Naruto Uzumaki is walking down the streets of Konohagakure, tears streaming down his face. He had tried to go to the playground, but was chased out when the parents recognized who he was. He watches a family stepping out of an ice cream shop and his feelings of loneliness multiply. Which brought back the question that repeated itself in his head. Why? Why won't the teachers help me? Why is everyone so cold to me? Why do they call me a monster? I'm not… am I? I just wanted to play with the other kids…
The sound of glass crashing brings Naruto out of his thoughts. Across the street, he sees a man sprawled out in the mud in front of a bar. A ninja yells, "And stay out!! We're a ninja village, you aren't welcome here, Ronin!" The people in the bar give raucous calls in support.
The man on the street staggers drunkenly to his feet where Naruto gets a better look at him. Dressed in a worn brown cloak, the man has a large sword on his waist along with two small scrolls and a miniature crossbow. He is covered in armor, as opposed to the outfits ninja wear around the village. As the man straightens up and Naruto gets a good look at his face, Naruto observes that the man's long white hair is done up in a ponytail, and his face is lined with scars as well as a long white beard. He doesn't look a villager or a ninja… and what's a ronin?
The man gives the bar one last look, flipping them off before turning and walking toward the outside of the forested training areas. Naruto looks around at the villagers, recognizing the looks they give the samurai. He's like me. They look at him with the same eyes that they have when they look at me. Fascinated, Naruto follows the man, unaware that four others are doing the same.
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The samurai walks through the forest, aware that he is being followed. Despite his drunken act earlier, he hadn't gotten a chance to consume any alcohol before he was thrown out of that bar. His stalker displayed the worst ninja skills he's ever known as he could hear feet crashing through the brush for the past few minutes. He guesses by the amount of chakra he senses that it must be at least a Chunin-level ninja.
He walks out into the middle of a clearing, and places his hand on his katana. "Well, come on out and face me, you clumsy ninja."
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Naruto's head moves left and right, looking for the ninja to whom the man was speaking. When no one answers, he steps out from behind the tree and asks, "Are you talking to me?"
The samurai is shocked. That kid can't be older than 5 years old! He's the source of the chakra I sensed? He lets his hands relax, drifting to his sides. He calls out with a slight smirk, "Why are you following me, kid? Do your parents know where you are?"
Naruto's eyes study the floor. "I don't have any parents," he says quietly.
"Oh come on kid, you have to have parents. Who lives with you?"
"I... live by myself..." That shuts the samurai up. He wasn't expecting that. "No one would take me in while I lived in the orphanage," Naruto sniffs, managing to hold in his tears. The samurai sizes the boy up again. Well, well, this boy's lived a tough life. Not that it's my problem, though… He fights down the feeling that if he asks more questions, he would regret it. In a softer voice, "Why were you following me, kid?"
"…You're like me," Naruto whispers, looking directly into the samurai's eyes. The samurai feels as if he can't tear his eyes away from those cerulean orbs. Naruto takes the silence as a sign to continue, explaining, "They look at you the same way they look at me. And those men in the bar…. They said they didn't want you here. The villagers treat me the same…" His voice trails off.
The samurai studies the kid intently before snorting. "Look, what do you want with me? The people in this village have a reason to hate me, and I'm sure you're exaggerating in how they treat…" He was interrupted.
"No, they really hate me. They call me 'demon' or 'monster' and chase me away from the park. I don't know why, but they won't even talk to me anymore. I have no friends… " Naruto looked up, his eyes pleading, "I just want a friend."
The samurai averts his gaze from Naruto's eyes. "Look kid, I'm a Ronin. I'm just passing through this village because I don't have a place to stay, and I can't be your friend because I'm heading out of here. I only stopped at that bar for a drink." Damn it, he reminds me of Kenji… damnit I can't get too attached to him, they're different people.
Naruto sniffles for a moment, the word "ronin" echoing in his head. He remembers the villagers calling him a "ronin" earlier. Inspired, he decides to lead the conversation away from the samurai leaving. I can't let him leave yet… "What does Ronin mean, mister?" Naruto asks.
The samurai groans, guessing why Naruto tried to change the subject. "Oh come on, don't you learn that at school? I know we aren't common in hidden villages like Konohagakure, but I thought they'd mention us in your history classes."
"The teachers at the academy don't teach me anything… they're the same as the villagers," Naruto says.
Damn, what in the world does this kid have to put up with? "Well kid, a ronin is a wandering samurai without a lord. In your village, I suppose it would be like a ninja without a Kage. I have no place to stay, and no job to do; essentially, I'm a merce -" The samurai trails off as he senses 3 new chakra signatures close by, as well as the rise in killing intent. How did they get so close without me realizing? Kuso, they must have been suppressing their chakra this whole time. Naruto flinches, shivering as the wave of killing intent hits him.
"Get behind me, kid," orders the samurai, placing his hand back on his sword, facing where the chakra signatures are approaching. "Who're you bastards?" Three ninja step out from behind the trees. Damn, that flak vest confirms it, they're all Chunin. I can take them, but I can't defend the kid at the same time.
"Well, well, well… what do we have here?" asks the first Chunin.
"Looks like we get to take care of two problems instead of just one. A drunk samurai and the demon brat." the second Chunin adds, grinning maliciously. The third simply glares at Naruto, not even looking at the samurai.
The samurai grasps his katana. "Run, kid" He whispers to Naruto. Naruto stares at the samurai's back. The samurai then leaps forward past the first Chunin, drawing his katana and slicing. "Battojutsu: Taka Suraisu!!" the samurai cries. A slice appears across the first Chunin's flak vest, blood flowing freely. "NOW!!" the samurai yells.
Naruto turns around and runs away through the forest. The samurai assumes a stance, holding his bloody katana in front of him. "Come on then, you ninja bastards,"
The second Chunin exchanges glances with the third, "I'll take care of this ronin, you take care of the demon." The third Chunin nods and runs after Naruto. The second Chunin draws a kunai and throws shuriken, cursing as the samurai deflects them with his katana. "Kuso, this will take longer than I thought."
The samurai charges, swiftly swinging his katana with grace and force, the ninja only barely blocking with his kunai. The ninja kicks the samurai away, wincing as his foot comes in contact with the samurai's armor, and charges the samurai. The Samurai smirks and raises his katana angling in for the kill.
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Neither of them notice as a masked figure passes over them, running through the trees in the direction that Naruto went.
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Hiding behind a tree, Naruto pants from running. He is worried about the Samurai, and doesn't want him to be killed by the Chunin.
"Boo," whispers a voice above Naruto. Freezing and looking up, Naruto sees the 3rd Chunin. He backs away from the tree, tripping over a root as the Chunin jumps down from the tree. He pulls out a kunai, whispering "This is for my father, and everyone who you killed 5 years ago, you demon."
Naruto is scared for his life, knowing that the Chunin means to kill him. Naruto remembers how the samurai acted when defending Naruto, and is filled with courage. He defiantly yells at the Chunin, "I didn't kill anyone, you… you BASTARD."
The Chunin's eyes widen in anger, and he rushes forward, slicing with his kunai. Naruto closes his eyes and yells "HELP!" He hears the sound of someone being hit into a tree and opens his eyes. A short young ninja stands in front of him with 2 Shuriken in his hand; the Chunin is knocked against a tree across from him. The Chunin smirks and says, "Since when is ANBU hiring children, kiddo?"
The ANBU says nothing, and throws the Shuriken at the Chunin. The Chunin doesn't even move, laughing. "You should've stayed at the Academy to work on target practice mor-" The Chunin is cut off as the invisible wires attached to the shuriken wrap around him and tie him against the tree, pinning him to the tree. The Chunin struggles against his bonds, watching as the ANBU forms hand seals. "Silence, Chunin-san. Katon: Gokayuu no jutsu. " The Chunin screams as the fireball engulfs him, burning him alive. All he can see is the ANBU's mask as he slowly burns. The Weasel.
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Naruto looks on in surprise as the Chunin screams and passes out without the ANBU doing anything. The ANBU turns around, seeing Naruto's expression, and says, "Calm down, Naruto-kun, I'm not going to hurt you. I only used a Genjutsu, an illusion, on him."
Naruto is shivering in fear, but the fear seems to slip out of his body as he stares at the ANBU's mask, and he calms down. He stands up and says, "Thanks a lot, Weasel-guy." The ANBU starts and chuckles.
Suddenly, the samurai rushes in, looking about for Naruto. Seeing Naruto safe, he notices the ANBU. What is he….13 or 14? Jeez, what is it with this village and really strong kids? He glares at the ANBU. "You aren't here to kill the kid, are you, ANBU?"
The ANBU shakes his head. "I'm here to escort Naruto to see the Hokage. And now that I think about it, you'll be coming too, Ronin-san."
The samurai snorts, "You think you can order me around, ANBU? I'm a ronin, I don't answer to the Daimyo or your Hokage."
"No, you don't, Ronin-san. However, you did kill two Chunin of the Leaf, so unless you'd like to fight off the hunter-nins around us, I highly recommend that you come with us."
"Don't worry, Jiji is a good guy, mister…" Naruto adds, realizing that he doesn't know the samurai's name.
The samurai stares at Naruto for a second, before chuckling. Jiji, eh? And the Hokage tolerates being called that? Heh, this kid is interesting… not that I care, of course. "Call me Koken, kid. Koken Minamoto." The samurai smiles reluctantly. I'd better be careful, I think I'm getting fond of him.
"And I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" says Naruto with a grin.
"Let's go then," says the ANBU.