PUBLISHING DATE: 27/12/16

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but my OCs, they're mine. c:

Author's Note: Hi all, here's an AU fanfic featuring OCs as main characters. They will be of Itachi's age group, meaning 5 years older than Naruto's. Nothing will change much, some events will have the same outcome, while some might be slightly different from what they are. Character deaths will definitely happen, some blood and violence too. That's why I rated this M, you know. To introduce my OCs to you, I will be posting a short description on how they look on the chapter they make their appearance. It took me a loooong time to decide what hair or eye colour they should have. But anyways, hope you'll enjoy!

Summary: A different timeline with a different team of quirky genins. One with a complicated past, another who grew up alone and too mature for his age, while the last member of the team is busy juggling between her duties and her goals. A story that tells us that not every show starts with the main character, but the sides who pave the road for them.

OC Characters:

Uesugi Saburo – he has black hair that reaches his shoulders (he always ties them up into a short ponytail) with his fringe framing his forehead and face, and a deep shade of sea green eyes. In the main time frame of the story, he wears a short-sleeved black turtleneck shirt with an army green vest jacket over it, along with the standard black shinobi pants, shinobi sandals and a waist pouch. Saburo wears his Konoha headband around his neck (like Hinata).

-CHAPTER 1-
CATASTROPHE

The night of October 10th, Shinobi Year 104 since the founding of Hidden Villages…

Ashes. Burning. The once beautiful midnight sky is now awash with a deep shade of red, flames burning through the many houses of Konoha. A small black-haired boy, no more than five, runs across the familiar street he grew up in. People were pushing him, shoving him, wanting to get away from the demon not far from them, but he continues on.

"Mama! Papa!" He yells as he nears his neighbourhood. He sees Nomura-san's house in fire, a part of it destroyed but the old man is nowhere in sight. He hopes he is safe. He sees the playground he frequents at destroyed, the once colourful area crushed into nothing. He also sees the many lifeless bodies around him, the smell of blood invading his smell ever so often. But he ignores it, his pace never once hesitating.

And then he sees them. Under a pile of rubble near his destroyed house, he sees the familiar bodies of his parents. He runs forward. "Mama! Papa!"

He drops to his knees, his hands digging through the rocks and dirt. "D-Don't worry Mama, Papa… I-I'll get you out of there," his voice cracking, "I p-promi–" A big calloused hand stops him, and his big sea green eyes stares at the hand, uncertain. He knows what his father is trying to tell him, but he shakes his head, denying their fate. "Papa…? W-Why…"

Uesugi Taichi gives his only child a smile, but it looks more like a grimace to Saburo. "Leave us, Saburo. Run, go towards the shelter nearby. You'll be safe there."

"No!" Saburo yells, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I won't leave you and Mama! Never!"

"Mama! Tell Papa that–"

It was only then that the five year old realizes that his Mama hadn't spoken a word since he arrived, hadn't even lift her hand or turn her head towards him. He stares at her lifeless body, shock overtaking him. "Mama is… Papa, M-Mama is…is…"

He sobs. Even as he feels the warm hand of his Papa on his head, he weeps at his loss. His anguish cries echoes throughout the empty neighbourhood. "Saburo." Taichi starts.

"Take this." He reaches towards his neck, unclasping the necklace and placing it into his little boy's open hand. Saburo sniffs, but accepts it nonetheless. He looks at the necklace, a small sapphire gemstone embedded in the middle of the silver pendant, simple but beautiful in its own glory.

"It's been passed down since generations ago. Your grandfather gave it to me when I married your Mama," he smiles a little at the memory. "I planned to give it to you when you were older, but…"

"…I guess giving it to you now is the right time."

Before Saburo could reply, a loud roar resonated across the village. Taichi looks at his son in the eye, his panic well hidden under a false calmness. "Saburo, you have to go."

"But–"

"Go!" Taichi half-shouts at him, giving him a light shove to the shoulder.

Saburo stares at his dad for a while, his lips quivering and another fresh set of tears threatening to fall. "…I'll miss you, Papa…"

He says before he sprints away, running towards wherever his short legs takes him. He held on to the necklace to his chest, his knuckles turning white from the death grip he has.

Taichi looks on as his dear beloved son ran with all his might, tears dripping from his eyes. He turns towards his dead wife, his Miyu, his forever. "Oh Miyu…"

He sobs and cries, until he feels a sharp pain and he could no longer breathe in peace. 'Saburo, live well and make your parents proud. But above it all, live happily with no regrets, my son.' His breathing turns ragged, and seconds passed, until no sound could be heard anymore.

Uesugi Taichi and Nakano Miyu

The young boy stares at the names, his whole body frigid. It was a month after the dreaded night, and the village is still coping with the losses, but barely.

A sob nearby has him snapping his head to his right, seeing a small group of people crying in front of a grave. It was then that Saburo realizes that it isn't only him that had loss a dear one. He looks on as a handful of people were crying in front of a grave, while some had just sat there for who knows how long.

But one thing that differentiated him from them, is that he has no other family member, while they do, he thought bitterly.

"Mama, Papa…" he whispers, his voice as quiet as the night wind, "I…I'll get stronger. No, I…I will be strong, for you and for myself and…and…"

He sobs into his hands, unable to finish his sentence. He runs from the cemetery, unable to handle the atmosphere there. His steps are quiet and small, not a single sound heard.

From afar, he sees a woman walking towards him. And he knows that he will be scolded, again. He quickly wipes his tears away, his face turning cold as the woman nears him.

"Saburo! How many times have I told you to not sneak out at night," the woman chastises, annoyance seeping out from her tone. "This has been the fifth time this month!"

The woman awaits what ridiculous answer the young boy will reply this time. A moment goes by, and Saburo's cold face changes into a cheery one. "Haha! Sorry Eiko-san! I was uh, bored! Yeah, I was bored!"

The middle-aged woman gives him a glare, but Saburo acts nonchalant about it.

"The Konoha Orphanage is not your home, Saburo. You can't just walk out anytime you want. You need to understand that!" Eiko explains as kindly as she can. "And Saburo! Where on earth do you always go at this ungodly hour?"

Saburo gives her a tight smile, "It's a secret!"

"Saburo, this is Sugiyama Hiroto and his wife, Chizuru," Yui, another caretaker at the orphanage, says, "they have decided to adopt you. They will be your new family from now onwards."

Saburo gives the man and woman an overlook. They look fairly nice, a kind smile on their faces. "Hello, Saburo-chan. It's nice to finally meet you!" The lady, Chizuru, says in a friendly manner. The man sited beside her gives him a big grin, his warm brown eyes had a warmth to it that makes Saburo feel all weird, it was just like how Mama and Papa would look at him–

No! Saburo shook the mental thought away, before giving them a bright smile of his own. "Can I call you Otou-san and Okaa-san?"

3 Years Later…

"Otou-san! Okaa-san!" Saburo hollers. "I'm going out for a while!"

The eight year old quickly slips on his shoes, tightening it and keeping away the shoelaces neatly, just like how his Okaa-san taught him to. "Saburo? You're going out?"

A middle-aged woman steps out from the kitchen, a spatula in one hand. "Be back soon for lunch! Stay safe and–"

"Don't talk to strangers, I got it Okaa-san!" He yells back as he slams the door, in a rush to go there. After turning into several alleys and almost knocking into a lamppost, he finally reaches his destination –Training Ground 16. Just in time to watch the show.

He hears the faint clash of a spar ongoing, and he quickly hides behind a bush, his head picking out above it. There he is!

He sees his target, a boy with his Konoha headband tied around his head like a bandana, wielding a–

"Is he using the–" He exclaims loudly. The two boys sparring stops, looking around the training field for the voice just now. "Did you hear something just now, Hayate?" one asked. The other, Hayate, shrugs, "Must be the wind."

The two soon continues their spar.

Saburo sighs in relief. "The Bushikatagi! Gekkou-san is using the Bushikatagi!" he whispers excitedly to himself. The Bushikatagi, or the Samurai Spirit, is a type of daitou, a katana crafted by a famed blacksmith in Konoha, who is also an excellent swordsman back in the days before he retired. "Where did Gekkou-san even get the Bushikatagi!"

He continues watching them, occasionally saying a few 'Ohhs' and 'Wows' here and then, until he feels a presence beside him, and he knows he's caught red-handed.

"Gahhh!" He jumps in surprise before the man clamps his mouth shut. The red-headed man smiles at the boy, who quickly shoves away his hand from his mouth.

"What's the big deal, mister?! Can't you see I'm in the middle of something?!" he shouts, quietly to avoid bringing the attention of the two boys.

The man has a thoughtful look, before asking, "I'm just wondering what interest you have with my student."

Saburo pauses then, his mind reeling back. This man is Gekkou-san's sensei?

"Y-Your Gekkou-san's sensei…?" he asks, uncertain.

"Hmm?" the man cocks his head to the side, "You mean young Hayate?" Saburo nods furiously.

"Heaven's no! My student is that one over that," he points at the boy sparring with Hayate, "the one with a senbon in his mouth. That's my student. Compared to Hayate, Genma is still lacking in many things…"

It was then that he realizes the boy is not listening to him anymore, preferring to watch the spar instead. He smiles at the boy's action.

"Say, boy," he starts, and Saburo gives him a quick glance to tell him that he's listening, "What is it about young Hayate that you idolize so much?"

Saburo's expression changes to an excited one so fast, that the man is taken aback. "I admire his kenjutsu! The way he handles any type of weapon so elegantly and expertly, even though he's only a few years older than me, especially when he wields the katana! His moves are so precise and sharp and just…amazing!" He exclaims.

The man is a little shocked at the boy's words, such admiration for Hayate, no, it isn't Hayate that he admires, it is his expertise in kenjutsu that he admires. He smiles and says, "Such big words for a small child."

"I'm not a child!" Saburo says, his voice slightly louder, "Okaa-san and Otou-san teaches me many things at home, and the Academy teaches me too! S-So I'm not a child!"

The man thinks that what the boy says makes no relevance to his statement, but he soon perks up at his words, "You attend the Konoha Shinobi Academy, boy?"

Saburo grins cheekily, his thumb pointing towards himself, "You're looking at the next kenjutsu master, mister!"

Terminology:

Bushikatagi — A type of daitou, or long sword; a katana named Samurai Spirit crafted by a famed blacksmith and former swordsman of Konoha