A/N: So this is my first fic. Please feel free to criticize/flame all you want. I'm no pansy. I can take it all and then some. But please do R&R. It helps. It really does.
Now, this fic will start off probably cliched for a lot of you avid readers out there, but trust me when I say that it will soon take off in a totally different direction.
And no, I don't own Naruto either.
'Thinking'
"Speaking"
Techniques
'Beasts' thoughts'
"Beasts' telepathic speech"
"Demonic voice/Beasts' voice"
Growing up an Exile
October 10th - 4:30PM
Uzumaki Naruto shivered in the cool breeze that came across the Hokage Monument, fearing what tonight's mob would attempt to do to him. Last year had been the worst of the past 3 years, far surpassing the other 2 in sheer brutality. They had come to the orphanage and beaten him, almost to death, before the ANBU stopped them. They then had hauled him off to one of the many alleyways in the city...
He shivered once again. 'Those villagers keep coming up with new ideas to torture me... I'm only 6 for crying out loud!' He let a long sigh out, already feeling depressed about the next few hours.
He had figured out since last year that, while it usually resulted in a far worse punishment, avoiding his room at the orphanage could perhaps let him escape the mob. Perhaps.
'Perhaps I should just leave this village. It's not like anyone here would miss me besides Ero-jiji, and even then, he'd have less paperwork if I left.' Naruto glanced out at the village gates yet again, just as he had for the past few hours, as he sat there on the Fourth's head and contemplated his life. 'I wouldn't be able to get out of the village anyways. 'The Eternal Chuunin' Kotetsu and Izumo would keep me inside the village, by Jiji's orders.' Curling up for a quick nap, Naruto quickly fell into a restless slumber.
7:00PM
"WHERE'S THE DEMON BRAT!"
"Find him now! We don't want him to escape!"
"Someone check the monument! He's probably defiling it with his presence!"
Naruto grimaced. Not the nicest way to wake up from a much needed nap, but now wasn't the time to grumble. If he waited for much longer, he'd become the former Demon Brat...
Springing up, Naruto dashed down the second path to the monument, one, that for some reason, no one ever paid attention to.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the current Hokage of Konohagakure sighed behind the mountain of paperwork that had appeared on his desk while he was away for some dinner. 'I'm sorry this always seems to happen Naruto. I really would like to celebrate one of your birthdays with you, but my obligation to the Village comes first... Even if this village is sometimes a pain in my ass.'
Another glance at the pile drew a tired sigh from the old mans lips. "Best get started now..." He glanced out the window again, remiss that he had too much work to spend time with Naruto, but blissfully unaware of the villagers' annual Fox hunt that was going on.
Dog was currently perched on one of the larger merchant's homes in the commercial part of the village, nose buried in a bright orange book, regardless of being in charge of watching Naruto. 'Kid deserves some time to spend alone. It's not like he's going to be in serious trouble or anything...'
Feeling a specific Chakra signature appear behind him, Dog turned his attention away from the riveting scene between Koisha and Manotou currently lip-locked in a fiery conglomeration of...! He gave a mental cough. "Yes Cat?"
"You do realize that at, at this very moment, the villagers are hunting your charge in honor of the 6th year Kyuubi is gone?" Cat replied, in the most sickeningly sweet voice he could muster.
Dog sweat-dropped as he turned around. Rubbing his head he replied, "Uh, no." 'SHIT! Today's the tenth, isn't it?' Feeling an almost killing stare in the back of his head he quickly stood and placed the book into his pouch. "Perhaps I should go rectify this situation..." He disappeared in a swirl of leaves, now hunting for Naruto as well, although, as his protector, and not as his tormentor.
9:30PM
Out of breath, and tearing down the street as fast as his legs could carry him, Naruto went over where his stealthy evasion failed. Hearing a loud bark in the distance, he cursed silently. 'Of course Mizuki would find the ONE Inuzuka that despises my guts. I mean, I didn't even get to complete that prank on his dog. Otherwise he would have really...'
"There he is!"
"We're gonna kill that Demon Brat this year!"
'Oh, SH-' Naruto hit the ground hard as a kunai buried itself in the back of his right knee. Clutching it in pain, he tried to stand on it, only to collapse under his own weight. 'Well, this ended a LOT sooner than I thought. Should have ducked into that shop back there. Maybe I could have avoided them for enough time to catch my breath.' His breath hitched in his throat as Mizuki picked him up.
"Ready to die Demon?" Mizuki sneered. This had almost been too easy, convincing the general populace that the Demon deserved to die tonight. He already had the backing of some shinobi – not many, but enough to get the job done. And he'd be commended as the Hero of Konoha for years to come.
He yanked the kunai out of the brats leg, intent on torturing the kid before ending his miserable life. 'Too bad I'm not getting paid to do this. The village will be 10 times better off without this monstrosity!'
The look of absolute disgust returned to Mizuki's features as he heartlessly stabbed the kunai into Naruto's arm. Crying out in pain, and almost giving in to the blackness, he clawed his way back, determined not to give him the satisfaction of killing him in a single blow.
"Still awake Demon? Surprising. But not unexpected. Perhaps THIS-" Mizuki stabbed the kunai into him again, this time into his lower back. "-will help!" Mizuki started cackling madly, egged on by the mob around him greedily watching the Brat's blood flow onto the ground.
The darkness was oh so close, beckoning Naruto to the promised land of pain free existence. 'I'll... Stay strong... and prove that I can... be a shinobi. And one day the Hokage!'
Mizuki's feature's went from disgust and anger to horror, almost becoming as white as a sheet because of the fire that seemed to become stronger in the Demon's eyes, before screaming into his ear "DIE DEMON!" and stabbed him in the chest, almost nicking his heart.
This time the darkness won, swallowing Naruto whole as he heard a quiet voice cry out in panic
"NARUTO!"
Dog arrived at the scene to see Mizuki drop a near-lifeless Naruto on the street, and begin pumping up the crowd for the final blow – to kill his charge, and his career as an ANBU. He dropped down onto Mizuki with a kunai already drawing a line of blood from the Chuunin's throat. "You will pay for your crimes Mizuki" Dog growled out, oozing enough killer intent that the Hokage should feel it in his office.
"Will I?" came the snide remark. "As far as I can tell, the Demon is dead, and I'm the Hero of Konoha!" He spat into Dog's mask, while kicking him backwards and away, the crowd cheering Mizuki on as he turned again to finish what he started.
Dog was prepared to rush Mizuki and kill him within seconds, but froze as a pulse of malevolent Chakra, far greater than anyone had felt in a long time came from the blond boy's body. The crowd stopped mid-cheer, and Mizuki's eyes widened in shock.
The second pulse blasted everyone within a few meters off their feet, and the crowd scrambled, screaming in horror that the Kyuubi was returning.
The Third Hokage was just finishing his paperwork as he felt the strong killer intent from the general direction of the gate. Immediately worried, he scrambled up and out of the tower, to feel the first pulse of Chakra. Fearing the worst, he took off towards the source.
When the second came, he already knew he was too late...
