Mask of Deception

[AU] What if naruto was only pretending to be dumb? What if he was actually a genius ninja? My way of how naruto would be if I owned it.

This is a rewrite of the story. I didn't like the way it was before and am changing it now. I 'll try sand update once a week.

Naruto won't be super strong right away. I'm going to make him work for it and show how he got that strong. I'm going to make this strictly a Naru/Ino pairing. I just like this pairing. I'm telling you now I will not be changing the pairing or making it a Harem. Also no Yaoi. I have nothing against Yaoi personally just that I can't write it. For all you Sakura fans there will be Sakura bashing but I won't go overboard. Hinata will be OOC in this story. To me she is a stalker plain and simple. I'll try not to go too far but I just think she is weird. Anyway now on to the story and please be fair in the reviews. This is my first story so I apologize if anything seems wrong.

Disclaimer: I do not own naruto. I wished I did but sadly I don't. Now on to the story.

Chapter 1

Pain. Terror. Fear. These are but a few feelings that are going through the mind of the five year old blue eyed blonde haired boy as he is running down street. Behind the boy there is a group of people who are chasing him. Who is this boy and why are they chasing him? His name is Uzumaki Naruto and he is the container for the Kyuubi no Kitsune King of all demons.

"I gotta get out of here." Naruto thought frantically.

"Get back here demon." Said one villager.

"Monster" cried another villager.

"This is payback for assaulting me earlier." Said the villager who started this whole mess.

Naruto ran as fast as he could. He's been running for two hours now. All this just because he wanted to get some food to eat.

Flasback

Naruto was heading to Ichiraku's Ramen to get something to eat. It was the first time in a week that he was getting something edible He had some money after spending three days looking on the ground for spare change. While he was walking he was daydreaming about the ramen he would eat and was not paying attention to his surroundings. He bumped into a man who appeared to be drunk and fell down.

"Sorry about bumping into you." Said Naruto kindly.

"That's quite alrighh……YOU!" said the drunk guy. "YOUR GOING TO PAY FOR THAT DEMON. GET BACK HERE.

"Please, it was an accident." He said frantically knowing what was about to happen.

"Today is my lucky day. I'll be known as a hero for getting rid of you monster." He started to chase naruto and the villagers who say who he was decided to join in the chase as well.

End Flashback

Naruto turned right down an alley hoping to escape. When he turned he saw something that made his situation even worse than it's now. He ran into a dead end.

"Shit. What am I going to do now." thought an extremely scared naruto.

"Well, well, lookie here. It looks like you can't run away anymore. Today is the day we finish what the Yondaime Hokage started."declared a chunnin ninja who joined in the chase.

"Please, I didn't do anything wrong. Please let me go. I beg you." Said a now thoroughly scared naruto.

"I don't think so demon. It's time you die." Said another ninja. He started to make seals for a jutsu and said Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu. He blew out an extremely big fireball.

Naruto was just able to avoid it but was badly burned. The ninja looked at his handiwork and smirked. Then other ninja's started throwing kunai's and shurikens at him from all directions. Naruto tried to dodge but there were too many of them. Then the ninja's decided to step back and let the villagers finish him off. Naruto by now was bleeding profusely on the ground and was extremely injured.

The drunk villager who started this was had an insane look in his eye and said "You've been a plague in this village for too long. The Sandaime hokage was a fool to let you live. NOW DIE DEMON"

At least the pain will stop now. Thought a crying Naruto.

Just as he was about to finish him off a tall old man in white robes with a commanding aura threw him away.

The villagers looked at the man who did it and saw with fearful gazes who it was.

The Sandaime Hokage nicknamed "The Professor" looked at the crowd with a stern and angry expression.

"Are you people blind he is only a child. What kind of people are you to do this to an innocent?" said the Hokage.

"That thing is no child Hokage-sama. He is a creature of pure evil." said a random ninja from the crowd. Shouts and agreements were voiced and the crowd was about to attack again. All of a sudden they felt an overwhelming amount of killer intent coming from the ninja's were barely standing and even the non-shinobi could feel the power coming off of him. They all felt like killing themselves to escape this feeling of helplessness. Even if the Hokage is old he is still the most powerful ninja in the village.

"ENOUGH. YOU ARE ALL A DISGRACE TO KONOHA. ANBU, TAKE THEM ALL AWAY. TELL IBIKI HE CAN USE WHATEVER PUNISHMENT HE SEEMS APPROPRIATE TO USE." Said an extremely pissed of Hokage.

As the Anbu was following the Hokage's order he turned around and saw Naruto on the ground barely conscious. He was shocked that even after all the pain that was inflicted on him he was still awake. He quickly got over his shock and carefully picked up Naruto to take him to the hospital. The last thing Naruto saw before he passed out was the face of the only man who cared about him looking at him with concerned eyes.

______________________________________________________________________________

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip.

That is the sound Naruto woke up to. Uggh. What happened? Where am I? As soon as he tried to get up his whole body felt like he was on fire. His first thought was the amount of pain he was in. He was never hurt this much before and would usually be fine in a few hours. He tried to move but he could not even lift his head.

"Where am I?" thought Naruto aloud. From what he could see it looked like he was in a sewer. But this sewer was unlike anything he has ever seen before and he's seen a lot. There where pipes all around him and walls but the walls were a mixture of red and blue from his view. The walls looked like they were alive. The colors were moving in an unknown rhythm only known to them. There were no signs of life all around him. It was darkness all around him and Naruto couldn't even see his hand in front of his face. Out of nowhere a light seemed to glow in front of him. It seemed the only source of light came from in front of him and it was a blood red color. For some reason Naruto felt a chill go down his back when the light washed over him. Naruto never felt anything that felt so frightening yet at the same time intoxicating. He felt powerful yet weak at the same time. It was like the power was calling to him. He felt its influence on him covering him like a warm blanket on a cold night keeping him safe. He felt loved and safe. If he never moved from this spot ever again he would be happy. Then out of nowhere he felt an inexplicable amount of rage and anger. It surrounded him now and instead of feeling serenity he felt terror, dread, horror. Naruto wanted to run far away from these emotions. The minute he tried to stir he was unable to move because of the blinding amounts of pain coursing through his body.

He tried to remember what happened to him before he got to this place. The last thing he remembered was getting attacked by the villagers and they were about to kill him. He vaguely recalls somebody stopping the villagers and looking into the eyes of the Hokage or as he calls him "ojisan." But after that nothing.

While Naruto is contemplating where he is all of a sudden he feels as if there is something just out of his range of vision observing him.

"It's probably somebody else who wants to kill me." Naruto thought idly to sore to even move. "Maybe that person will be the one to end all my pain. I must have done something bad to the villagers to get beaten up all day. I'm tired of it all anyway. I just want to stop running and hiding all the time. I hate pretending that everything is fine when its not. Hopefully whoever is there will kill me and end all this torture."

While Naruto was brooding over his life the creature at the other end was observing him. The creature was watching Naruto with a myriad of thoughts. He was listening to all of thoughts going through Naruto's head and couldn't help but feel a little pity for the child. He quickly squashed that emotion as soon as it came. Not even demons treat their children this way and these "Humans" have the audacity to call him a monster compared to what they have done to an innocent child.

The creature otherwise known as the Kyuubi no Kitsune was thinking how he can turn his situation to his advantage. He could care less about the monkey but as long as the seal keeps him here bound to this child their fates are intertwined for now. He realizes that if he does not interfere soon the brat would most likely die the next time and not even his healing ability can save him. By all accounts he should be dead now if it wasn't for me. considered the Fox King.

Now the Kyuubi is many things. His cunning has no equals, his strength is unrivaled, and even to this day his power is still impressive even without a body but the two things that he prides on most is the fact that he is the best and he values his life above all others. Even though demons are immortal they can still be killed. Granted it would require a being of enormous power to do it but it can be done. It's just not very likely a being like that exists or if he does then not on this plane of existence. Not even the blasted Fourth who many consider to be powerful could defeat me. It took him trading his soul to the Shinigami to trap him. Not even the Death God has the power to kill him just seal him away. The fact that he is bound to a mortal life makes the fact that he can die all the more real due to the nature of the seal. As much as Kyuubi hates to admit it it was an ingenious move by the Fourth. In general though humans are inferior and weak in the eyes of the Demon Lord and they have no value except to be eaten but he will do whatever it takes to get free. Five years locked in a cage shows Kyuubi that it was his fault that he was imprisoned. He got arrogant and cocky and paid the price for it. It took eternal imprisonment to show that no matter how high you get there will always be someone who is better than you. He still hates the Yondaime Hokage for this torture but also has respect for him. It's not everyday that a lowly human defeats the lord of all demons.

But how to help the child and at the same time make sure he helps himself?

Kyuubi has had limited knowledge on how to deal with humans. Even though he has lived for centuries and has even walked among the humans he has viewed them as inferior and only learned what he wanted and disregarded what he thought was useless. He has no experience with children not even demon kids. Maybe if he boosts his confidence and gives him a purpose or goal he will long enough for Kyuubi to find a way to escape and get revenge on a certain group who caused this mess to begin with. This raises another question. What should the goal be? Obviously it should be something that ensures both of their survivals. It should be long term otherwise if the flesh bag finishes it too early he might still be depressed and kill himself later on. It should also be something that will help him become strong enough to defend himself from any threat and not end up in this kind of condition. Just as he thought this he realized what the goal should be and how it fit all the requirements.

But now another question arises? Now that he has a goal how to proceed with it and make it a reality? His container will need all the help that he can get and with him living in this pathetic excuse of a village he won't be treated fairly. So what to do? One option is he could reveal himself to the brat and train him personally. But the kid is already mentally fragile and the news could potentially cause more harm than good and push him over the edge. Yea, tell the kid he has a demon sealed in him and see how he reacts. He'll probably be jumping for joy at the thought. Kyuubi thought sarcastically. Even he knew that was a dumb idea. So if not him then who? It needs to be someone who will treat him fair and train him to the best of their abilities and not hinder his development. The person will also need to be extremely talented and strong and has experience. The only person he could think of looking through the brats memory is the the Sandaime Hokage or as Kyuubi likes to call him the monkey man. He is the strongest and the smartest. He has a lot of experience and does not hate the kid. It's worth a shot. Well now the only thing left is to go and talk to him. GRRRRRRRRRrrrrreeeeaaaattt.

"This is what the king of all demons has been reduced to. Me, Kyuubi no Kitsune, King of all Demons, The Fox Lord having to help a mortal. But no not any mortal. It has to be the son of the man who imprisoned me. How I hate you Yondaime. But no matter. If all goes according to plan then this boy will become the strongest human warrior ever to exist. He will be even greater than you. The boy that you thought will save you all will be your own undoing. The best part is that if I can turn your son into a being that will follow all my orders it will be the ultimate form of vengeance." Kyuubi thought gleefully. But first he has to address his "guest" before he loses his chance.

"WHO DARES ENTER MY DOMAIN? SPEAK NOW AND YOUR DEATH MIGHT BE QUICK." Kyuubi Roared. Ok, maybe not the best way to address someone who you're supposed to help but it sure as hell was fun and since when are demons supposed to be nice.

Naruto for his part was scared beyond belief. He's thinking about how bad his life is and all of a sudden he hears a voice out of nowhere. It wasn't the words that scared him since he's been subjected to worse but it was the power behind that voice that terrified him. He's never heard like that before. It seemed powerful and evil at the same time. It also sounded ancient like it did not belong here.

"W-W-Who's t-t-t-thereee? Said a stuttering Naruto.

"My identity is of no importance to you right now. You are not ready to hear it." Said the voice that belonged to Kyuubi.

Naruto couldn't help but feel a little sad after hearing that. It seems even the voice thought Naruto didn't deserve to know. The Kyuubi sensing this decides to make sure the brat doesn't get more depressed.

"The reason why I do not tell you is not because I don't want to but if you knew it would only cause problems for you and I do not want to add to your troubles." Said the Kyuubi in a less threatening but still powerful voice.

Naruto for his part was stunned. Somebody besides the Hokage, Ayame-nee-chan, and Teuchi-san, (the owner of Ichiraku's ramen and his daughter) cared for him.

"I understand and thank you for the concern." Said Naruto in an extremely polite and respectful voice.

Kyuubi was amused by this and knew by the tone of his voice this would make it easier to implement his plan. "Think nothing of it." Said the Kyuubi dismissively.

"Ano, where are we and why can't I move?" said a curious Naruto.

"We are in your mind right now an as for the reason you can't move is because you almost died and your body is healing right now. Don't worry you should be able to at least sit up in a few minutes." Replied Kyuubi. And sure enough Naruto was able to move, not fully but enough to sit in an upright position.

"If this is my mind then how did I get here and why does it look like a sewer?" asked Naruto.

"I brought you here to talk to you and as for the reason it looks like a sewer is because this is a true representation of your mind. It is the way you view the world according to your feelings." Explained Kyuubi.

Wonderful. Even my mind is a dump. Thought Naruto wryly.

"Anyway the reason why I brought you here was to see if I could help you in any way possible."

"What do you mean help?" questioned Naruto.

"No offense to you kit but your weak. You almost died today. If you don't do something about it soon the next time you will most likely die." said the Kyuubi seriously.

"Maybe I should just die." Mumbled Naruto.

"If you believe that then maybe you should." said the Kyuubi with little compassion. "I thought that maybe you were different but I guess I was wrong. What happened to the boy that never gave up and always tried his hardest? Huh? I wanted to help you but if you think that going the coward's way out is your only option then I won't stop you. But if you do kill yourself then all you're doing is telling the villagers that they've won. But you don't care. Do what you want. I'll find somebody else who is worth helping and not a coward."

Naruto didn't know what to think. It seemed that the voice wanted to help him but he didn't know if he could do it. He wanted to believe but wasn't sure. Then another part of him said that if you really want to do it all you need is to believe in yourself and it can be done. The voice started to get stronger and Naruto whose eyes were clouded in uncertainty a minute ago now shone with determination. "I'm not a coward and I will prove to you and everyone else that I am strong. BELIEVE IT" Declared Naruto.

Kyuubi grinned evilly. Reverse psychology is so easy to use especially on humans. Now that he got the gaki's confidence up now its time to address his next issue.

"That's good to hear but the fact is you're still weak. You need to do something to change this."

"Like what?"

"What's your dream?"

"My dream is to be the strongest Hokage ever. DATTEYABO." said Naruto excitedly.

"Why would you want to become Hokage?"

"Because they are the strongest ninjas ever and also maybe one day people will acknowledge me and respect me." Said Naruto solemnly at the end.

"That's a stupid dream." Said Kyuubi.

"No it's not. If I work hard to become strong then I will be Hokage."

"You misunderstand me brat. I mean even if you do become Hokage by some miracle do you think that the villagers will really respect you? Do you think they will acknowledge you? They will still treat you like crap no matter what. Besides, do you really want to protect a village where almost every single person wants to kill you?" Asked Kyuubi.

Naruto was unable to respond to that. Sure he knew people didn't like him for reasons he still doesn't know but the way the Voice said it puts a whole new light of the situation. Would he really be able to protect a village who would like nothing better than to see him dead? Maybe he was kidding himself into believing that. But then…

"What should I do then?" Naruto asked.

"You don't have to become Hokage to be known as the strongest. You can become strong in your own way without having to be Hokage." Answered Kyuubi.

"Right. My new dream will be to become a ninja strong enough to beat a Hokage. I will be the strongest ninja ever to exist."

"That's a better dream. But how will you do it? You need training to become strong and intelligence which sadly you have neither of."

"Yeah your ri... HEY!"

"You should ask the Hokage to find someone to train you. He is after all the strongest in the village and should be able to help you no problem." Advised Kyuubi.

"Yeah, I'll go and ask the old man as soon as I get out of here. Good idea. By the way how do I get out of here?

"You have to will yourself to wake up. But before you do there is something that I must ask you to do.

"I'll do whatever you ask of me. "said Naruto seriously. This is the first time someone is asking for his help and treating him nicely. He even helped out more than any other person bar the Hokage.

"Don't tell anyone about us talking especially to the Hokage."

"Why?"

"Because I could get in a lot of trouble for helping you and if you told someone then they might be jealous and of you and try to hurt you. Besides, I think that you'll be destined for great things kit."

"Really? You believe in me? Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about this. It'll be our secret."

"Since you promise not to tell anyone the next time you come back I'll give you a gift that will help you but only if you train yourself. Got it?"

"Definitely. I promise and I never break my word." Said Naruto in a good guy pose.

"Now you'd better go. Don't worry, I'll see you soon. And for god's sake try to keep yelling out those idiotic phrases. It only makes you look more foolish." As soon as Kyuubi finished saying this Naruto felt he was flying and returning to consciousness.

In the cage Kyuubi grinned evilly. The kit was easier to persuade than I originally thought. Perfect. Now to make sure the rest of the plan will fall into place. It took a lot longer to heal him than usual. There's nothing left to do for now but wait and rest. Just before Kyuubi closed his eyes to sleep the last thing he thought was "soon everything will come together the way I want and by the end I will be the one who is victorious." Kyuubi laughed darkly and let slumber overtake him.