Chapter 1: Being Free
"Rule number one. Never let your guard down."
He stared up at the cracked ceiling of his cell. He heard a soft noise from the corner of his cell and looked to see a rat scurrying into a hole. He knew that any small movement could mean anything in here.
"Rule number two. Take care of your own, cause no one else will."
For three years he was stuck in here. He knew that he was innocent, but once you get placed in here you weren't. It was real simple there is no such thing as innocent, not in here.
He had no idea how he looked like all he remember was before he got thrown in here he used to ware a lot of orange. He knew he got taller but didn't know the exact height. There was something he did remember about himself though. That he was a fool to trust those people.
"Rule number three. Never trust someone that tells you to trust them."
That last one….that last rule….if he had known that long ago he wouldn't be here.
Three simple rules that meant a lot, especially in here, he smirked a bit remembering his first experience with the one they called Thirteen.
-Flashback-
He was kicking and screaming trying to do whatever to get out of the grip from the two guards that where dragging him to solitary confinement. He tried to tell them that he didn't start that fight, the other guy did, but they didn't listen to him at all. One of them opened the door; the other one punched him in the gut and threw him inside.
"Let me guess your fist time in here" said a smooth voice, not to deep.
"Yeah" said Naruto lightly.
"You shouldn't trust the guards or even try to reason with them" the voice said "they think that we are nothing but trash."
Naruto was quiet for a while, "any other advice?" he asked sincerely.
"Now that you mention it….Rule number one, never let your guard down. People in here are a bit paranoid and will probably shank you at any moment. Rule number two, take care of your own. You can take it as finish your own business or take care of your crew, because frankly no one else will. And the last rule, this is the golden rule you hear. Don't trust anyone that sais to trust them" the voice finished.
"So should I trust you, and what you just told me?" asked Naruto.
"If you want I didn't say to trust me, I gave you advice, take it or leave it" the voice concluded.
There was a long pause, Naruto was deciding whether or not to listen to the advice this stranger was giving him. That is until he heard the other person talk.
"What's your name?"
"Shouldn't you give out your own before asking others?" responded Naruto.
The other person chuckled a bit "in here shit like that doesn't matter, forget everything that you knew that was considered polite and shit."
Naruto thought about that then responded "My name is Naruto, yours?"
"They call me Thirteen. Be quiet for a while a guard's coming"
Naruto got quiet and heard footsteps coming towards their direction. A small panel opened at the bottom of his door and a tray with food slid in. Then he heard the footsteps leave.
"Guards are too stupid to check if the walls are actually holding up in here or if we can talk with others. Besides it makes time go faster if you chat with someone else."
-End Flashback-
An alarm went off and Naruto's door opened along with everyone else's. It was time for everyone to go out to the yard.
Naruto walked out to the yard and headed towards his crew. They weren't many compared to the others but at least he could trust them. They helped him when he needed them, like the time when his old academy teacher Mizuki wanted to kill him over that whole scroll incident. Naruto managed to hold him off for a while but Mizuki got the upper hand for a brief second and was about to finish him off. At that moment some one helped him out. His name was Yamagura.
Yamagura is the leader of this crew and Naruto was his left hand man, his right hand man used to be Thirteen, but when he got killed he said he wasn't going to have another right hand man, not for a long time.
Naruto took a seat next to Yamagura who was playing shogi with some old guy. "You wanted to see me?" asked Naruto.
Yamagura moved a piece before answering him, "there´s a rumor going around that you're innocent."
Naruto looked at him and scuffed "and what's the point of spreading a rumor like that in here."
Yamagura looked briefly at him then moved another piece "I didn't say that it was going around in here." Naruto looked at him seriously for a moment.
"Does it have to do with what you told me, about 18 years ago?" he asked.
"Possibly or maybe they miss you" said Yamagura with a sarcastic smile.
"How exactly did you hear of it?" asked Naruto.
Yamagura watched as his opponent moved a piece "I still got a couple of contacts that can tell me some news every now and then. But I guess you can say that it's my poison, after all I'm in here because I knew who your parents were and stood up for you."
Naruto just stood staring off for a while, "either way shit has happened and now things will probably get resolved. Maybe you'll get out of here too, you know since you where framed."
Yamagura laughed a bit and continue to play "how long have you been in here and you still think that there are innocents."
-Prison cell-
Naruto was lying down on his cot just staring, not a lot of things to do inside. He then heard some footsteps coming. He glanced a bit towards the bars to see the guard in front of his cell. "You have a visitor" he said plainly, opened the cell door and pulled out some cuffs.
Naruto got up and put his arms out, "is this some kind of joke?"
The guard put the cuffs on and made him walk not even bothering to answer.
-Visiting room-
He noticed that there was only one person in the visitor's area, he walked towards the person and sat down in front of her. She had curly brown hair that reached pass her shoulders, rectangle shaped glasses that adorned her quite beautifully. She was slim seemed to be around 5 feet 4 inches maybe 6 inches.
She looked at him and cleared her throat "Mr. Uzumaki, I have reviewed your case and notice a lot of anomalies. Add to these revelations the council members that have accused you of the act have also been accused of many falsifications."
"So this means what exactly?" asked Naruto.
"That there is a great possibility that you may be able set free and be compensated." She said in her most professional voice, not losing eye contact with him.
"Hmmm…. Well does this compensation involve you?" asked Naruto with a small smile. She had a small blush and once again cleared her throat.
"Mr. Uzumaki I'm trying to help you out here, please take this serious. As I have stated previously there where a lot of anomalies and I may have the possibility of having your case reopened before the council of the Leaf." She stated and pushed up her glasses slightly.
"Well if this is true then I might as stay in here" he said simply "if it was anything like last time then it will be the most biased case. The civilian council will just probably yell out guilty and lock me up before I say anything" finished Naruto.
"That is something else I have been meaning to ask you, the civilian council voted but there wasn't a single clan head vote registered" she said as she sorted through some papers.
"That's because none of them where there, or the Hokage" he said plainly without any once of feeling.
"But you where a registered shinobi of Konoha, your crime was against a civilian but both sides of the council should have been present for your hearing." She said as she once again started to look for some papers.
Naruto just stared at her before deciding to speak, "you don't know who I am, do you?"
"I have heard of the many things you have done for the village, bringing lady Tsunade to become the Hokage, retrieving Sasuke Uchiha from escaping then saving him from being kidnapped, I even heard that you were the apprentice to master Jiraiya" she finished with a bit of pride in her voice. "I have heard much about your missions too..." at that moment however she got cut off by Naruto.
"I think you misunderstood, I meant to say who I am not what I have done" he said and looked at her with out even blinking.
She looked at him not really knowing what to say, she was trying to think of anything to say but couldn't come up with an answer. "The civilian council has always hated me, always will. They fear me because I have something….locked up you could say. They have tried many times to have the worst done to me and they finally succeeded in doing this. But on the side note what's your name and who sent you to get me out?" Naruto asked.
"My name is Nami Yagimara, and no one sent me, well not directly this is my first assignment" she said with pride once again present in her voice.
"And why me exactly? I don't think we have ever met before" Naruto continued to ask his questions.
"Well we have met before, you where with your team, and had just finished a mission. I was still on the same path when a horse went wild and started to charge in my direction. I froze up and thought that I was going to get trampled but you got me out of the way. You then asked me if I was okay but before I got to respond your teammates called you and you left. Ever since then I have felt that I need to pay you back, and now I have found a way" she said not losing eye contact.
Naruto remembered that incident it was a month after the failed kidnapping of Sasuke where Jiraiya and Tsunade managed to kill Orochimaru.
"And so you decided to help me out. How noble of you, but like I said before the council will want to keep me locked up, besides what do I have to go back too, in here I know with who I'm dealing with" he finished.
"What do you mean by that?" Nami asked.
"Nothing just something personal, but do whatever you want" said Naruto as he got up and asked the guard to be taken away. Nami at that instant also got up and went to dig up more information about what happened.
-2 weeks later-
Naruto stood before the warden as he receiving his belongings when he entered. As he finally pocketed his last item the warden did a couple of hand seals and the shackles came off. He then began to walk outside; the gate opened up and was let through.
Outside he saw that there was a whole group of people waiting for someone, he assumed. And a few feet from them he saw the one person that helped him out. He walked towards Nami and noticed that the group of people just stared at him.
"I guess you were right, you did get me out of there" said Naruto as he looked at his lawyer.
"Aren't you going to say something to your friends over there?" she asked as she nodded towards the Konoha eleven.
"What friends?" he asked in a sarcastic voice. He then began to walk a way, Nami a bit hesitant to go but after a couple of seconds followed.
"Naruto!" yelled out Sasuke.
Naruto stopped, turned around and looked at the group
"So what, we don't deserve a hi now?" Sasuke asked his old best friend.
"And who are you?" asked Naruto as he raised an eye brow.
"We're your friends" responded Sakura this time.
"Friends? Nah, you aren't friends, maybe a long time ago but not anymore" he finished. This had a couple of different reactions among the Konoha eleven. A certain Hyuga started to tear up while many started to get mad.
"So what, because we didn't stop you from getting locked up we aren't your friends. You turned into an asshole" yelled out Kiba.
Naruto looked at him wanting to say something but didn't in the end. "You know what this isn't worth my time, like I wasn't any of yours" he spat in their direction "Trash."
Naruto turned around and began to walk away once again. Nothing was said, Naruto and Nami began to walk towards the leaf.
-Leaf village, Barbeque stand-
Naruto once outside decided he needed to eat something he hasn't had in a long time. Ichiraku's came to mind but he decided he needed something else, besides he didn't what to see the old man or the chick. When he entered the place lots of people just kept staring at him, the hostess didn't know what to do. She was too intimidated to try and deny him entrance, so she just took him to the furthest stall.
"You said a while back that I was going to get compensated for getting locked up. How much exactly am I going to get?" Naruto asked as he started to eat a piece of meat and laid another on the grill.
"I managed to get you this much" she then wrote down the number on a napkin and passed it to Naruto. He grabbed and it looked at the number, he just smirked at the number. Ten million, with that much he would be able to buy anything he would want.
"You know what I think I should get you something to even things out. You got me out, I got you from the horse, you got me my compensation you need something too" said Naruto firmly and finished his last bite.
"You don't really have to do that you know" she tried to get him out of that train of thought.
"I know but still I want to" he finished.
-30 minuets later-
Nami was walking with a diamond necklace; it had blue diamonds with blue trimmings. In total it had cost 30,000 but Naruto said it had no big impact on him.
Naruto started to buy clothes for himself also. A couple of stores didn't want to sell him because of the way he looked. After all he was a bit on the buff side with that look of someone who has had it tough. The way he carried himself too added to that effect, and plus his height was a bit intimidating, 5 feet 10 inches.
Even though he was in prison, convicts found ways to get things past guards. For example the majority of the people inside knew how to draw some storage seals. He too learned a couple of things, so he bought a scroll and put all of his new bought items in there.
"Well Nami I would like to take you home but I have some personal things to take care of. How about you and I go out tomorrow" he said with a small smile.
She blushed a bit and responded "I would love to." She then wrote down her address on the price tag of her necklace and handed it to Naruto. He watched as she left and then turned to look at the Hokage's building. He then began to walk as the sun started its decent. "I will get what belongs to me" he said sternly.
-Hokage's office-
Naruto got into the office and sat right down and looked at Tsunade. She had a huge smile on her face when he stepped into the room. But once that she saw that he didn't call her grandma or granny she got slightly serious. Finally when he sat down right she knew that he wasn't his old self.
"Tsunade, it's been a long time. All pleasantries aside, I want what's mine" Naruto said simply.
"Naruto its good to see you…..I'm sorry I could…" she immediately go interrupted.
"I didn't come here for apologies I came here for what's mine" he said once again.
"Naruto I really am…." She tried to continue but to no avail.
"I seriously don't give a fuck, Tsuande" he now said with a clearly irritated tone.
Tsunade being who she is didn't back down, "that's Hokage to you brat."
"You're not my kage not any more" said Naruto showing that he wouldn't back down "I bet that instead of finding what really happened I bet that you honestly believed that I did that right? But if you really want to even things out give. Me. What's. Mine."
Tsunade glared slightly at him "it will take time for your license to get returned, you just need to sign some papers."
"I could care less about that I mean what is my birthright" he finished. At that Tsunade's eyes went wide, closed for a bit, and then she stared at Naruto once again.
"Who told you?" she asked trying to find out.
"Does it fucking matter I want my inheritance, you and Jiraiya have kept it from me long enough" he said.
Tsunade tried to once again say something "I really am sorry about the whole inceden…."
Naruto just looked at her real impatiently. Tsunade got the hint and got up, she walked up to the fourth Hokage's picture turned it over and dispelled a seal. Once the seal activated a pair of keys and a piece of paper puffed out and the seal erased. She then walk to the Hokage's vault, went inside and returned with a scroll slightly smaller then the forbidden scroll.
"These keys are to the door of your parent's house the address is on the keychain, the number is to your parent's account, and this scroll is your copy of the forbidden scroll" she finished with slightly teary eye.
"Whatever" Naruto said, got his stuff and left.
-Outside-
He walked with a huge smile on his face. He had everything he wanted; finally he could be able to move on with his life. He just needed to pay back a couple of people still in prison but nothing to big.
He had a huge smile on his face but suddenly it was gone. "Some people think that when a shinobi gets sent to prison or doesn't use his abilities for a long time they won't be able to sense others like before" Naruto said as he turned around to look at Sasuke "but they don't know what they're talking about. So can I help you with something?"
"I have a lot of things I want to talk about. Why don't we go grab a cup of coffee or something so we can sit down" said Sasuke as he looked at Naruto.
"I'm good right here, besides I don't drink coffee" said Naruto as he too looked at Sasuke.
Sasuke looked hesitant to continue not really know what to say "Shit Naruto what do you want me to say. There wasn't anything I could do, not with my betrayal still hanging over me that time. You said we were like brothers, and I see us like that right now."
"Brothers….. I didn't know you bothered to visit me at least during my lock up" said Naruto "or did you?"
"I didn't" said Sasuke in a downcast tone Naruto.
"My brother would have bothered to show up" Naruto then turned around and then continued to walk.
"Naruto wait" started Sasuke. Naruto however just continued to walk he didn't bother to turn around.
-Naruto's old apartment-
Naruto walked into his old place and just lay down on his bed and went to sleep. Tomorrow he would be moving into his new house and be claiming what is his. He just hoped he didn't have to deal with a certain group of people.
He then felt a slight tug, something he hadn't felt in over a 3 years.
Once he opened his eyes he saw that he was in a sewer, it still sucked and the only difference he saw was the fact the water was up to his knees. He opened the door to which it led to the Kyubi's chamber.
"It's been a long time" Naruto said as he approached the bars. The first thing he saw was the white teeth then the red slitted eyes. Then the rest of the fox showed.
"Three miserable years" said the Kyubi "I would have preferred that you killed yourself."
"True but I wouldn't have gotten what I deserve" said Naruto "but enough about me what's new with you?" A smile crossed Naruto's face seeing that this question irritated the fox.
"Brat" started the fox. Suddenly it started to shrink; Naruto raised an eye brow to see what the fox was planning. Out of no where an image of a person put itself next to the bars. Naruto finally made it out clearly, it was his image, a perfect copy of him except for the fact that everything about itself was a dark red-orange.
"This was what I've been up too" it said with a smirk.
"So you took my image, not bad" said Naruto as he crossed his arms.
"You're DNA was the only thing I had to work with, besides I wanted to see what your parents would do when they saw me like this" said the Kyubi "especially since you don't seem to care about if I use it."
"My parents are dead, what you expect them to get revived or something?" he asked sincerely.
"No, but they did put in some preventive measures, just incase" continued the Kyubi.
"Really now and how would…..oh I don't know…. I get them too come out?" asked Naruto sincerely wanting to meet his parents.
At that moment Kyubi knew that he and his container could become a better team. A few years ago he would just plan to kill him but now he wouldn't actually mind. "Maybe you spending sometime in that prison actually helped you" said the Kyubi.
"It did open my eyes a bit more" Naruto said "but how about you tell me how we can meet my parents."
Kyubi smirk grew, "well how about you remove the paper up there and we see what happens."
"I'm not that stupid Kyubi, I remove the paper and I go" Naruto looked at his reflection.
"Didn't you just hear me about the preventive measures?" Kyubi continued with its plan.
Naruto stood there thinking for a while, he then decided to walk up to the gate and just as he did the paper came down just within reach. Naruto looked at it, reached out and started to pull. About half way through a hand stopped him.
"What are you doing Naruto? Have you changed so much that you listened to the fox?"
Naruto didn't waste any time, he balled up his fist and punched the voice where he assumed would be his stomach. He hit the person right where he intended.
Naruto turned around and looked at the man that in his childhood he looked up too, in his teenage years wanted to be better than, but now knew that man was his father. "I have changed but it was for the better."
"When I saw how you where growing up, a happy child that would overcome all obstacles and look for the better in people. I was so proud, yes I was mad at how you got treated but I saw you overcome everything. But then you started to fall for everything you where told inside that place" said Minato.
"You are right I did grow up like that but I was a fool, a huge fool. No matter what I did, I always put others before myself and look at where that got me. Even worse no one gave a damn, no one bothered to check up on me" finished Naruto.
"He has a point, Minato" said another voice interrupting their conversation. Both blondes looked at the source. Naruto turned to look back at Minato, who only opened his eyes a bit wider and stared at the image of his son. He then realized who that was, the eyes were a dead give away.
"What are you doing here and why do you look like that?" Minato asked outraged.
"Me and your son are working out a small agreement, you could say" said the Kyubi as he stayed in his spot.
"What agreement? Naruto you can't trust it!" tried Minato to reason with his son.
"I think I can after all it has been there for me, unlike a pair of people that I know. One of you could have survived but both of you decided to go away and leave me all alone. All I had from the beginning was the Kyubi, sure we haven't talked in the last few years but he was still there" said Naruto.
"I wanted your mother to live so she could raise you but….."Minato was cut off by Naruto.
"I know. You and mother got skewered by the fox. I've already heard the story, by some one who saw the whole thing" said Naruto as he started to loosen up a bit seeing that Minato started to fade away slowly.
"I'm sorry Naruto, I really am…I just wish that all of this didn't happen…..you didn't deserve it" those were the last words Minato said as he finally faded.
"I'll talk to you later I need to sleep" said Naruto as everything went dark and Naruto went into slumber. Kyubi didn't say anything, not that he could say anything in this moment.
-Next day-
"Rise and shine, we got things to do today" said a voice that woke up Naruto. He stirred and then finally woke up; he looked around to see if he could find the person that woke him up.
"Who the hell woke me" said Naruto to himself, not really wanting an answer.
"That would be me, seeing as your father didn't fix the seal, I can talk to you now" Naruto recognized the voice immediately.
"And you woke me up why…" Naruto said out loud.
"Just because you hear me like I'm in the room doesn't mean you have to talk aloud. As for your question there's a group of people outside your apartment" finished the fox.
Naruto got up and stretched, while he looked through the blinds. He noticed a couple of figures some moving while others looking at his direction. Naruto then started to pack up everything that was worth keeping. He didn't leave much, and sealed it into a scroll. Once he had everything he went out the door to see Kakashi standing outside reading his book.
"Naruto it's been a long time, good to see you. You sure have changed while you where….well you look different" said Kakashi in his same tone of voice. He almost mentioned the prison but changed it at the last minuet.
"And you haven't changed a bit" said Naruto as he put both hands on the rail.
"If you say so…. I was thinking if we have a little reunion with the rest of your friends, what you say?" asked Kakashi putting away his books.
"Where do you think I was going, first I have to go meet up with Tenzen then Ya-Yo, he owes me some stuff and finally I need to go and find Cho. He said if I ever get out he would give me a tattoo for free. So later Kakashi" said Naruto as he jumped over the rail and continued to walk towards his destination.
He didn't get far until he stopped and looked towards an alleyway. "If you have something to say to me, just say it cause frankly I don't have the time" said Naruto.
Naruto then saw the woman step out she had a black trench coat to her shins with faded red clouds. What he did remember about her was her blue hair and the paper flower in her hair.
"I just came to visit Jiraiya and to check up on you" said the female.
"Well here I am" said Naruto "now what else do you want Konan."
AN: I really need to get my momentum up for writing stories so I decided to do a short story. Might be 4 to 7 chapters not sure yet, story might not even have an ending. Lots of things will be explained, don't want to ruin the surprise now.
