worry about clothes. Cat is acquiring clothes for the boy, and knowing him, it will be something completely free of the color orange." Sarutobi said, dryly. He, himself, had been trying for years to get Naruto to dress appropriately. Physical distance from the abomination of style would do what he could not.
Kakashi snickered, as if he were reading his thoughts. He, too, had tried to talk to Naruto about blending in with the scenery, and only got a spiel from the boy about improving his stealth by making it harder. If anything, at least this mess would improve the boy's wardrobe.
'
An hour later, the jounin and his team landed in the same strange office that Naruto had, looking at the same strange old man, and blinked. The old man that he assumed was Dumbledore had even worse taste in clothes than Naruto……