Chapter 1: Prologue
A/N: Sorry about the sudden change to the story, looking back on it and seeing how short it was didn't really set a good starting point for a first story. So the addition that has been attached was originally going to be the second chapter so what I'm hoping to do by doing this is to hopefully get the prologue done and over with in this chapter instead of it dragging on through any other
Warning: Lengthy Flashback
Disclaimer: Everything that is Naruto belongs to Kishimoto.
Standing in front of a large stone monument, otherwise known as the Memorial Stone that held and represented all the fallen shinobi of Konohagakure, was a child of twelve years of age. Dressed in a dark grey short-sleeved coat with a high collar and a red swirl on the back, with a pair of burgundy shorts that ended a little below the knees and a pair of black shin high sandals, around his right wrist was a black band and a pair of green goggles sitting atop his head.
A few features that stood out the most was the head of fiery red hair and eyes that were a deep azure color (which at the moment seemed so dull and distant) an the peculiar set of three whisker like markings on each side of his face in which finished off the boys unique appearance.
The name of the boy in question would happen to be one Naruto Uzumaki resident shinobi in training, self-proclaimed prank master of Konohagakure, and most notoriously known by the older residents of Konoha as the jinchuriki of the Kyubi no Yoko.
An as to the reason behind to why Naruto would be at a place that held the numerous names of people and loved ones long gone was that he to was visiting a lost loved one. One that he never got the chance to know, a person that he so desperately wished was there with him now instead of having their name engraved upon the stone that he now stood in front of.
He stood there and stared at a name that he had memorized to heart so long ago, a name that tethered him to the two most important people within his short life.
The name that which belonged to his own mother...
Kushina Uzumaki
Shaking his head and regaining back some of his focus and reigning in some of the turbulent emotions that always seem to leave him in a state of sluggish depression. Naruto thought back to how he came to find out about his mother, oh how he can actually say that there's some bitter humor on how simple it actually was to find the information on where to start his search and how the Sandaime seemed to try and deny that he didn't know a thing about at least one of his parents. Yet Naruto was right to not believe when the Sandaime said he didn't know anything, he may be old but one couldn't just forget about a person as renown as the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero.
Start of Flashback
A seven year old Naruto could be seen leaving the Hokage's office with his typical indifferent look sketched across his face, and yet if one was to look closer they would be able to get a sense of the carefully contained frustration and slight depression that the redhead radiated underneath his calm facade.
'Damn it, I know that the old man if lying about not knowing anything about at least one of my parents, there's just no way especially with the way he froze up and acted so stiffly after I asked him. For being the Hokage he sure sucks at lying about things, well at least things regarding me, well if he won't tell me anything than I'll just half to find out myself '. With those thoughts in mind, one determined seven year old Naruto took off to hopefully get some answers.
The events that started this search could be traced back to earlier that day at the shinobi academy when little Naruto was sitting through another history lesson about Konoha and its relationship with the other surrounding lands and villages dotted across the country's.
While ideally flipping through his history book, he briefly registered that the teacher mentioned of a past allied village by the name of Uzu no Kuni that had fallen around the time of the Second Shinobi World War and that the cause of it was that others feared the sealing abilities they held. The teacher also briefly mentioned that the wife of the Shodaime was from Uzu and to represent the alliance and friendship between both villages, their signature red swirl is worn on the back of the flak jacket of every Konoha shinobi.
Initially surprised and intrigued by the thought of hearing the origins of the signature red swirl that he wore and also just the thought of a village so feared, Naruto tried getting the teachers attention to ask if there was more to Uzu no Kuni but to only be disappointed when the teacher seemed to blatantly ignore him. So in seeing that he wasn't going to get any help from the teacher Naruto started searching through his history book to see if he could find any more information on Uzu. After searching for a few minutes, he to his initial disappointment only found basically what the teacher had aready told them, until he read that the people of Uzu no Kuni were also known for their striking red hair and that they were also known for their strong chakra natures in which helped prolong their lives, the thing that topped it off for the little redhead was that the Shodaime's, wife was a one Mito Uzumaki.
After school let out Naruto, with the thoughts and questions in mind to ask old man Sandaime on anything in regards to the Uzumaki and with it if he also knew anything about at least one of his parents fitting the descriptions of an Uzumaki, headed off towards the Hokages office.
So now a few hours later, we find the ninja in training sneaking his way through the shinobi archives within the ninja academy (after he had already checked the public archives earlier) hoping to find any indication of another Uzumaki that might've attended the academy themselves.
Thanking Kami that his days spent pranking the more prejudice teachers gave him a good sense of the layout of the academy, so avoiding some of the remaining teachers came as naturally as if he was just setting up another prank.
'Alright R's, S's, T's, ah U's, Uchiha, Uchiha, aha there you are Uzumaki.' Naruto could've sworn that his heart stopped for a second or two after reading the name on the file. Pulling out the file and tentatively opening it and carefully scanning over the papers for the name or picture of what he actually hoped to be one of his parents.
Stifling the sudden gasp and trying to hold back the sudden onslaught of emotions threatening to burst through. Naruto could do nothing but stare at the picture of a redheaded girl around the age of twelve. Finally pulling his eyes away from the image and reading that the name of the girl was Kushina Uzumaki. Naruto could actually say that within that moment of time he felt over the moon with the possibility of actually finding one of his parents or at least a relative.
After reading through the file and not finding anything else that could be of use to him at the moment, Naruto thought on where else he could find anymore information on his hope-to-be-mother and the only place he could come up with was most likely the archives in the Hokage tower.
Pausing in his musings to notice the faint footsteps approaching the door " Anybody in there? " Came from the other side of the door followed by the sound of the door opening and approaching footsteps. Quickly shuffling all the papers back together and placing them back within the folder correctly (wouldn't take a genius to figure out who looked through one of the only two Uzumaki files) and making sure that he set it back in the right spot, Naruto had just enough time to get out of line sight as one of the academy employees turned the corner.
" Huh? I wonder if Mizuki forgot to close up again, doesn't he remember what happened the last time, that damn bra-"Was the disgruntled reply and mumbles after finding nothing out of the norm. Lost in thought, the teacher never noticed the small shadowy figure slip out the door behind him.
After sneaking his way back out the academy, Naruto headed back to his apartment to try and get his mind around his findings and to get a few hours of sleep.
End of flashback
It also wasn't about a week or so after his initial findings that he snuck into the Hokage tower, to say the least that what followed the findings within the Hokage tower archives gave little Naruto a whole new perspective of things.
Finding out that he wasn't only the son of one but two renown legends of their time, his mother being Kushina Uzumaki the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero and his father being none other than Minato Namikaze Konoha's Yellow-Flash and it's Yondaime Hokage. What seemed to be the finale thing that tipped his entire world was finding out that he had the Kyubi no Yoko sealed inside him and by his own father at that.
In one fell swoop his search for one parent led him to the discovery of so much more, to finding out both of his parents identities and that of the presence of a giant fox made up of mass malevolent chakra living in his gut. So a lot fell into place for Naruto after that, the stares, whispers, and the overall isolation and secrecy of the older population made all the more sense. It took Naruto some time to come to terms with things especially the sealing his father did, he understood his reasoning, it just still doesn't make it any easier to accept (in which Naruto's still doing).
Moving away from the Memorial Stone and heading in the direction of his apartment, Naruto took the second to look back one last time at the stone and assure himself an that of his parents that he hoped to make a difference within his life and the others around him and that he'll hope to make them proud by doing so.
'Kaa-san Tou-san if it's one thing that I would never go back on it would be a promise, on this I swear on my name of an Uzumaki.' Were the final thoughts of one Naruto Uzumaki as he left surrounding area.
A/N: I think the ending was a little too much but oh well. Love it, Hate it, l'm not sure on either one so that's up to you but any criticism or advice would gladly appreciated and if things seem jumbled I'm sorry for my lack of writing skills on that department. Now I know that this chapter really lacked dialogue and I believe I can justify that by at least wanting this chapter to have a breakdown on things. So I'm hoping that any continuing chapters my alleviate that.