Set in Stone
Chapter 1: Disillusioned
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto, and never will. If I did, would I be writing fanfiction?
SUMMARY: After being trounced by angry villagers yet again, Sarutobi decides to tell Naruto about his heritage. Pairings undecided. Alternate Universe.
A young boy lay in the darkened street alley. The moon shone down on his crumpled form and fell upon his orange jumpsuit. His blonde hair was stained with blood, and a wound near his chest dribbled blood.
Two men in black cloaks and white animal masks dropped down into the alley. Quickly rushing at the boy's two attackers, who were also wearing masks, they quickly punched them in the gut, knocking them out.
"This is the five-hundred and seventh attack on the Kyuubi child's life so far, Itachi-teichou. We must tell Sandaime Hokage-sama about this immediately!"
Itachi carefully picked up the blonde child and put him over his shoulder. The two ANBU quickly formed a Shunshin no jutsu to appear outside the Hokage tower.
"ANBU-san, what are you doing with the de-I mean...Uzumaki?" the guard Chuunin asked.
"Do not let me ever hear that come out of your mouth, Chuunin. I am here to see the Hokage immediately," Itachi growled. He pushed past the Chuunin and made the long trek to the top of the tower to see the Hokage.
The secretary was gone for the day, and the Hokage's door was unlocked, so they just walked right in.
The Hokage's eyes widened, and then they narrowed into slits. He looked positively livid.
The two took off their masks, one revealing the face of a thirteen year old Uchiha Itachi, and one being the face of a fourteen year old Umino Iruka.
Itachi began, "Hokage-sama. This is the five-hundred and seventh time that Naruto-kun has been attacked. I request for full time ANBU protection."
Sarutobi nodded, his eyes clouded. "It is time I tell him."
Itachi nodded. "Yes, the boy needs to know."
Sarutobi sighed and gestured to Iruka. "Iruka-san, you may leave. Itachi-san, as an ANBU Captain, give me your mission report."
Iruka nodded to Sarutobi and left the room. Once he left, Sarutobi stood up from his desk and took out a scroll. Itachi began handsigns for a medical Ninjutsu and began healing the boy's minor wounds.
Sarutobi performed a very small lightning jolt jutsu to awaken Naruto.
He woke up with a jolt and looked around at Itachi and Sarutobi. Sarutobi pulled out two more scrolls and set them down on the table. He walked over and removed the Yondaime's portrait from the wall and opened a black safe from behind it. He took out a very large scroll from behind it and two more scrolls, plus a card and a set of keys.
He then sat down at his desk and sighed. He took out a kunai and gestured for Naruto to bring forward his arm. Naruto did so and bit his lip as blood seeped out of the wound in his arm onto one of the small scrolls. After a small puff of smoke evaporated, the scroll lay open.
Dear, Naruto
I write these, my last thoughts on paper before I, the Yondaime Hokage of Konohagakure confront the Lord of all Bijuu, the Kyuubi no Kitsune. As I sit here deep in thought, I know that tonight will be my final night as Konoha's Hokage. I know that I cannot use some other child for this. I must use you as the Kyuubi no Kitsune's container.
I know you may hate me for this, but know that I could not choose any other child than my own for this. I know you are strong, as my son. But I am not stupid. I know that the villagers will not see you as the hero they know you are. I have left Sarutobi with my final wishes. He has destroyed my estate, but left the blueprints. If there are any assassination attempts against you, please leave Konoha. I have left with you your mother's sword, her techniques, and my techniques. As Uzumaki Kushina, she is the last holder of the Uzumaki bloodline. Hopefully you will unlock it.
I sincerely hope that you will life a good life. If Konoha does not treat you well, leave. Then go to a village that will accept you, hopefully a minor one that doesn't have many shinobi.
Love, Namikaze Minato
Yondaime Hokage and your father
Naruto was in tears reading the letter. He looked up at Sarutobi and Itachi, who was standing directly behind and to the right of Sarutobi.
"Ojiisan...he said...something about leaving Konoha...is this true?" Naruto asked in between sobs.
Sarutobi just looked at the seven year old boy and sighed. "Yes. I think that it may be for the best. If I could give you any home I would, but the council forbids me to get involved with just any one person in my village."
Naruto sighed and wiped his eyes. "So...how am I supposed to learn these techniques?"
Sarutobi took out the big scroll and unsealed it. "These are techniques from the forbidden scroll. You can have this." He unsealed another one. It held a beautiful three foot red tinted blade with a black sheath.
"This sword is called the Masamune no Tsurugi. It is an Uzumaki clan heirloom. It is said to be unbreakable and can cut through anything," Sarutobi explained.
Sarutobi unsealed the last scroll which held the Clan jutsus. Naruto took them all and cradled them in his arms as if they were his prized possessions.
"Sarutobi-ojisan...what about leaving the village?" Naruto asked a look of sorrow and pain in his features.
"Naruto-kun, if you leave the village, the council will declare you a missing-nin," Sarutobi said weakly.
"But I just entered the academy..."
"Can you mold chakra and use handseals yet?" Sarutobi asked.
"Yes."
"Well then, they will label you an A-rank nukenin. Hopefully I can lower the ranking, but I do not know."
Naruto merely got up and set his scrolls down on the desk and hugged Sarutobi tightly. "Goodbye, Ojiisan..."
"Goodbye, Naruto-kun. Only take four or more jutsu from the forbidden scroll. Send it back through an ANBU if you can. I will have ANBU escort you out of the village. Itachi can help you seal your belongings inside scrolls that you can take with you."
Itachi gathered the scrolls and took Naruto into a Shunshin to his apartment.
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Naruto sighed as he merely pushed open the door to his lonely apartment. Graffiti adorned the walls of the small bedroom, kitchen and bath.
Naruto gathered up a blanket, survival kit, and a tent. He rushed out the door, leaving Itachi to follow.
Once they reached the gates, two chuunin smirked evilly at Naruto until they saw Itachi close behind him.
"Hello. Return to your posts," Itachi ordered.
They scoffed and did as they were told, returning to their post in the gate tower.
Itachi walked west with Naruto following closely behind. They walked for hours, silent and quietly. The young ANBU captain was very confused. This boy was the loudest in his class, yet now he was so distant. What happened in that alleyway that changed him?
Eventually, Itachi stopped at the border into Taiyo no Kuni. The moon shone brightly in the night sky, with the dazzling stars surrounding its energy.
"Naruto-kun. Just inside this village will be a shinobi apparel shop and weapons shop. Please rent an apartment with the money I give you," Itachi said emotionlessly as he handed Naruto an enormous amount of bills.
"Arigato, Itachi-san," Naruto bowed. Naruto then set off at a running pace. He did not stop running until he saw two large gate doors.
Two samurai were sitting cross-legged at the gate, dozing off.
"Oi! I am Uzumaki Naruto, a traveler, and I request access to the village," Naruto exclaimed.
The men jolted awake and nodded. One of them flicked his wrist and the gates creaked open. Naruto ran through the open gap.
He looked around at the landscape. From what he could tell, all the shops were still open, and it was very similar to Konoha. But the moon seemed a lot closer than it had from the border.
He walked around until he found a decent apartment building. He walked into the office, and there sat an old fat man with a pipe in his mouth.
"What can I help you with, youngster?" the old man asked.
"I would like to rent an apartment!" Naruto exclaimed.
The old man raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure you're old enough to have an apartment of your own, kid. Where are your parents?"
Naruto shook his head. "I'm from Konoha. I had to leave the village because people there didn't like me. Hokage-jisan told me to come stay in this village for a while.
"Oh, you're friends with Hokage-sama, huh?" the old man clarified as if he didn't believe him.
"Yeah! I had just gotten into the ninja academy too!" Naruto said. "Are you going to get me an apartment, then?"
The an simply stared at Naruto for a moment, who was barely any taller than the desk.
"Very well, youngster. But keep in mind I'm gonna check on you every few days, got it?" the man warned.
"Yes!" Naruto shouted in joy.
The man handed him a key and told the boy that rent was due on the sixth of every month. Naruto nodded jubilantly and ran up the stairs noisily to his apartment.
Naruto entered his apartment to find it was a two bedroom, one bath, and a kitchen. Naruto sighed and set all his stuff down. He sat down and wrapped himself up in the blanket. After ten minutes of dozing on the soft carpet, he fell asleep.
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A/N: After writing the latest chapter of Alternate Beginnings, I got this idea in the back of my mind. I put it down on paper...or Microsoft Word, really. Well, here it is. Hope it isn't too bad. I hope to either update Path to a Legendary Kunoichi next or this one.
Until next time
-Shodai Fuzeikage