A Naruto Fanfiction
Weakness of the Scholar
Chapter 1
Self Doubt
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Naruto Franchise except this plot.
Summary: After the mission to Wave and his use of the Kyuubi no Yoko's chakra, Uzumaki Naruto is plagued with self doubt and fears as to whether he can keep the beast locked up or lose control and go on a rampage. When the chunin exams begin a still wary Naruto declines to participate, much to the surprise of everyone.
Author's notes: Not much to say at the moment except; read on and enjoy...hopefully.
"Focus Naruto!" The order was backed up with a hook punch to the left side of his jaw and emphasised with a sweep kick to the back of his knees. Naruto pulled himself back up off the floor and settled back loosely into the starting kata of the academy taijutsu. He waited for his opponent to get in range before swinging a lazy, obvious roundhouse at his opponents face, which was blocked and then countered with a fist in his gut. Once again Naruto found himself getting intimate with the dirt. "Okay, I've seen enough, meet back here tomorrow at eight." Kakashi intoned before disappearing in a whirl of smoke and leaves. Sasuke, who had been sparing with Naruto immediately turned and began to walk away with Sakura swiftly in tow. Naruto hadn't moved from his position on the ground but watched them go a faraway look in his eyes. Memories sprang unbidden from the recesses of his mind; of an unfinished bridge and an effeminate hunter-nin who had befriended and then betrayed him, of looking at his team-mates lifeless body and the hurt and despair that went with it, of looking upon the masked face of his killer and wanting him dead, of losing control and for a brief moment, allowing the Kyuubi to have control.
Naruto shuddered and forced himself up to his feet and, by instinct, made his way home.
The apartment where he lived wasn't much, but it was Home. Naruto had lived in it as far back as he could remember, first with a guardian to look after him and then teach him to look after himself, and then on his own. The guardian had been nice, she treated him well, but at arms length. Now that he was on his own he felt a little lonely but knowing that he answered to no one when it came to how he lived was very liberating, and he chose to indulge that liberating feeling by eating what ever the hell he wanted, which in his case was ramen.
Not feeling up to eating his usual he spied the most recent of a long line of baskets of fruit and vegetables that Kakashi was always delivering with a thoughtful look, normally he would chuck them out at the first opportunity but at the moment...
Naruto grabbed the nearest piece of fruit, an apple, and began to eat it. It isn't ramen but, not bad. He thought.
Naruto tried to sleep, but it evaded him. Every time he closed his eyes visions of him infused with the Kyuubi leapt before his eyes and they wouldn't go away. He had told Kakashi that he didn't remember what had happened but he did, every detail. With them came the inevitable certainty that he would eventually lose control, he would give the fox free reign of his body. In his short life, Naruto hadn't feared much; Death was understandable, all things that lived feared the inevitable but that fear had been overtaken by another: To lose control to the fox, to become the complete embodiment of the evil and corrupt chakra he felt on the bridge in wave was too much.
Naruto dropped from his bed and huddled into the nearest corner on the floor. Someone help me. He thought desperately. Help me fight the fox.
Unknown to Naruto a small cave, just on the border of Fire and Rice countries, slowly grew from a crack in a mountain wall. A small mist of chakra seeped out into the surrounding vegetation and took hold of the nearest animal, a fox with her cubs in a nearby den, and began to change them.
Satisfied with it's work the chakra's owner sent out a pulse that would be felt for miles around, most notably a young boy saddled with the most dangerous force of nature known to man.
The pulse of chakra was felt everywhere and by everything; plants shivered like the pulse were a passing breeze; animals scurried for shelter and a few small birds died as their chakra was poisoned by the wave; large predators stopped and turned towards the source of the chakra; civilians paused as the pulse caused their spines to shiver, they passed it off as nothing; shinobi stopped and tried to discern the intent of the chakra they felt, but when nothing came of it every shinobi shrugged it off and came up with their own theories. When the chakra pulse reached Sarutobi, he felt intent behind the chakra, it was seeking something, or someone.
Naruto's breathe hitched in his sleep as the last vestiges of the pulse reached him and washed over him. A second, more focused pulse of chakra quickly made it's way to him, his breathing faltered again and his pulse increased momentarily as the chakra invisibly covered him and started to do what it had set out to, impart a message.
In Naruto's mind-scape, the beast slumbered. The Chakra Pulse crept it's way towards the cage and surrounded the bars and paper the symbolised the seal on Naruto's stomach, and the beast awoke. It was angry at first and growled out it's frustration until it recognised the chakra, it instantly quietened down.
Hello little Kyuubi The Kyuubi no Yoko hunkered down at the sibilant hiss, it wasn't the voice he was expecting but he knew that it was still His.
When you disobeyed me, I was silent. The chakra spoke. When you forced your way onto this plane of existence, I was silent. Kyuubi crouched down lower, if that was possible. When Shinigami-sama was called in to seal you away, I was silent. The chakra seemed to take on a menacing tone as it spoke it's last words. But when you try to taint the soul of this innocent, push him so far to call for My help? I can no longer be silent. You have crossed the line for the last time Kyuubi, your time is up.
You have one week.
Naruto dreamed, he dreamed he was flying over Konoha.
He flew over the Hokage mountain and circled the Tower before heading out of the East gate and over Konoha's forests. Far to his right he could see a large clearing with a waterfall, it looked like there were some kind of statues, far to his left was a large canyon.
He flew on.
One week? One week?! He dared to act like the Kyuubi no Yoko was still under His thumb? Over his rotting chakra corpse!
The Kyuubi pushed his yokai out of his cell and into his container's chakra system, he didn't get far. Pale yellow chakra flared around the bars and stopped the yokai from getting any further. The voice soon followed.
Now, now little Kyuubi. It chided. I now have a vested interest in this soul and I will not allow you to do anything to jeopardise Uzumaki's sanity, purity or health. The Kyuubi stopped upon hearing his container's name.
Uzumaki, huh? No wonder he had been contained so easily.
Naruto flew over forests, clearings, towns cities and even what looked like another shinobi village until he began to descend into a clearing and stopped at the mouth of a cave, whispered voices began to leak into Naruto's hearing, as if they had always been there but he hadn't been listening. It sounded like the same voice but from to different people.
Step forward
comecloser
Uzumaki Naruto
Jinchuuriki
Naruto stepped into the cave and was blinded by the light inside, a shadow imprinted itself in the light, too blurry to properly see.
In three days
Threesuns,moons
You will have to make a choice
Decide
Choose to fight or to learn
Warrior,Scholar
Naruto tried to speak but couldn't find the words.
If you choose wisely, you will know what to do
Certainty
Talk to your Leader, he will understand
VenerableHokage
"Who are you?" Naruto asked, finding his voice again. He couldn't see but he felt that the figure was smiling.
You called and I came
Summoned
"I don't understand." Naruto told him.
You will my little Whirlpool
LittleMaelstrom
Listen to your heart and mind
Emotions,Knowledge
And whatever you decide
Choose
You have my blessing
Myconsent
Something resonated within Naruto.
It's time to wake up Naruto
daybreaks
But let me impart some advice
Asuggestion
Don't let the past rule your future
Bindingchains
Don't let failures make you doubt yourself
Limityourpotential
But don't ignore them either
Blind yourself
You are young little Whirlpool
Justababe
The young make mistakes, it goes with youth
Withlife
The question is; do you learn from it and move on
Gainexperience
Or wallow in it and falter
Fester
Naruto took another step towards the figure. "What do you mean?" He asked.
Wake Konoha's Sacrifice
Yondaime'slegacy
Today is a new day
Meetitheadon
Naruto woke with a start, scrambling to his feet immediately and scanned his apartment for intruders, he found none. He released the breathe he had been holding.
"It was just a dream." He told himself, over and over. "It was just a dream."...wasn't it?