Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I don't Naruto, I don't own this computer, I don't even own my mind. All I own is pocket lint. If you want to sue me for my pocket lint, fine. However it would probably be easier to just raid a laundry mat for lint, you avoid lawyers that way.

Hello to anyone who reads this fanfic, this is my first so be nice

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It was colder than usual for Konoha in September. The sun had long since retired from the sky, but the lack of moon or stars proved that it was over cast and would soon begin to rain. In the ever busy Hokage Tower, Sarutobi, The Sandaime Hokage, slumped in his desk chair as he read the report with a heavy heart. Not for the first time Sarutobi wished that he not had to take up the Hokage's hat so soon after his initial retirement. Not for the first time he wished he had been able to perform his successor/ predecessor's sacrifice in his stead. The again perhaps it was for the best that it was he who had to deal with this atrocity. It would have broken Arashi's heart to see Konoha all but loose one of its important pieces. Sarutobi scanned the report once more before turning to the Dog-masked ANBU who stood silently in front of his desk.

"This not the final report?" He inquired

"No Hokage-sama. Tsume Inuzuka and Shibi Aburame are leading a tracking team to see if they can find the bastard. We will also be able to get a more complete story from the survivors when they are more stable."

Sarutobi looked down at the report of what was quickly being labeled the Uchiha Massacre.

ANBU report 72961

We arrived at the Uchiha Compund shortly after we received the initial call. A non-Uchiha member of the police had gone to the Compound to see why the Uchiha police from the night watch had not reported for duty. He saw the bodies from the entrance of the gate and reported immediately. From what we can surmise the killing began in family dwellings. The killer relied on the fairly spacious design of the Compound to silently dispatch of each individual family, one at a time. He then swept through the main street and took out anyone who was still in the shops before heading to the clan head's house.

He dispatched of Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto just as the couple's younger son, Sasuke, returned home from individual training. He attempted to kill Sasuke but was interrupted when the boy's elder brother, ANBU operative Itachi returned home from mission moments later. The killer, now identified as Uchiha Shisui, was technically weaker than Itachi but due to a mix of grief, shock, and his own reservations, Itachi was seriously injured. Shisui escaped shortly before our squad arrived. While it seems that both the Uchiha brothers will live, Itachi is still being monitored and Sasuke seems to be suffered from severe shock. So far they appear to be the only survivors.

The Sandaime recalled seeing Sasuke only two days before while visiting the newest students to the academy. They boy had been quiet, but Sarutobi had seen his hesitation, the boy had been a bit shy. His heart went out the quiet child who had lived his life in his brother's shadow. Sarutobi turned to the ANBU.

"Kakashi, as a friend of the survivors' immediate family, could help arrange for the funeral?"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Then your are dismissed"

As Kakashi bowed and left, Sarutobi looked to the next file in the stack upon his desk. As his eyes fell upon the label he felt a stirring of rage amidst the sorrow. The file was a medical report with the name Uzumaki scrawled in dark black marker. If the doctors who treated him were to be believed the boy was incredibly clumsy and suffered his injuries from his 'accident'. However the few decent human beings among Konoha's medical staff, as well as the Hokage himself knew that the suffered his injuries at the hands of whatever grudge holding villagers were in a bad mood. While there were some advocated help for the outcast/demon container/innocent child, a larger number (including most of the village council) either supported the abuse or simply didn't care. Every time the Hokage walked into the hospital room to see the boy his heart cracked a bit more. He was always greeted with the cheerful smile of a boy who was too proud, or too ashamed, to admit that his 'accidents, were hardly accidents at all.

Sarutobi stood and walked to the window overlooking the Hokage monument. He smiled bitterly as he amended his thoughts. The Uchiha Massacre would have deeply saddened the Yondaime Hokage, but it was the little sun-kissed ball of energy that would have hurt the most. It would have broken the Yondaime to the child's happy smile become a little hollower every day.

Unknown to the Sandaime, the subject of his current thoughts was presently suffering another of his 'accidents'. Seven year old Naruto Uzumaki had been sitting quietly on his swing, watching the other children play, when he heard the grumbling threats from a group of four men who had started milling around nearby. The boy had known what was coming. He knew waiting wouldn't help. So he decided to try and outrun them. Unfortunately they were very persistent. They chased the boy through the worst parts of Konoha, not giving him a chance to get to his apartment. Now they had chased the boy into the dark, perilous alleyways behind the 'ninja district'. This area contained a number of stores that catered to shinobi, selling clothes, weapons, equipment, and anything else imaginable. It was also home to several restaurants and a well known establishment frequented by off duty shinobi (AKA: bar). The men knew the likelihood of a decent shinobi interrupting their self righteous beating and protecting the boy, so they kept their chase to the alleys.

Naruto was tired and hungry. He had taken his shoes off at the playground and forgotten to grab them before he ran. His bare feet where cut and bleeding courtesy of a broken glass bottle the boy had failed to notice. The big man who appeared to be leading the group had thrown a kunai that that embedded it's self in his shoulder. Naruto took a quick check behind him to ensure that his pursuers where not to close. He paid for it when he careened into a group of trash cans; sending himself crashing to the ground amidst the garbage. The leader of the group took a step forward and pulled a chipped kunai from his belt. He grinned with a crazed look in his eyes down at the child.

"How fitting; the demon brat dies among the filth and trash. You're going to pay for everything you've done to us"

Naruto just looked up at the man, then closed his eyes and waited for the pain.

The man raised the kunai and prepared to drive it into Naruto's chest. He was interrupted as a half empty bottle of some unidentifiable alcoholic drink sailed through the air and broke on his head. The would-be child killer dropped like a stone, while his accomplices looked on in shock.

"Unless I'm drunker than I though you seem to be doing more to the brat then he could ever do to you."

Everyone looked to the side. A tall, older man was moving steadily forward with sway to his step.

"OI! You drunk bastard what the hell do you think you're doing?!" one of the men cried

Another took a step toward the drunk man "Don't interfere! We are trying to do our duty by purging our village of this monster so why don't you just fu-AHHHHHH"

The drunk man spun in a little circle, raising his boot clad foot and kicking the annoying attacker. The man went flying several feet before crashing into a dumpster. A few seconds later he was joined by the man who had spoken first.

"You fuck-tards are beating on some brat outside my bar. I won't tolerate it. If I see your faces again I'll break them. We clear?" The drunk man narrowed his eyes at the lone remaining attacker. The man nodded. The drunk smiled "good".

He them flat footed the pathetic attacker into the brick wall building knocking him out cold.

The drunk turned to look at the little blond scrap of humanity that lay helplessly on the ground. Naruto looked back up at the man with wide blue eyes.

"Shit he's bleeding. MICHIE!!!"

The drunk scooped Naruto up and headed toward the door of the building. A young woman appeared in the doorway with an irritated scowl. Her scowl vanished and was replaced by concern as she took in the wounded boy in her father's arms.

"Get your medical kit Michie."

"Dad, he should go to the hospital."

"No, from what I hear the kid can heal on his own. We can spare him the bull-shit the hospital puts him through. Go get your kit."

Naruto felt the world slowly fade away. Had he been more lucid, he would have wondered about the old man who had dealt with his attackers so effectively. Had he been more lucid he would have felt the gentle hand the treated and bandaged his wounds. Had he been more lucid he would have felt himself being lowered into a soft bed while a female voice murmured assurances to him. However he was not lucid, he was exhausted.

So all Naruto could think about as he drifted into darkness, was to wonder if he was dead and if so, why did heaven smell like sake?

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What do you think for my first chapter reviews would be nice, as well as suggestions and constructive criticism. Flames will probably just be disregarded and set on fire.

You might have noticed that there are some major changes coughItachicough. This story is a bit AU. Surprisingly the whole Itachi thing doesn't play as big a role as you would think. Naruto will not be adopted my the Uchiha brothers. Sasuke and Naruto will not be best friends before they are genin. The biggest change for now will be that Sasuke and Itachi are incredibly OOC. The Drunk man and Michie are permanent OC character, but their role is not as big as you would think.

Thank you for reading an please review.

-Phatpigeats and Belle-san