The Last Hero
"Once, many years ago, when demons were accepted by the humans, the two clans ruled the Fire continent in peace. Then, the head demon, a fox with nine tails, a monster among monsters, attacked the defenseless city of Konoha. A mysterious warrior, known only as 'Hokage', appeared when the monster began its blind destruction of Konoha. He, at the cost of his own life, finally defeated the fox, aided by his Summon, the Head Toad. The rulers of Konoha now take his name as their own, paying tribute to the hero who chained the fox inside a newly born boy, whose soul was destroyed by the fox's corrupted energy. This boy, one a citizen of Konoha, became the fox in a weaker form, incapable of regaining its former shape, the chains binding the fox inside the body locking away its unimaginable power. The abomination was, thankfully, killed at the age of six on the anniversary of noble Hokage's death…"
Closing his eyes, Uzumaki Naruto blocked out the rest of the lecture, silently fuming. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled when he discreetly looked around and saw all the other kids listening to the instructor with rapt attention, enthralled by the exciting passage from the Book of Triumphs, the holy book of prophecy and law. The small, stuffy classroom, filled with boys and girls of ages ranging from fifteen to seventeen, was made even more uncomfortable by the scent of incense wafting from the shrine to Hokage.
Positioned in the center of the room at the front so that everyone could see it easily, the shrine was little more than two wooden poles, painted blood-red, going from the floor to the ceiling, with a horizontal pole, cut in half, about five feet off the ground. In the center of the platform created by the horizontal pole, a statue of the Hokage stood, his expression one of determination, mouth open in a silent battle cry. The poles on either side of the statue had little holders for incense, the holders branded with a stylized leaf, the symbol of Konoha. (1)
Familiar anger clawed at Naruto's stomach whenever the teacher mentioned the fox; clenching his fists, the blonde boy of seventeen tried not to let his rage show. If he dared disagree with the Book of Triumphs' decrees, he could be tried for treason and killed by way of Hokage's Justice. The Hokage Mountain, a mountain carved into the face of the Hokage, was a shine to the Hokage who had defeated the fox; it was sacred to the villagers of Konoha, a holy place to go and pray if someone wanted the Hokage's advice. Below the Hokage's carved face were the faces of the village's founder and the man, who after saving the village from a devastating tsunami, became the next ruler of Konoha. Hokage's face was the largest, most prominent and most revered; the other men were important, yes, but Hokage had saved the village from their enemy, the fox, willingly giving up his life for people he didn't even know. This made him a hero in the eyes of the people.
At the Mountain's base were the Blade Courts, where trials of varying importance were held. Traitors of Konoha or the Fire country were tied to weights and thrown from the mountain's top, their last moments of Konoha's citizens cheering for his or her death and songs of 'merciful justice'. This way of killing traitors was called merciful because the people believed that the Hokage's spirit still protected the village, and betrayers were severely punished and sentenced to eternal torture in the pits of Hell; anything the people of Konoha did to the traitor was nothing compared to what the Hokage would do.
Naruto was greatly relieved when the instructor turned and bowed to the shrine, then clapped his hands four times. The ritual morning reading was over, and students filed out, stopping to bow to the shrine when they passed. Naruto bowed, blonde hair falling into his face; he would have to get a haircut soon. He walked slowly to his first class, already depressed. It was a Monday, meaning that he wouldn't see his friend and landlord, Umino Iruka, until that night. Naruto endured the day of classes, keeping himself sane with the idea of Iruka's awesome cooking; he didn't know how the other kids could stand having theories, definitions and codes drilled into their skulls day after day. Konoha, being a leader in technological advances, taught all its children how to master computers, producing some of the best hackers ever known. Naruto barely managed to get through his last class with agitated shuffling and constant glances at the clock.
He left the Citadel, descending into the First Level. Konoha was a city of three levels. The top-most level was the Citadel, the area of Konoha where all the government-funded schools and research labs were; all its buildings had domed roofs, and people got from building to building by way of thin bridges that arched gently. It was clean and quiet; almost too quiet, Naruto thought. Toad Children, the sons and daughters of the nobles, attended the best Academies at the Citadel, their parents either in the government, the military, or worked as researchers. Children who were state-funded, such as orphans like Naruto, were required to attend school, but were usually forbidden to enter the Citadel, the parents of Toad Children not wanting their precious offspring to mingle with 'those foxes', as the lower class was often called.
Naruto was allowed into the highest-ranking Citadel school, Hokage Education Academy, because of Iruka. Naruto, just turned seventeen was thus not an adult, and Iruka, as his landlord, was recognized as his legal guardian in the eyes of the state; Iruka being of a high rank as Head Instructor of HEA, ensured that Naruto got a good education.
Naruto was suddenly pushed onto the ground, one arm pinned tightly behind his back by strong arms. A knee dug into the small of his back and Naruto had trouble breathing; someone was practically sitting on him, and whoever he or she was, they were no lightweight.
Please let me know what you think. I know it's weird, but it's AU, so deal with it.
Notes:
(1) – It's a Japanese-style shrine, but it goes from the floor to the ceiling of the room.