Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, nor False Memory by Dean Koontz, which I have taken ideas from.
A/N: This is an AU story. Do not read if you dislike Evil!Naruto, or character death. Rated M to be safe.
Uzumaki Naruto would readily describe himself as an honest, trustworthy person. He put the needs of others before his own, changed the hearts and minds of the most conceited people to walk upon the Earth, and spread his enthusiasm and exuberance to all around him. That is what he would tell anyone who asked, anyway. In truth, he was one of the most cunning, manipulative, and deceitful shinobi ever to be housed in the village of Konohagakure. Rivaled only by Orochimaru of the Sannin, who had performed disgustingly inhumane experiments on his own comrades, and Uchiha Madara, whose most devious exploits are as of yet unknown, Naruto had nearly single-handedly covertly devised a conspiracy that would topple the Fire Country's reign of peace and shake the Elemental Continent to its core. This event was for years to come, however, and what is a story without a beginning?
On the night of the Genin Graduation Exams, Naruto stole the Scroll of Sealing after having seen through a power hungry sensei's ploy to frame him for a crime of incredible penalty. Wishing to gain power himself, Naruto copied several jutsu from the scroll before taking advantage of a convenient confrontation between himself, his loyal teacher Iruka, and the traitorous sensei Mizuki, to avoid all consequence.
One jutsu in particular intrigued him, so much so that he studied it for hours upon hours to gain enough knowledge to use it. It had no name, but offered many ideas. The jutsu was a medical jutsu devised by both Tsunade of the Sannin and a pre-treason Orochimaru, used to delve into a person's mind and implant behaviors, and remove them as well. It was supposed to free traumatized shinobi from battle-induced mental illnesses. Unfortunately, the minds of these ninja were too damaged for the jutsu to do much good, and the project was abandoned. It was deemed forbidden due to it's mind controlling possibilities.
Naruto faced many hardships in the village due to the villagers' hatred, and such a jutsu could allow him to forcibly change person's views of him. If a few key people suddenly began to favor the boy, it would make his life that much easier. It wasn't until later in his life that Naruto began to realize the incredible amount of other benefits the jutsu could offer.
Before Naruto could utilize the jutsu at all, though, he needed to know more about how the mind worked. To really use it, he would need basic seal knowledge, but that was unavailable at the moment. However, he could easily gain knowledge of the mind through his acquaintance, Yamanaka Ino, and could sneak into the Konoha Hospital's library fairly easily. It would be child's play compared to painting the ANBU headquarters orange.
Naruto stood on a small bridge, waiting for his teammates at their usual meeting place. He watched the fish swim upstream, fighting the current to reach their destination, wherever it might be. He'd have to ask Sakura for directions to the Yamanaka flower shop, as he did not know in what sector of the village it was located. He stretched his arms above his head, and idly wondered if he should start sending shadow clones to the meetings, as real missions were rare. After the events in Wave, they had returned to the tedious routine of D ranked missions. He had heard that the chuunin exams were coming up soon, so the likelihood of training rose somewhat, but the idea was a tempting one nonetheless. The near-silent clops of ninja sandals caught his attention, and a wide grin spread across his face. He turned and shouted his normal greeting to Sakura, who responded with a half-hearted wave. His grin contorted slightly as he eyed her, although the tiny thinning of his smile was unnoticeable.
Sakura's eyebrows were creased and her arms were crossed over her chest.. She obviously had something on her mind, and she might be more susceptible to his questions if he played on it. A more agreeable Sakura meant more information, which meant a more persuasive discussion with Ino.
"You worried about something, Sakura-chan?" His voice came out loud and concerned.
"I'm fine, Naruto. Just a little tired." Her answer weakly, an obvious lie.
"Okay, Sakura-chan. If you want to talk though, I'm always willing." It was quiet for a while, before Sakura spoke again.
"Naruto, when we were in Wave, was I any help to you or Sasuke?" She was uncertain, and her voice shook.
"Of course you were! Your tips helped us master tree climbing faster!" Naruto intentionally gave an answer she didn't want, and kept his clueless character. Sakura slumped against the bridge's guardrail and clenched her hands.
"That wasn't really helpful at all! I'm just a burden to this team, and you know it. Stop trying to make me feel better!" She yelled, and tears welled up in her eyes. Naruto was outwardly shocked at her outburst, but internally glad that she had finally realized that she needed to be stronger to be useful. Now, how to use this to gain leverage over the girl?
A/N: Sorry about the short chapter, but I don't feel well and its late. I wanted to get this idea out before I forgot about it. R&R!