The Red Ghost of Konoha is Born

A Fateful Encounter

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Only my OCs I am using.

"Name and reason for visiting the village please. Just standard protocol sir."

"I understand." This is Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in The Leaves. The most powerful village of ninjas in the country known as the Elemental Nation for having various regions and other villages named after elements of nature. This one was in a region known as the Country of Fire. Right now, a man wearing travel clothes, a rain hood, hiking boots and a sack for carrying supplies and possessions he might own.

In his hand that moved from one of his many pockets was a card. A card with lettering on it and with a photo in one corner that matched his face perfectly. He was a mature adult given how there is barely any trace of baby fat, instead there were strong and firm lines along his cheekbones and forehead. His hair was raven black and his eyes were as green as the freshest patch of grass anyone can ever grow in their backyard. His nose was well refined, like stronger than any other human. Despite no hair along his mouth, he had thick eyebrows and a shaggy goatee that actually didn't do justice for the professional and stoic impression the rest of his features present.

Despite all that, the gat guard looked over the card and nodded before giving it back to the man. "It all checks out Mr. Macro Wiro. A pleasure to have such a legend visiting our village. You may enter." In a professional tone, the gate allowed for Macro to walk into the village.

"Thank you." Macro said as he began searching for any available hotel or whatever to spend a few nights before moving on to the next village. After a good hour of browsing, he came across a hotel that ran rooms for only 23,000 ryo a night with all the pleasures; a living room to relax, a bathroom to refresh and a bedroom to rest. "Hmm." Macro hummed after he unloaded into his room and pocketed the key which said his room number to '214'. "Might as well walked around the village to burn all this spare energy."

And he did, he passed various market shops, bookstores, bakeries and restaurants. There was so much to try out but Macro wasn't feeling like trying any of them; after all, distractions only slows one down and gets them rusted. That is what he had learned in his field of expertise; as a bounty hunter. A very good one if not to brag; Macro had built up a reputation since none of his prey or targets ever lost him and didn't survive one week the least once he is interested in the bounty on their heads, rogue ninja or any other criminal.

But then he saw something that will send his career up to the skies. It was a young boy, staring at the river he was sitting in front of. Macro was no therapist but he knew that no matter what they say, young boys should have anything to be sad of; they have their entire life ahead of them so there is no reason to be sad. Macro maybe a bounty hunter but there was nothing that will stop him from walking over and talking the sadness out of this boy.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Macro said as he got into hearing range and the boy moved to show that he had his head down to hid his tears. "You look down. Can I ask what it is?"
"It's nothing mister." That was not very convincing since the boy's voice was as broken as a doll who took a bad fall.

"Don't try to avoid me kid. And call me Macro." The bounty hunter said in a stern tone to get some more answers out of the boy who flinched as bad as being hit by a hand-sized rock at twenty miles per hour.

"Sorry Mr. Macro." The boy said in his tears, like he was caught taking cookies from the jar before dinner time. "My name is Obito Uchiha and I am the disgrace to the Uchiha Clan." Macro didn't know what to make of this; he was fully aware of the Uchiha Clan, feared for their mastery over the element of fire and their all-powerful eyes known as the Sharingan. But it is their attitude like they believe themselves to be gods, elites even when they were just born. No doubt, if something doesn't met their expectations then that person is different than trash.

"It is okay Obito, I am aware of your clan and they are jerks." Macro said in hopes to cheer him up but he should have known better; just met the young boy and already Macro is insulting the only he ever had.

"I know but I have no one else to be my family. They all see me the way as the rest of the Uchiha Clan. Even my team never wanted to be my friends." Obito said and that last remark drove him to tears again, "Minato-sensei ignores me, Kakashi-Teme makes fun of me and Rin-Chan hates me. I am a disgrace! I don't want to live anymore!" Now was to be a good time for Macro to act and the bounty hunter grasped the screaming young boy and held him to the ground. What verified Macro's fears and Obito's claims was that the people around them never once tried to break them apart; they never even gave them a glance that they noticed them. This was a sad sight for a village who ranted on and on about friendship and trust was what made up the foundations to this great village; Macro thought otherwise.

"Listen kid! You need to calm down and answer me!" Obito nodded to the stern voice of the bounty hunter. "Do you feel love or lust for this Rin person you have a crush on?" Obito didn't have the answer right away; he wasn't sure if what he will say is true. "Do you want Rin all to yourself? Do you want to keep the other boys away from her? Do you want her to always stay in the house and away from everyone else? Do you want her for her body or anything else?"

"NO! I will never think of such things!" Macro smirked; after hearing a lot of people yell at the top of their voice, they were never that sturdy telling a lie that way.

"Then do you want to see her smile every day? Do you want to be there when she is either sad or hurt? Do you want to her friend? Do you want to see her safe and happy? Will you give your life for her to be happy? Do you want to protect her!?" Macro asked and Obito took in a huge breath,

"I DO! I just what to be her friend! I don't care if I can be hers! I just want her to be there for her! I want to her to be happy and safe!" Obito gave his entire convection in that yell off.

"That is the difference between love and lust Obito. And you have just passed my test." Macro said as he released Obito, for the boy to sit up and rub where the bounty hunter was rough with him.

"Thanks by will you want me. I am thirteen and I still haven't awaken my Sharingan. Everyone else did it at six years or younger. That is why I am the disgrace to them." Obito asked and Macro proved an answer that Obito never thought of trying.

"Then leave. If they don't want you than you were just merely sticking to the wrong crowd. One school of fish is never enough to fill a whole ocean. They are plenty of people who will want to be friends with a boy like you." Macro said and Obito was moved to tears again; he had just found someone who wanted him and was told that there were people out there who want him as well. For a boy like Obito, it was like finally finding the one thing you have searching all your life.

"If I do, can you teach me how to be a better person? I need to improve so I can do what I want." Obito asked and Macro explained his plan. They will take an extended leave of absence for six months of private training until it will be time to return. True to their predication, no one ever bothered protesting when they sent their plan into action; it will seem that all of them wanted to get rid of Obito. The boy of course was excited to leave the village, away from everything that was never pleasant, never happy for him.

XXXXX

And with that day under the bag, six months passed on a dime. Six months of traveling, meeting all sorts of people, and more importantly, doing training. Visiting the other villages allowed for Obito to gain some aquatinted people and expand his knowledge by spending many hours in their libraries. They also showed their ways of farming, hunting, harvesting, painting, carving, and animal breeding. This encouraged some hobbies for the Uchiha to try out when he is not training or doing missions. And speaking of which, it turned out that his teacher was a successful bounty hunter; business had been busy not with all the runaway ninjas from the Shinobi Villages or the bandits that roam the lands looking for food or blood.

All this had helped Obito refine his stance, learn all sorts of ways to taking down even foes that are many times larger or heavier than he is. Marco had spent his days with Obito, teaching the young boy on how to crack open and leave the shell he was born in that will slowing his progress down. Now Obito was a more confident person, being able to talk tough in the face of danger or large numbers. The Uchiha was a better person and truly a better Shinobi since he sought help with some friendly Shinobi in the other villages; the ones who tolerate Obito since he actually is a kind, caring and thoughtful boy despite being born into the clan full of people who believes themselves to be god and have the right to look down on everyone.

But what was the greatest change that happened in those six months for Obito was awakening his Sharingan. It happened during one hunting mission when he and his partner, one of the villagers that volunteered to lead the mission, were surrounded by their prey. They fought hard but the numbers were slowly turning the tables on them and the best hunter in that village on the border of Wind Country and Earth Country had taken a bad hit. It was becoming clear that they were going to get eaten but the beasts underestimated one thing; Obito's cause to be there for his team once he became a better person. All those emotions released in the midst of danger and on the brink of being eaten had triggered something in Obito's genes and gained the Uchiha to the power to not be harmed by any of the beasts and slay them.

After finishing off the horde they were chasing after, Obito had ignored the bounty and dragged his hunting teacher back to the village to be healed. There, Obito and Macro learned that Obito not only awakened his Sharingan but also a power never seen before; not even with Madara Uchiha who was the one who set the new record for what a Uchiha can do. Since no one alive bared witness to this power unlocking, Obito wished that no one but him and Macro know about it. Instead, the two will be doing what they had been for the whole time but even harder so that now Obito will be sought out for his new and unknown ability like a wild animal that escaped a circus.

And they did and every day, Obito found himself exhausted on the floor or the ground during every training session; that was how hard they were on the Uchiha boy. But he never complained, he could feel his body and his chakra increasing and improving every time he was sent to lick the dirt on the ground. Pretty soon, Obito was ready to try out bounty hunting for real rather than relying on Macro the whole way.

And Obito had a blast at Bounty Hunting. His new Sharingan allowed him to make like x-ray vision, tracking down his prey's chakra signature for rogue Shinobi or heart beat for bandits; if your heart stops beating, you are as good as dead so trying to lower it was suicide. But the real kicker to his new reputation was when he engaged his targets; they were scared of him, no matter how hard they tried, they could even harm Obito. All their attacks or weapons just passed through him like a ghost as they were done in with hacks and slashes, spilling their blood over Obito's gear thus giving him the dreaded nickname that stuck fear into the fears of all criminals; The Red Ghost of Konoha, the one ninja from the village who had decided to take a hand at bounty hunting.

Weeks of bounty hunting had made Obito a very rich kid; he made more money than he could ever use for his food, supplies or even his new hobbies he developed which included painting, drawing and sewing. This life was more exciting and fun for Obito than he had in the Konoha Village; he never wanted to leave it but his loyalty to his team back in the village had soon drawn him back. Without him, not one of his fellow teammates could get anywhere in the ranks.

And just like that, the six months were over and Obito already gave his thanks to Macro for all the bounty hunter had ever did for him; Obito had taken his spare time making a camouflage jacket along with a bow, arrows and quiver in case knifes and spears couldn't take down any of his future prey. Then they parted ways for Macro to resume his journeys and years of bounty hunting while Obito returned to the Konoha Village in order to make a clean state of himself among his fellow ninjas. One thing is for sure, once he comes back, Obito will have even Konoha Shinobi fearing him and his new found powers.

End of Chapter 1.

*I really had a rough week so far, not with that huge storm I am sure you have witnessed or heard off that hit our town in Virginia. We still had power but most of the town had lost its internet connection it can be fixed on Thursday, hopefully. Until then, I will try to keep myself busy and I hope you all will a way to do the same. I will love to hear back from you all and have a nice day!*