Note: This is part of a big universe shared by several series, like Arrowverse, the MCU, and maybe more. Naruto's not the only hero out there. You may hear some mentions and references at some points in this and maybe the next chapters.

It's difficult on what I should post it was. There was Ninja Gaiden, but there were no characters to assign from the series, given that most are from DOA, and not many people are willing to check the anime x-over, game x-over, and x-over sections. There was also the idea of putting it in the Naruto section, but since it's a large crossover...no.

This may not be FIREBRAND, or as long as FIREBRAND, it's my own little take of Naruto, starting from Part 1 and working my way up. This is a brand new Naruto, with his own personality that's hard to understand, and easy to hate, but grow to tolerate and like.

It was hard to figure out how Naruto would and should act in this. But ultimately, it came to him being a bit uncaring, maybe even cold, but once you get to know him, he's an actually a pretty cool guy you can trust and make friends with. I drew inspiration from the main characters of the Persona series, mainly the third protagonist.

"Years ago, a Nine-Tailed Fox suddenly appeared. Its tails lashed out smashing mountains and sending tidal waves crashing to the Ninja rose up to defend their villages. One Shinobi faced the Nine-Tailed Fox in mortal combat. He sacrificed his life to capture the beast, and seal it in a human body. This Ninja was known as the Fourth Hokage. The vessel he sealed the monster inside was a baby boy named Naruto Uzumaki, a boy who wants to uncover who he is and forge his own path and overwrite his destiny."

Konohagakure

Hokage Residence

"As I've said several times over, I'm not smiling," said an annoyed Naruto, who he was in the process of getting his picture taken.

"Come on, it's my job. Plus, you've been holding up the line for 10 minutes." Looking over the photographer's shoulder, he saw a line of young, angry, and annoyed shinobi telling him to hurry up.

"If anything, you're holding up the line. Just take the picture so I can go." With a sigh, the photographer relents before taking the blond's picture. "Wasn't that hard, was it?" Finished, Naruto dispersed into a white cloud, being a clone, surprising the others.

Hokage Office

"How was your photo?" asked Ayane as she sat next to the real blond.

"Photographer wanted me to smile. Made it difficult a bit before he took it."

"When do you smile?" Ayane turned a bit red when he told her he was smiling now. "I swear, you're back and forth with being happy or just being a prick."

"So are you, except you smile less," Naruto countered.

"Ahem!" The two stop talking as they focus their attention on the Third Hokage, who wanted to talk to them about Mizuki. "As you're aware, Mizuki was apprehended 9 hours ago, pinned to a tree by one of his large shurikens, his right arm sliced off. I know it was you two who did it." (Road to Journey to Now)

"He was about to go off with the scroll that belonged to the First Hokage if Ayane and I didn't decide to go after him ourselves," Naruto responds, arms crossed.

"...While I don't approve of the two of you acting independently like that, I can at least thank you for stopping him. I'll let you both off with a warning, just don't do that again." The Hokage frowned when Naruto said, "No promises. Now then, there's another matter we need to discuss Old Man."

"What matter?"

"Me being the Kyuubi's host." The Third Hokage's eyes widened when Naruto revealed what Mizuki told him. "You know?"

"Yes, I am aware of it now. A secret the village swore to never mention. A secret you kept from me," Naruto told him, a reserved but calm expression on his face.

"...You're old enough to know it seems. It wasn't supposed to be this way. The Fourth wanted you to be seen as a hero who saved the village. However, the villagers were unable to follow his wishes, seeing as how many loved ones were lost during its attacks. For that...I am truly sorry for keeping this from you."

"...You did what you had to do to keep me safe and the villagers safe. I should be angry at you, furious even, but...that was over twelve years ago so...I accept your apology," said Naruto, surprising the Third. "Well, I have to go, I'm meeting someone-" As the two young ninjas are about to get up, they notice the door behind them creaked open before a young boy forcefully pushed it open and yelled, "On guard, ol' man! Right?!"

As the kid rushed at the Third Hokage, the kid trips on his own scarf, making him fall on his face. Looking at the kid, Naruto thought, "If it's not one thing it's another…"

Rushing in was a man with black sunglasses enters the room, asking for an "honored grandson". Looking down at the kid, Naruto pointed at him and asked the man, "Is this the honored grandson you're looking for?"

"Aha, so you tripped me! It was you! Right?!" yelled the kid as he got up and pointed at Naruto.

"It's rude to point," Naruto told him, narrowing his eyes at the kid, intimidating him, noting the seriousness in his eyes. "Also, you fell because you tripped on your own scarf." Looking up at the Third, he asked him if he and Ayane could go. With a nod of approval from the Third, the two get up and leave.

Village Streets

"I'll go report to Master Ryu and get ready for another meeting with the elders," Ayane informed Naruto, who simply nodded and told her to be safe.

"...Naruto?"

"Yes, Ayane?"

"About..." Hesitating a bit, the purple-haired kunoichi said, "Never mind," before running off, confusing the blond. Alone, Naruto takes out his headphones and plays some music as he makes his way to Ramen Ichiraku to meet Hinata, aware that the kid from earlier was following him. Making his way to the ramen restaurant, he stops when three boys his age approached him, wondering what business they had with him. One of them tells him there was no way he passed his exams and that he didn't deserve the headband he was wearing. Without saying a word, Naruto simply walked past them and continued on, ignoring the three.

"Hey, are you listening to us!?" Without turning around, he tapped on his headphones, letting them know he wasn't listening or he was simply ignoring them. This served to anger them as they ran to attack him. Not seeing them as a threat, without taking his hands out of his jacket pocket, Naruto effortlessly dodged their punches and kicks, maneuvering over them, making them hit each other and tiring them out. The kid who followed Naruto looked on, amazed by his swiftness, as well as his ability to stay calm despite it being 1 v 3.

"Pathetic..." Naruto told the three boys as he menacingly looked down on them, scaring them before leaving them in their cowardly state.

Ramen Ichiraku

"Sorry I'm late, Hinata," Naruto told the blue-haired girl as he took a seat to her left.

"It's fine Naruto, I wasn't waiting long," Hinata responds. With a smile, she said, "We're officially Genin now..."

"Yeah...You worked very hard Hinata." This earned a blushing smile from the girl as her friend and crush praised her. The kid who followed Naruto tensed up when the blond Genin called him out saying, "You can come out now. I know you're hiding behind that post." Coming out, he asked, "You knew?"

"What do you think?" Once the kid came out of his hiding spot, Naruto asked him why he was following him. "I...I want to be your disciple!"

"...What?"

"Make me your disciple! Teach me your skills!"

"...You have some explaining to do. First, let me eat with my friend and-" Naruto stops when the kid's stomach growls.

Hokage's Office

"Blast it! Where is he this time…?" asked the man in sunglass, now known as Ebisu.

"It would appear that he followed Naruto."

"Naruto? That's awful!" he yelled. "I must go after him!"

30 bowls of ramen later...

"You want to be my disciple so you can take the quickest way towards becoming Hokage?" asked Naruto, having finished hearing the boy known as Konohamaru out, with Hinata finishing her 40th bowl of ramen.

"Yes, with someone as strong as you, I'm sure that having you as my teacher will increase my chances of beating that old man and becoming Hokage," Konohamaru responds, a determined smile on his face.

"...No." This response of Naruto's caused Konohamaru to fall off his seat.

"I knew he was going to say that," said a lightly smiling Hinata, finishing her bowl.

"But why!?"

"I'm not teaching someone who takes the short path towards his goals," Naruto responds, narrowing his eyes at the kid as he pays for his, Konohamaru's, and Hinata's meal. "Let's go Hinata."

"Okay," said the blue-haired girl as she followed him with a smile.

Shopping Mall

"Naruto, don't you think you were harsh towards Konohamaru?" asked Hinata as she looked around for casual clothes to buy for herself and for Naruto.

"That may be so, but there are no shortcuts. Same with you, same with me," Naruto answered as he followed behind. "Besides...I get the feeling that there's more to his reason."

"There's more?" asked the Hyuga girl. Naruto simply nodded. "Like what?"

"The reason he wants to be Hokage so bad...It may be for attention. Or..."

"...I think you should go talk to him about it." When asked why, she told him, "He's just a kid, Naruto. They won't give always give you an honest to full answer. You were like that, and you still are." Naruto felt a bit annoyed when Hinata compared him to Konohamaru, though he wouldn't tell her that and ruin the mood. "I think you should confront him. Who knows, he might surprise you."

"You think?"

"I just know, like how I knew you were a nice person when we first had lunch together and became friends."

"...I'll go see him after we're done shopping."

"You may act like you don't care about others, and you may act tough, but I know, deep down, you're a kind person at heart, Naruto." Hinata thought to herself, a smile on her face. Looking at her, Naruto asked her what she was thinking. "Nothing...Nothing at all."

Village Streets

"I am part of the elite, one in a long and illustrious line of tutors who have prepared countless candidates for a possible future as next Lord Hokage." Ebisu thought to himself as he walked through the streets of Konoha. "I will crush any insect that dares cling to my student! Under my tutelage, your future as Lord Hokage is assured."

Hidden Leaf Forest

Searching for Konohamaru, Naruto finds the kid training alone, slightly impressed by his devotion to training. Thinking to himself, Naruto wondered how many times Hinata was right. As Konohamaru stopped to catch his breath, the blond made himself known as he slowly walked towards him.

"Hey..."

"What do you want?" Konohamaru rudely asked.

"...You training?"

"Yes, what of it?"

"...Come, I'll buy you a drink," said Naruto, confusing the kid. Sitting at a bench, Naruto has himself an orange soda while Konohamaru drinks cola. "What's your beef with the old man?" he asked, surprising the kid. "I'll hear you out, but you have to be truthful about it."

"...My name- Konohamaru… My grandfather named me, like the village, right. He said it would bring me luck…" Hearing this, Naruto snickered a bit, something the kid noticed. "Are you laughing!?"

"Sorry, Sorry, I couldn't help it," said Naruto.

"And here I thought you were incapable of laughing," Konohamaru told the blond.

"It's rude to assume things. But what do I know? I'm a big hypocrite," he told him. "Go ahead, continue."

"...But even though everyone in the village knows that is what I'm called…No one ever calls me that. It's always just "Honored Grandson." No one ever sees me for who I am…Just who I'm related to. And I hate it! But it'll be different when I become Lord Hokage, and that's gonna be real soon!"

"...You really are a kid," said Naruto, finishing the soda in his hand.

"What?"

"Who'd respect a Hokage like you?" This reply shocked Konohamaru as Naruto went on. "It's too big a name for such a little kid."

"What!?"

"You're an idiot to think that it'd be easy to win the title of Hokage. You don't get it just because you want it! Everybody and I do mean everybody, has the highest respect for the Hokage name. There are no shortcuts in life. If you want to become Hokage that badly, you have to earn it. It's a title of great responsibility that requires commitment and hard work. Your heart is in the right place, and I know that you're determined to reach your goals, but if you keep on taking the short path, you're going nowhere."

"How...How do you know this?" asked Konohamaru.

"You want to know how I'm as strong as I am now?" asked Naruto, with Konohamaru answering with a nod. "I was like you once, wanting to get strong as soon as possible. I was stubborn, angry, short-tempered even, but with help from my "First Master", she showed me the right way of things, helped me attain strength I never had before, helped me be a better version of myself. It took me four years of training under her and others to get this strength."

"Really?"

"Had I stayed how I was before I met her, I may as well end up like those three kids from earlier. For that, I am forever grateful to those who trained me. You understand where I'm going with this?" Looking down at his can, Konohamaru told Naruto he understood him.

"There's another reason why I can't teach you."

"There is?" asked a surprised Konohamaru.

"I'm still learning myself. I still have goals I want to achieve. For that, I must focus on my own training, becoming better at my own pace, even if it's just a little," Naruto replied.

"So that's why..."

"...If you want to train under me..." Konohamaru's mood brightened when Naruto started talking about the possibility of making him his disciple. "Give yourself a few years. You have a sensei who wants to help you become Hokage. Give him a chance, just establish some ground rules with him. He may listen to you. Don't give him a hard time. After you become a Genin in a few years, I might show you a technique, but that's all I'll do. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, I can do that," said a smiling Konohamaru. "I'll be sure to work hard so I can be your apprentice. Also...thanks for the ramen, and for talking to me about...you know..."

"No problem...Konohamaru." The kid's eyes went wide as Naruto called him by his name. "Catch you later." Finished with his talk, Naruto puts on his headphones and leaves. Watching him walk away, Konohamaru smiled as he called Naruto cool. Hidden on top of a tree, Ebisu, having heard Naruto's talk with his student, changed his opinion of the blond genin.

Village Streets

Walking past several people as he listened to his tunes, Naruto noticed Ayane waiting for him. Asking if he kept her waiting, she told him, "You're actually 2 minutes early."

"How was the meeting?" asked Naruto, with the purple-haired kunoichi telling him how pointless it was, mainly since the village elders and Danzo were at it, demanding things from the Mugen Tenshin Clan, the Hayabusa Clan, and the Hinomoto Shrine Priestesses. "Of course, we said no, and that pushing it further would upset the peaceful relations the First, Second, and Fourth Hokages worked so hard to maintain with us."

"I can see why already."

"How was your day?" asked Ayane.

"Nothing interesting really just had a long talk with a kid who wanted to be my disciple, and I hung out with Hinata."

"Someone wanted to be your disciple? I don't think he'd last long with you as a Master," said Ayane, with Naruto giving her a light smile as he agreed with her. "With the meeting finally over, I guess I should head back home."

"This late? Why don't you stay over at my place until tomorrow?" asked Naruto, surprising Ayane.

"Yo-Your place?" asked the now-blushing kunoichi.

"Sun's going down. I was planning to make dinner at my new place. The Old Man bought it for me the day I got back. Besides, why pay for a hotel when you've got a friend like me?"

"...I'll have to tell Master Ryu first," said a blushing Ayane.

Village Gate

Waiting on Ayane, Ryu noticed a purple butterfly flying towards him, once it lands in his hands, it transforms into a message written by Ayane, telling him she was staying at Naruto's. This served to amuse him.

"Very well, I'll allow it," he said to himself as he prepared to head back to his home village.

Naruto's House

Entering, Ayane comments on the simple but welcoming atmosphere the house had.

"Thanks, the Third Hokage spent a lot of money building this. I'd say it's a bit much, but I appreciate the work he put in to have it made for me." Entering the kitchen, Naruto asked the purple-haired kunoichi what she wanted for dinner.

"I like fish dishes."

"Got it. Make yourself at home." As Naruto prepared sushi, Ayane directed a sad and worried look towards him.

Dinner

As they were eating, Ayane wanted to talk to Naruto about how he was the Kyuubi's host but was a bit scared that Naruto didn't want to talk about it. Sure, the blond laughed it off when Mizuki revealed the truth of why the village hated him but was he really okay?

"Ayane, is something wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong..." This puzzled Naruto, who was trying to figure out what Ayane wanted. Was it the sushi? Did he prepare the tuna wrong? Or was it the octopus? After finishing dinner, Ayane still struggled with the need to talk to the blond, but still found it difficult, even as he was washing dishes. Naruto definitely knew something was up, but he didn't want to force the girl to tell him, especially since she was a guest at his place. Finally, gathering the courage, she went up to Naruto and hugged him from behind, surprising him as his face turned red from Ayane's actions.

"A...Ayane?"

"Naruto, you're strong, that we're both aware of already, and I know that you're already good with ignoring what others say about you, but at the same time, there has to be a part of you that's affected by what Mizuki and the Third Hokage told you," said Ayane, burying her blushing face into his back.

"So that's what you wanted to talk about."

"I admit, I was angry at that old man for keeping that from you. I wanted to hit him for you. Yet...I couldn't do it. I wanted to, but as you said, he had his reasons. I can't do anything else but this for you, so..."

"...I admit I was a little bit shocked by it, angry even. I knew there was a reason for all the anger towards me. I just...never thought it'd be because the demon fox was inside me," said Naruto. "But now, I finally know."

"Hearing the truth, I can truly understand how lonely you must have felt and...I actually had doubts about your story, until I came here and saw how everyone looked at you. For that, I am sorry for thinking that way."

"I'm glad to hear that from you, Ayane, and I'm happy that you told me. I assure you, I'm fine, really," he told her with a smile.

"M...Mmmm..."

"...Not that I mind, can you let go please?" asked Naruto.

"Just let me stay like this for a while, okay?"

"Al...Alright."

Naruto's Bedroom

As Ayane was given the bed, Naruto decided to take the floor, preparing a futon as the kunoichi asked him if he was okay with sleeping on the floor.

"Yeah, I'm perfectly fine with it."

"...Tomorrow, you'll be put in a team of three...Work hard, so that one day, you and I can continue our match, okay?" Turning to Ayane, Naruto had a determined smile as he told her, "I will, and you better get stronger as well, Ayane." The two fist-bumped before preparing to fall asleep.

The next day

Village Gate

"Thanks for letting me stay at your place," said Ayane. "I should-"

"Wait." Digging through his pockets, he pulls out a spare house key and hands it to the purple-haired kunoichi. "It's for whenever you stop by."

"Thanks, I'll see you around Naruto." Turning around, Ayane makes her way back to her village, smiling to herself as she looked at the key he gave her. "Idiot..."

Ninja Academy

"Alright students, it's time to assign you your teammates," said Iruka, as the students wondered whose team they were going to be part of.

"Teams huh...I wonder whose team I will be o-"

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno, and Sasuke Uchiha. You three will be assigned to Team 7," Iruka called out.

"...Shit."

Next chapter: Team 7

Since Road to Journey to Now isn't done, I gave some hints on what to expect for the final chapter of Part 0. This chapter serves to continue the final chapter of RtJtN.

For the headphones, Naruto listens to music to isolate himself from the villagers, a means to go through his day and not care about what people call him and more. If they're going to ignore him and keep some form of distance, Naruto would do the same.

I also like to point out that this Naruto, 458th Universe Naruto, does not want to be Hokage.