Summary: Instead of receiving his father's looks and his mother's personality, Naruto receives the mirrored version of the package. Scarlet haired and timid, his unique hair stands out in Konoha but his personality certainly does not. These seemingly small changes greatly affect Naruto's life and the people around him.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in the Naruto universe. Naruto was made by Masashi Kishimoto and all rights are reserved to him.
This was always something I always wanted to write about. I probably wrote this chapter over a dozen times, trying to find the perfect beginning. I don't think this is absolutely perfect, but I think it's a good enough start.
To those that have actually followed me all these years, welcome back! Thank you for coming despite my long leave of absence. I will do my absolute best to finish this story and over the past year or so, I have improved my writing. So please do continue to follow me :)
To those that have never read any of my works, don't worry, I'm not famous. I'm just a student writing for sake of writing. I do hope you enjoy this and stay tuned for more!
As always, feel free to leave comments/criticism down below. I always try to interact with every reply, though if it gets too chaotic, I may not be able to reply to every message. DM me for any personal questions or inquiries.
Chapter 1: Konoha's Demon Brat
A young boy dressed in a black shirt and cargo shorts bolted through the streets of Konoha, his left hand tightly clenched around his right arm. A brown bag swayed side to side on the boy's shoulder as his worn sandals slapped the ground with a steady rhythm. Heads turned towards the runner, as his red spiky hair stood out instantly from the thousands of other civilians and shinobis strolling around in broad daylight of the peaceful Hidden Leaf Village.
His hair was the same color as the liquid that trickled down his right arm, as blood began to slowly seep through the hand that was holding down a sizeable cut. The wound wasn't very deep, but it was deep enough for a good amount of blood to trickle out of. Ignoring the pain from his arm, the redhead continued running.
"Stop right there, you Demon Brat!"
The boy refused to answer his pursuers and dashed away, well ahead of the crowd that was out for his blood. He internally groaned as he saw that the size of the group chasing him increased from the last time he looked over his shoulders. He deduced that several villagers witnessed the chase and joined in on the pursuit of the infamous Naruto Uzumaki. Seeing the large crowd pumped adrenaline into his veins, making him run faster and faster in the hopes of finding safety.
Naruto hooked onto a utility pole with his hands and swung himself sideways into a narrow alley. The rapid turn made several of his pursuers stumble, to his amusement, but they relentlessly pushed on into the alleyway. The sudden movement also made more blood ooze out of his wound as the gash widened further. Barely registering the pain, Naruto continued his escape as he quickly turned sharply into another alley. The red-haired boy knew the layouts of the backstreets and alleyways of Konoha better than anyone else and he intended to use every bit of advantage he had in order to ensure his safety.
After utilizing several sharp turns and feints to throw the villagers off his trail, Naruto finally managed to find some peace and tranquility next to a lone dumpster behind a grocery store. He scanned his surroundings one more time to confirm that he was not being pursued. Before he could let out a sigh of relief, his mouth twisted from the wound on his arm. The pain from his wound finally hit him with full force as the adrenaline wore off. Naruto had to stifle a sharp cry as he tightly wrapped his wound with a piece of cloth and adjusted his clothes. The sleeve of his shirt was ruined by the cut and was soaked with blood, but he knew he could mend the shirt when he returned home.
Instead of just looking at his wounded arm and torn clothes, the red-haired boy brought out the thing that made all the villagers run after him. It was a small loaf of wheat bread, about the size of Naruto's forearm. He glanced over the bread for a few seconds, thoroughly inspecting his lunch, and began to rip off small pieces to eat.
"Another busy day, isn't it Naruto-san?"
The redhead didn't flinch at the sound of the voice and merely sighed in reply, placing the bread onto his tired laps. "Another day of playing hide and go seek with the villagers"
"I'm sorry we can't directly stop them, but we can't let the villagers discover that you're being protected and tracked by ANBU agents at all times. Otherwise…"
"I know, or they'll demand that the ANBU agents be removed immediately because I'm a waste of time and resources," Naruto grumbled, losing his appetite in the process.
Emerging from the shadows, the owner of the mysterious voice was a brown haired, male shinobi that stood two feet taller than Naruto. He wore a sword on his back and had on the standard ANBU uniform with a grey vest and black shirt and pants. The ANBU agent also wore a white mask that looked like a cat, with three red stripes on each cheek. Strangely, the stripes on the masks looked awfully similar to Naruto's three whiskers that adorned his face.
Unlike most Konoha residents that despised and hated him, this mysterious ANBU agent, codenamed "Fox," treated him as an equal. Despite their large difference in terms of skill, age, and even interests, Fox and Naruto had a close relationship. Fox was the leader of the ANBU agents that kept tabs on Naruto and often interacted with the young boy due to his isolation from others. The ANBU agent considered Naruto as one of his students and treated him like a younger brother. Similarly, Naruto saw the older man as one of his only friends and looked up to the mysterious man despite never seeing his face.
Fox looked at the piece of bread, his mask covering any expressions, and sat down next to the boy. "So, what reasons did the villagers have this time on chasing you across the marketplace and the residential areas?"
"The usual. I went into a bakery to buy some bread, but the owner tried to rip me off. So logically, I reasoned with the owner and told him that if he was going to rip me off, I would go to another shop to buy bread. Instead of listening, he shouted at the top of his lungs that I was trying to threaten him and steal his bread, and the chase began right afterward." Naruto forcefully chewed the bread, despite his lack of appetite. He hadn't eaten a meal all day and he knew he needed the food for himself.
The ANBU agent listened intently and asked for a small chunk of the bread, which Naruto happily obliged and gave to him. "And the gash?"
"During the ruckus at the store, someone broke the window by accident and I cut my arm on a piece of glass by accident. It's not that deep, I'll be alright after a few days."
"Why didn't you use your usual Henge to go buy the bread instead of walking in there as your normal self?" Fox questioned as he inspected the boy's wound.
Naruto took a small chunk out his prize and slowly chewed on it, "I wanted to be myself. I was hoping that if I approached the shopkeeper respectfully and quietly, I wouldn't draw the ire of everyone around me."
Fox let out a small chuckle. "A brave attempt, but it was a reaction you should have expected. It's a miracle how you manage to stay at the top of your class…"
To the villagers, Naruto was the demon brat that deserved to be treated lower than dirt. To his classmates, Naruto was seen as a top student. He was able to memorize things effortlessly and learn complicated materials within minutes. He was an extremely gifted ninja, talented both physically (being one of the fastest ninjas in his year) and academically (always first or tied for first in his class). Not even the teachers that resented him could punish the young boy. Naruto was well mannered, intelligent, and respectful. And unlike Sasuke Uchiha, he was much more easy to approach and talk to. Not that he was given many chances to people due to his outcast status.
Sheepishly, the whiskered teen scratched his cheeks. "I'm not always at the top of my class. Usually, Sasuke-chan and I alternate in terms of placement. If anything, he's smarter and more skilled than me."
Fox scoffed at Naruto's statement. "You're too humble. The Uchiha boy may have talent, but you have talent, instinct, and dedication. True, you do lack some common sense and can be quite dense, but you're intelligent and calm even in life-threatening situations. If I was your Academy teacher, I would already have you marked as a potential ANBU agent in the near future."
"Thanks, Fox," Naruto stated with a grin. "But I'm not a ninja yet."
"Unless your teachers purposely sabotage you during the exams, you'll become a Genin for sure. The graduation exam is next week, correct?"
Naruto enthusiastically nodded. "I'm a bit nervous. Becoming a Konoha ninja had always been my dream and goal."
"Is your goal still to become a jounin of the Leaf? Not Hokage or an ANBU captain or anything like that?"
The young boy shrugged his shoulders as he finished off the remainder of the bread. "I'm not skilled enough to become Hokage and I don't think I want to join ANBU either. I just want to be a good jounin and become a teacher one day."
It was evident that the older ninja didn't share the same views as the boy, but Fox gave the redhead a pat on the head. "You'll get there one day, don't worry about it too much."
"I know," Naruto replied. The simple sentence wasn't a cocky boast, but a statement as if he knew he would reach his desired goal one day.
"Well then, Mr. Future Jounin. How about we head to one of the training grounds to prepare you for the exam? I'm not too worried, but training always helps." Fox knew how the boy would reply, but waited patiently for a reply.
"Will you teach me a new Wind Jutsu?" Naruto asked eagerly. "Or spar with me?"
The ANBU agent's mask hid the smile that formed on his face. "Both, now let's go."