Fire. That's all what I remembered when my town was destroyed; fire and the smell of death. I don't remember much except that and what happen afterwards, that part was what I would have loved to forget more than anything. The smell was so inflamed in my nose, it made it so I can smell death only more then half a mile away now. People thought the senseless killing and chaos would end after the great ninja war had ended.
They were wrong.
So many people died that day and there were barely any survivors. I guess it helps with my job too, hunting down criminals, sometimes they leave or bring a dead body with them. And I know what you're thinking now, I'm not a cop, or a solider, or an Anbu, or a ninja for that matter. Just the opposite: I'm a bounty hunter. I've been one since I was 14 and I'd say I'm pretty good at my job.
I did want to be a police officer when I was younger, but I learned at a young age that even in an agency with good people who want to do what's right and bring justice, there will always be one corrupted evil bastard. Not many girls wanted to be a police officer where I'm from. Well, I wasn't most girls. I was the girl that wore pants instead of skirts, who had more guy friends than girl friends and preferred to get dirty and rough housed. But I learned the hard way what authority and the law can be really like. That's why I work alone; but sometimes I will partner up or trade information if the situation requires it.
That doesn't mean all my interesting friends and so-called acquaintances are angels...well, I'm no angel either, I'd chuckle to myself. I'm so messed up to be considered as anything but holy or a saint. Not only that, but I'm an alcoholic—well semi-recovering alcoholic and not to mention I'm only 18. Funny, right? Sakura, one of my friends, says it's because of survivor's guilt, I drink to punish myself or forget. Well it does help sometimes for that problem, but mostly it just makes me feel better. She also thinks I'm going to be the death of her one day.
Maybe beating the crap out of me will knock some sense into me or something like that, what do you think? But no matter how hard I try, I can never forget that day...for that day I lost my home, I lost my friends, I lost someone I loved, and even some who gave me the scars on my back.
My name is Naoki Uzumaki, and no, I'm not a boy, don't let the name fool you. Blame my mom, he named me. I don't know why, I guess he thought I was going to be a boy and was too lazy to change it; and yes, I said 'he' for my mom. You see, my mom isn't really normal from what Sakura says but I never really knew my mother who left me when I was only 3. But right now, he's my next bounty, my own personal bounty to be honest and right now I'm heading to the place he and Sakura grew up: Konoha.
From what heard, it's a place were Ninjutsu is practiced. Even though Sakura and my mom apparently have it, I have no knowledge of it whatsoever. My town made it forbidden and they definitely weren't involved with the wars the came with it. They really weren't into making little kids into murderers. Even though I don't have this Ninja mumbo-jumbo stuff, I know how to fight and I fight hard and good and I can tell you one thing: I always get my bounty.
Always.