Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. I never have and I never will. And Hirashu belongs to my friend...so not much of this is mine. Except the non-canon bits of plot. Those are mine *facepalms*
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: Anyway, I have finally returned my precious children! Mother is home! *dodges plates and sharp objects* Hey now! Don't be like that!
Really! I give you a chapter and this is how I'm repaid! The anguish... *sobs dramatically in corner*
Naruto: *twitches* You deserve it, Chipmunk-teme!
Sasuke: Hn. I agree with the dobe.
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: WAH! SO MEAN!
Sasuke: Just get on with the chapter...
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: ...Fine *sulks*
Chapter 1: Introducing Hirashu, the Bane of Amegakure
(General POV)
~19 Years Ago~
A scrawny brown haired boy darted through the wet streets of Amegakure, his small, sandal-clad feet slipping in the puddles left by the afternoon rain. He skidded to a stop in a dark alley and curled up behind a few boxes, stick-like limbs quivering from a mix of cold and fear. His breath came in short, shallow gasps. He knew they would find him here.
It was only a matter of time. The sound of approaching footsteps made the boy shrink further back into the shadows, wrapping his arms around his legs and burying his head in his knees. He bit his lower lip to prevent the fearful whimpers from escaping as his pursuers paused outside the alley. What would his punishment be this time? A beating was expected, this much he knew, but then what?
To be honest the boy knew he deserved whatever came his way. He had known he wasn't allowed near the other children, or in the playground, but they looked like they were having so much fun he couldn't resist trying to join.
They had actually let him play with them, something he had never done before. He enjoyed the game they had played, they called it "tag", but he was so focused on chasing his new friends around he hadn't noticed a group of adults enter the playground in search of their "precious children".
An enraged shout finally alerted him to their presence and he froze before bolting, ignoring the cries of "come back!" from the other children...
A loud, gruff voice snapped him back to the present, making him flinch and hold his breath. He couldn't hear what they were saying but the footsteps started up again and gradually faded away, allowing the boy to release a silent sigh of relief.
They hadn't found him. He waited for a few moments to make sure they were really gone before hesitantly crawling out of his hiding place, large blue eyes peering nervously out of the alley and flitting around the empty marketplace.
He cautiously took a step into the open, his thin body tense in preparation to run if need be. When no threat presented itself he relaxed slightly and ran his small hand through his hair in frustration. He hated this existence, hated constantly being shunned and beaten by the people he was meant to look up to. It wasn't his fault he was burdened with prophetic dreams.
Well, it was only one dream, and it was more like a recurring nightmare...He shook his head, determined to get rid of any more distracting thoughts, and started walking. He needed to focus on getting home without being caught by another mob.
It took him ten minutes to reach his house from the marketplace while avoiding as many civilians as he could. The shinobi usually left him alone, sometimes one or two gave chase but they quickly grew bored of him and wandered off to train.
He was grateful for this. It was harder to evade shinobi for long periods of time than it was civilians, more so because he was just a child.
The boy glanced up at his house and scanned over the stained walls and windows, ensuring it was in the same condition it had been in when he left earlier. Finding nothing wrong he placed his hand on the rusted doorknob and pushed the door open, wincing at the loud squealing of the hinges. He rushed inside and shut the door behind him, pressing an ear to the old wood and listening intently for the slightest indication that someone had heard him enter the old, dilapidated building.
He slowly drew his head away and reached for the bolt. Even though he hadn't heard anything it didn't mean there was no one there. After ensuring the door was secured he made his way through the concrete room, dodging the occasional puddle that formed due to the gaps in the roof. Entering the area he had dubbed as the "kitchen" he quickly began working on lighting a fire using what was left of the firewood and some flint he had found when he was out looking for food.
A low sigh escaped him. He would have to go out again and find more tomorrow. His stomach growled and he blinked.
Right, food.
He made his way over to the cupboard, rummaging through the various objects stuffed in it before letting out a shout of triumph as he pulled out a battered looking pan along with a small bottle of oil. A happy grin inched its way onto his normally stoic face and he bounced over to the fire, whistling a catchy tune he overheard from an effeminate blonde man a few days back.
A quiet hum escaped him as he grabbed a few of his stolen eggs and a chipped bowl of rice covered with a piece of cloth from another cupboard.
Now that he thought about it both he and the short redhead with him had been wearing strange black cloaks with red clouds...
He shrugged and began frying the eggs, placing the rice on the floor next to him. They were probably part of an organization of some sort. As long as they stayed away from him he didn't care. The boy quickly ate his meal using a pair of disposable chopsticks he'd managed to steal from one of the local restaurants and set them and the bowl aside to be cleaned the next day when there was fresh rainwater.
A small yawn was covered by the boy's hand and he wandered into the next room, snagging the ragged blanket from its place in the corner of the room. He settled down and wrapped it around himself, hugging his knees to his chest in an effort not to lose what little warmth the blanket provided him. As his blue eyes began to close and he started to drift all he could do was hope for a peaceful, uninterrupted rest.
(Dream - General POV)
Screams ripped through the blood tainted air sending shivers through his form. He kept his eyes shut and clamped his hands over his ears. He didn't dare open them. He knew what he would see if he did.
The sky would be a violent shade of crimson, the normally fluffy white clouds tinted pink.
The grass would be blackened both fire and ash, hard underfoot and stained with dark patches here and there.
A terrifying moon hung in the sky, large and red with black markings spread across the surface, casting an ominous light across the ground and warping the shadows into menacing, animalistic shapes that clawed desperately at one another.
But the worst, the worst would be the bodies.
Hundreds of bodies flung carelessly across the landscape, all twisted into painful positions with their last screams of pain and terror etched permanently onto their faces. Some were unidentifiable, features burned by a raging fire, a few were missing their limbs, the stumps of flesh still bleeding profusely, or their heads, which could be found impossible distances away from the body.
The voices of the dead were still echoing through the air, ricocheting off of the large rocks and charred trees. He took a slow breath and almost choked on the smell of burning flesh and rotting bodies. His stomach churned violently and he rolled over, dry heaving onto the bare patch of land under him.
He scrambled shakily to his feet and opened his eyes, purposefully avoiding the blood and corpses as he scanned the area for the ones who would end it all. A bright flash of light caught his eye and he spun to face it, locking on to two individuals who were tangled in a deadly dance of fire and wind.
The boy crouched down behind a boulder, peering down at the shinobi and waiting for the final blow. A large white shape began to take form in the shorter one's hand, quickly expanding and forcing the other to retreat. In retaliation he began a long chain of hand seals, a strong blue light crackling into existence with a sharp burst of sound.
The boy pressed closer to the boulder, almost flattening himself against it as the large amounts of killer intent pressed down on him. The shinobi stared each other down, pausing briefly before charging forward, their jutsu meeting between their outstretched palms. The air became charged with static and a deep purple sphere formed around them, rapidly expanding and consuming the landscape.
He did not try to run, he'd been here enough times to know that whatever he tried to do, wherever he tried to run, it would be useless. The resulting explosion from the jutsu would expand and consume the entirety of the Elemental Nations.
Nothing would be spared.
He let out a whimper of pain as the sphere reached him, burning his skin and boiling his blood until he blacked out from the pain. When he opened his eyes he was met with nothing but white. It stretched in all directions and appeared to have no end.
He sighed. Is this really the fate of the world, he asked himself, blue eyes darkening with sorrow. A few tears crept down his cheeks and he scrubbed them away angrily.
"Crying won't do anything." He muttered, glaring down at the white floor.
What's the point in trying to fight it? He had tried to warn people about the "end of the world" and look where it got him. If the people he told wouldn't listen to him, who was to say anyone else would? He should just give up now...nothing can save them...
Dark thoughts continued to swirl around his head, bringing forth a fresh wave of tears which he didn't bother stopping. He jolted violently when a warm hand grasped his shoulder and tugged him backwards, his small body colliding with a larger one.
A thrill of alarm swept through him and he froze, tears coming to a halt as fear began to take over. This has never happened before, he thought, usually I'd be here until I wake up...no one has ever interacted with me here!
He jerked his head back and gazed up into a pair of mismatched eyes. A mask covered the lower half of his face, making it impossible to distinguish any of the man's features. His spiky silver hair hung freely around his face, tips brushing the top of his green flak jacket. The corner of his eyes crinkled slightly, indicating the man was smiling. The hand left his shoulder slowly, as if he was trying not to frighten the boy, and settled on his unruly brown hair.
"Don't give up, Hirashu. You're stronger than that. I know you are." The boy, Hirashu, started at the stranger's use of his name. He was about to ask how he knew it when everything started to fade away.
No! He thought. No, wait-
(Dream end)
(General POV)
Hirashu jerked awake, a loud cry leaving his lips. He sat there, panting, his mind racing as he tried to figure out who the stranger was. He had never seen him before, this he was sure of.
He inhaled deeply, determined to calm down before trying to think further on the situation. The dream had changed. The dream he always had about the end of the Elemental Nations changed, and he didn't even know where to begin looking for the man who changed it.
Wait...that's not completely true...
His eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he recalled the stranger's appearance, then widened in triumph. His eyes! One of his eyes contained the Sharingan, and there was only one place he knew of where he could find Sharingan users.
He slumped down, realizing that he had no way of getting to Konohagakure. Even if he did he was still too young and small to defend himself against the bandits and missing nin he would surely meet along the way. He stood slowly and shuffled towards the bathroom, head hanging.
He had just passed the front door when a loud clang of metal against metal drew his attention, and his eyes sparked to life once more.
Shinobi...
Genin often traveled to other countries to take part in the Chunin exams with their Jounin sensei, and the exams were only held in the capital of each land! He grinned, his determination growing as his plan began to take form. If he could become a genin by the time the next Chunin Exams came around he might end up going to Konohagakure!
He spun on his heel and sprinted out his door, feet pounding against the cold ground as he pelted towards the Amekage's tower, ignoring the shouts of anger from the civilians and nimbly dodging anything throw his way. He was going to become a shinobi, no matter what. The fate of the Elemental Nations rested on his shoulders.
He would not fail them.
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: Aaaaaand scene!
Sasuke: Well it's more than you usually write, lazy-dobe.
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: Shut your mouth or I WILL turn you into a girl!
Sasuke: ...Hn
Just a few things! Hirashu hasn't grown up around people, he spends most of his time avoiding them. Therefore he thinks the Chuunin Exams are held once every few years and not twice a year. I will be exercising my Fanfiction license in this fic, so if there is anything that is incorrect it's probably meant to be like that. I'll be tweaking Kakashi's age and a few other things *cough* Akatsuki members *cough* to suit the story so please DON'T flame me. Things I tweak will usually be brought up in the author's notes but that's NOT a guarantee, okay? I might forget to add it so just go with the flow if I do...pwease?
Also several people made important cameos in this chappie! A cookie goes to everyone who can guess them correctly!
Sasuke: You made it obvious, lazy-dobe.
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover: ...I know...I know...
Well, sayonara~
CrazedKiraHaterLawlietLover =^.^=