Prompt: Desperation
Title: Bring It On
Author: Darkfire-Lady of Darkness
Fandom: Naruto / NCIS crossover
Word Count: 812 (according to Google Docs)
Warnings: Mentions of Child Soldiers, Neglect of a minor, Starvation, Demons, unbeta'd writing, Ninja/Shinobi, and Mass Death
Summary: Anthony DiNozzo never had the picture perfect childhood, but he did learn a few invaluable lessons.
Bring It On
Anthony DiNozzo Junior was no stranger to desperation.
His father, Anthony DiNozzo Senior never stayed in one place long. As one of the roaming merchants of Konoha, he frequently made trips to other villages in the Elemental Nations, selling his wares and bring back rare treasures to sell in the marketplace.
As a child, DiNozzo Senior frequently brought his son along on his trips, especially after the boy's mother died when baby Tony was two. Despite them both being natives of the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Senior gained entrance to other Shinobi Villages easier with baby Tony by his side.
The two-year-old drew the eyes of the market with his adorable sounds and adorably cute face. The child also drew numerous women to their stall, praising Anthony Senior for "caring for young Tony so well as a single parent" after they heard that "his mother died giving birth to him" speech that Senior doled out so well.
Life was generous to both of them.
When Tony Junior turned five, his father's attitude towards him changed. After the third trip where they got suspicious looks and mutterings about infiltrators and how the brat is just the right age to start the Academy, Anthony Senior stopped bringing young Tony on his trips.
"I'm only going to the next town over, Junior. It's just for one day. You'll be safe here in Konoha."
Tony spent the night by himself in the small studio apartment.
The first time his father was gone for a week, Tony ran out of prepared food to eat with two days left to go. Stomach growling, he gathered up the money and slowly made his way towards the Konoha market. Shyly, he purchased some fruit and vegetables from a kind elderly lady, just enough to get him through the next few days until his father returned.
He never even noticed the elderly stall owner signal an Uchiha Policeman to discreetly make sure he made it home in one piece.
Time passed slowly for Anthony DiNozzo Junior, or Tony-chan as the nice lady at the vegetable stall called him. Anthony DiNozzo Senior's time in Konoha quickly moved from living to visiting. Most of the time, his father left money on the counter for him to buy groceries with. It was during the times his father forgot that Tony truly learned what it meant to be desperate.
After that, Tony Junior always saved every spare bit of money he could, hiding the leftover money when his father came home from his trips. He never wanted to feel the gnawing agony of going hungry again.
During the fall of his seventh year, Tony felt an evil miasma blanket Konoha. The pressure was hard on his child body, but Tony remained standing in the shadow of Konoha's demon, the Kyuubi. All around the seven-year-old, numerous ninja rose up to defend their village and died just as quickly.
Looking back, Tony could remember his desperate dash around falling buildings and dying shinobi. Trying to run away from a walking, ten-story tall natural disaster remains one of the most terrifying nights of his life.
Anthony DiNozzo Junior stared around the Shinobi Academy classroom. All around him, children ages four to seven sat silently, attentioned turned towards the board. After the Kyuubi attack, the Hokage and overall Military Leader put out an unspoken request for all willing children to be enrolled at the Ninja academy for free.
"While our losses during the Kyuubi attack were great, Konoha will stand even stronger in the light of this tradegy. Together, we look to the future of our village, the children, and hope they will continue on the Will of Fire."
While the Hokage had made being a ninja into something to be proud of Tony Junior knew differently.
Shinobi gave their everything to the village. For Konoha, they fought. For Konoha, they killed. If Konoha wished it, they would starve for her.
Tony never wanted to be hungry again. He didn't want to learn how to wield a kunai knife against other ninja, adult or child. He especially didn't want to be a ninja.
His father enrolled him the very day the man returned.
"Congratulations Anthony-san. You passed the graduation exam. Meet here tomorrow for your Team Assignments."
Tony nodded solemnly, tying his new forehead protector to his forehead tightly, displaying Konoha's symbol openly as a new ninja of the village. Leaving the Shinobi Academy for the second to last time, Tony immediately returned to the training fields to begin his nightly routine of pushing his body to the breaking point and exhausting his chakra until he barely had enough energy left to move.
His eyes shown with an unholy light.
Tony desperately wanted to live, and if driving himself to the brink everyday gave him a chance to survive a ninja's deadly life…
Bring it on.