Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the characters/places mentioned in the series. If I bring in original characters/places, then they're mine.
Author Note: My fic is intended to be running on an alternate timeline. Therefore, I may add new events and circumstances to make it an actual story, not a basic retelling of the manga. Also, I decided to go with a timetravel theme. Its a semicommon theme, but I'm going to try and add my own twists to make it original.
On another note, I'm most likely going to include at least one romance, but I have not decided on pairing(s). Also, I don't intend for it to be the driving force behind this fic. Furthermore, there won't be any hardcore stuff in it or unrealistic pairings, i.e. Sakura with Itachi, Hinata with Gaara, etc.
Despite being on an alternate timeline, characters for the most part won't be OOC. Sasuke will still be unemotional and an avenger, Naruto will still be loud and annoying; basically, Orochimaru won't be coming to Konoha to play poker with Sarutobi. Friendships and romantic interests will remain the same initially. Ex. Hinata liking Naruto, Naruto liking Sakura, Sakura liking Sasuke. However, progression in the story will probably lead to changes in romance and possibly even regular relationships between the characters.
Other than that, hope you enjoy!
Darkness permeated throughout the cavernous space. Even the crimson-flamed torches, with their steady auras, were unable to provide little more than a slight dim to the shadowed objects. Towards the center of the area, the reddish glow faintly revealed two massive hand-like carvings jutting from the ground. Yet an even more hideous sight rose to overshadow the decrepit objects.
Protruding past the cuffed hands stood an abominable statue seeming to be in constant yet satisfying pain. Despite being blindfolded, the statue appeared to have been engraved with nine closed eyes. Lower on the statue, a jagged bit hung from the jaw, originally being bound to the now gaping mouth. Most notably, however, was not the statue itself, but the seven cloaked figures standing upon its wooden fingers. Red clouds dotted the black material, slightly reflecting the light and giving the seven an almost demonic glow.
"This is taking way too long for my tastes." The one standing on the statue's right index finger broke the relative silence. "Three days was dull enough before, but – "
"Deidara." A gruff voice came from the direction of the left ring finger. "We have gone over this before. As our possession of the rings decrease, the jutsu –"
"…Takes longer, yeah. I don't need a constant reminder, Kisame," Deidara dryly replied. The dim light briefly reflected on his blond hair and face. The man did not hide his discontent towards him.
"Watch your tone. Provoking me would be a most unwise decision."
Deidara glanced over at the pale blue intimidator. A deadly glint flashed across the shark-like man's eyes. "Hmm. Wouldn't using Samehada right now interrupt the jutsu, Kisame-sama?" Deidara ended his phrase sarcastically, with a smirk on his face.
"Heh, the Samehada is willing to wait until after the Fuuin is completed to taste your chakra." Kisame menacingly retorted. "Shredding you to bits would be –"
"Kisame-san. Stop your senseless bickering with the blond." The figure situated on the right ring finger interjected into the conversation.
"It's hard to control, as you know Itachi-san. But, I presume I can toss my bloodlust aside."
"Good." Dark red eyes illuminated the face of the Uchiha, exhibiting a slight trace of excitement.
Kisame resumed, "After all…" His eyes trailed towards the base of the statue. "This jinchuuriki was your target."
Below, a body lay sprawled across the rocky ground. Malicious energy continuously poured upon it, the source being the humanoid statue.
Where…where am I?
The figure struggled to open his eyes, only to be met with blinding agony. Shudders painfully coursed throughout his body, reaching every pore. This… pain… it's unimaginable…Struggling to move any part of his body also proved to be of no avail.
Maybe… if I just rest…just for a moment…
Almost immediately the male awakened. Looking around, he found himself in a sewer-like tunnel flickering with searing red light. As if by instinct, his feet commenced trudging through the ankle-deep water, passing through multiple tunnels. Soon enough, a relatively large room appeared before him, one that he had set foot in multiple times.
"Ah! The foolish boy that refuses my power! Why is it that you come to me at a time like this?" bellowed a sinister voice at the other side of the room.
The boy smirked at the opposite end of the room. "Hehe, don't try to joke around with me, you damn kitsune. You're feeling as much pain as I am!"
"That is true, baka. The heat in this blasted cage is becoming unbearable, even for me. Every ounce of my existence is being pulled out of your miserable body." The sealed gate shook from the blasting vibrations of its prisoner. "To think, I, the Kyuubi of legend, have been dragged down to this low! Being sealed by that damned Yondaime Hokage into a boy who refuses my power was excruciating enough; now I'm being forced into a statue!"
"Sorry if your stay in MY body was so insufferable. I didn't know I had to cater to your needs, Kyuubi-san!" the boy angrily exclaimed. "It's not like I planned for us to be captured by Akatsuki!"
"All a result of your bitter refusal to use my power, Naruto-teme! Remember when you used to beg me for my assistance, my CHAKRA?!"
"I..." Naruto paused, a wave of pain crossing his being. "I don't need your power! All you care about is breaking the seal on that cage and escaping!"
"Ha, do you honestly expect me to be content in this hellhole? Of course I want to leave this useless body of yours!" the kitsune roared.
"Exactly why I will NOT use your power!" the jinchuuriki growled back. "I'd rather this jutsu succeed and kill us both than unleash you upon the world!"
"You would choose death over using me!? You must be joking, right," the Kyuubi snickered, mocking Naruto.
I wish this was a joke. It's so tempting and using his power could get me out of this… Naruto stared at the still laughing kitsune. No, I can't. Both Yamato and Kakashi-sensei warned me not to use its chakra anymore. What if the seal broke if I used it here? A saddened look crossed the young man's face. I will not let this monster be released upon the world on my accord.
"What's wrong, baka! You were so sure of yourself before! Have you finally realized the only way to survive this is through me?"
Naruto glared at his mocker. "Yeah, I guess I'll admit that a horrible thing like you could save me." The Kyuubi's eyes glinted with excitement, but suddenly changed to fury. "But, I won't take that risk."
"Why the hell not, you damned boy!"
The blond showed a taunting smile to the demon. "I didn't want to become the next Hokage just for the title. I will prove that I place my life before the village and my friends!"
"Your pathetic outcries have no meaning now! Konohagakure is in ruins and most of its shinobis, your 'friends', were killed! And all because you are a jinchuuriki! If you had actually cared, you would have used my power to destroy the Akatsuki members before they slaughtered –" The infuriated kitsune abruptly stopped its verbal onslaught and unleashed an agonizing moan.
Painful images crossed Naruto's mind. Tsunade, Ero-Sennin, and the rest of them, they died trying to protect me. Maybe the damn thing is right; maybe I could have saved them. Even…A final memory brought him to tears. Her. A cry of anguish came from the distraught male; the mental pain, along with the excruciating drain of his very being had finally begun to overcome him.
"Pathetic boy," growled the caged beast. "Without him, harnessing my energy to break this accursed fuuin will be impossible! That damned necklace already prevents me from taking direct control…" An idea immediately formed in the sinister kitsune's intellect.
"Heh, this may be useful yet!"
Outside of the jinchuuriki's subconscious, the seven members of Akatsuki continued with the painful jutsu…
"Ah, the Fuuin Jutsu: Genryuu Kyuu Fuujin is drawing to a close." spoke the figure positioned on the right thumb.
Deidara sighed, "At last! Leader-sama, the drain on chakra with only us seven is slightly unbearable. Hmm, I'd say for the remaining two jinchuuriki, to recapture the two rings possessed by the remaining Konoha-nin." The blond smiled deviously. "Not like it would be any trouble."
"Yeah! Deidara-senpai has a point!" cried the member on the opposite thumb.
The blond looked over in distaste. "Tobi, once again let me remind you that Akatsuki members are supposed to be serious! You're extra energy will only break our focus on the fuuin jutsu," reprimanded Deidara. Disdain was clearly laced through his words.
"You two, silence! We are preparing to enter the final stage of the Fuuin," scolded the Leader.
"Hmph," Deidara muttered, slightly annoyed. Before forming the final hand seal, he peered down at the pathetic boy below. "Serves him and that damn village right for causing – " An orb of green light on the jinchuuriki's chest caught his eye. It rapidly began to increase in size until…
"What is this power!" yelled Tobi excitingly. "Did we extract the bijuu?"
"No, I sense a change in the energy in this room," Kisame noted. He slowly reached back, grabbing the handle of his Samehada. This had never occurred before, so what in the hell had gone wrong?
"Look underneath us; it seems we underestimated our prey," observed the plant-like member standing on the right little finger.
Uzumaki Naruto, the Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi, slowly rose, engulfed in spiraling, green energy. He snatched the necklace around his neck, watching as red chakra began to rapidly mix with the green.
Exactly as what I expected, the sealing power of the necklace activated with the use of MY chakra and shattered the Fuuin jutsu! "Did you honestly believe that the mighty Kyuubi would just sit idle while being sealed in a damn statue?" boomed Naruto, fully possessed by the Kyuubi. He looked up at the seven mortals, enjoying the shocked expressions on their faces.
"I see." The leader of the loathsome group dropped from his position on the hand to face the monster. "A foolish mistake on our part to try and seal the strongest of the bijuu with only seven rings in possession. However," he stated while beginning to form hand seals. "You will not escape from here, Kyuubi."
"Challenging me? Ha, I'll enjoy shredding you to bits!" The jinchuuriki's body began to assume more feral characteristics. Unexpectedly, he felt a strong vibration, its source being the Shodai's heirloom. A reaction to the chakra?
The other six members of Akatsuki descended themselves to join their leader's side. "I'll lavish in repaying the damage caused to my left arm, Kyuubi-san," threatened Deidara. As he motioned forward, he was blocked by the Sharingan-user.
"Itachi, you had your chance; let me – " A shatter stopped the rest of the sentence from leaving the blond Akatsuki's mouth.
Shit! No good can come of this! The power source of the necklace had shattered, causing an overpowering release of energy. It furiously enveloped Naruto's body and within seconds imploded, leaving no traces of the boy.
There's the Prologue/Ch.1. A little lengthy, but its to set the background for the events that will begin to occur in the next chapter. I kept the Japanese version of some of the words to give it a slightly more authentic feel. I hope the notes helped you out.
Anyway, R&R please! It'll be greatly appreciated. Oh, and stay tuned!