This is a challenge story from a guy named Awareness Bringer. The challenge, which can be found on his profile, is as follows: "Naruto leaves the Leaf Village to find a better future in either the Sand, Rain, Sound, Mist, Stone, and Cloud Villages with some influence from the Runaways stories". I'm going to take that challenge and expand it!
Not only will Naruto be going to one village, but all of them! In one plot line! That's right! Someway, somehow, Naruto will have been a member of Suna, Ame, Kiri, Iwa, and Kumo by the end of this story. Note that him being a ninja in these villages won't be the main plot of the story, but something that happens as he goes.
Also note, the Naruto in this story will be born four years earlier than in the plot. This means when the leaf academy students reach twelve, he will be sixteen. This is to make his strength by the climax believable (wouldn't be realistic if he was twelve, and already jounin level).
So, without further ado, let's begin!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
Act One: Kiri
Chapter one: Cold Night
Naruto's vision came back to him in a blurry, jumbled mess. His senses returned to him in waves. First was the grey of the stone floor, then the feeling of dust under his fingers, the smell of rusty iron, and finally, the taste of coppery blood. He was lying on the cold floor, chains running from the cuffs on his wrists to the wall behind him. Moonlight shone through the barred window high up on the wall. Naruto groaned, his voice scratchy.
He looked up. A jail cell was the nice way of describing his room. The entirety of the walls were stone, a rusty barred gate on the wall leading to a hallway. There was a wood bucket in the corner that Naruto hoped he wouldn't have to use. A single pipe jutted out of the wall, turned left, and stopped at a break, it's iron splaying out like pedals of a flower. Lone drops of water dripped from it every so often, into a small puddle. There was a sound like scratching from within the pipe, and then a rat poked its head through, regarded Naruto for less than a second, and darted out of the pipe, and through the bars of Naruto's door.
Naruto sat up, coughing a bit. Last he remembered, he was in his bed at his apartment, getting ready for the academy test tomorrow over the history of the second shinobi world war. Though he didn't think he was going to pass, he though he might have a good chance if he crammed with the textbook. Naruto remembered brushing his teeth, but he didn't remember going to sleep.
Naruto looked up as he heard the sound of footsteps leading to his cell. A man, tall and skinny, poked his head through. He held a torch in his left hand, which made Naruto shield his eyes. It was almost as bad as when he turned on the bathroom light at night, when his eyes weren't adjusted. The man regarded him for a moment, and Naruto caught the glimmer of a headband on his forearm. The man nodded to himself, and left Naruto to his own devices.
Naruto racked his mind on the various nation symbols that his headband could have been. He couldn't tell if that was a symbol from Ame, or Kiri. He often got the two confused. Naruto sat against the back wall, waiting, counting the seconds ticking by. Seconds turned to minutes, and minutes to hours. Naruto didn't know who these people were, but he was smart enough to know he'd been kidnapped.
"Anyone there?" Naruto yelled out at the hall. No answer. Naruto paced the floor, as the moon slowly dragged towards the horizon. It would be morning soon, and nobody had yet to come for him. He didn't even know if he was going to be fed.
He wondered if the dripping pipe would flood his room and kill him before he saw anyone again, but then he heard footsteps again. The same tall man arrived at his door, this time with a key. He unlocked it and swung it open, the hinges screaming like a witch at the stake, before walking up to Naruto and hefting him up by his underarm, unlocking his chains as he did so.
"Who are you!" Naruto shouted. "Where am I?". Naruto received no answer as the man hooded Naruto with a burlap sac, and began walking him along. Naruto struggled, before the man pressed two digits into Naruto's neck, hitting a nerve bundle. Naruto's muscles bunched up, and he realized with a panic that he could no longer move.
He could make out little detail, the only thing being the light of the torches they passed shining through the burlap. Eventually, the paralysis wore off, and Naruto could move again. He chose not to struggle this time. They walked for, what felt like, a good ten minutes, through corridors, up flights of stairs, and down plenty of hallways. At some point, the stones turned into smooth concrete, until finally, the pair arrived a room, and Naruto was forced into a seat, the hood removed from his head.
As his jailer chained him to the chain, he was greeted to a sight that he didn't expect. He thought, at first, that the man before him was Jiji. He was wearing white silk robes and a diamond hat, the same outfit as Naruto's hokage. The only difference was the blue coloring instead of the red one, and the person under the hat was a middle aged, hardened man with long black hair instead of an elderly, kind face.
"Attempt to flee, and my ninja will kill you" The man said. Naruto looked around, seeing nobody but the two of them. That scared him even more than if there were people in the room.
"Where am I?" Naruto asked. "Who are you?". Naruto tried to sound tough, but he could hear the fearful desperation in his voice. He hoped the man wasn't like Jiji, who could notice little details like voice changes, and use it to tell exactly what you were thinking.
"I am the Mizukage of Kiri" the man said, his voice glassy and rough. "The only thing you need to know is that you are in my prison".
"You kidnapped me!". Naruto accused
"Indeed".
"Why? What do you want from me?"
"You can play the fool's gambit all you want. We both know why you're here, young man". The Mizukage said with a pointed stare, a "don't play stupid" look on his face. Naruto returned the look with genuine confusion. He racked his brain for anything that he possibly had, or could have, done that would warrant the attention of a village leader. He came up blank.
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Naruto shouted.
"Then this doesn't look familiar?" The Mizukage said, holding up a manila envelope. He slapped it on the table, a picture of Naruto sliding out from the folder. The Mizukage opened it, and picked up a sheet. "Naruto Uzumaki" He read. "Age ten, blonde hair, blue eyes, enrolled in the academy, etc..., etc..., Jinchuriki host of the nine tails?"
"I don't even know what that word means!"
"Fine" he said with a shrug. "You have chosen your game. Regardless of whether you 'don't know', my desires from you remain the same".
"What is it! You still haven't told me why your doing this! What do you want, a ransom?" Naruto asked. The Mizukage regarded him with agitation, and as Naruto met his eyes, he felt a pang of fear for a moment, as though the sleeping bear he was poking had just opened it's eyes. Naruto had only seen that a few times before, when Jiji got mad. But Naruto had never been the recipient of this feeling. But now...
Naruto realized that he had no idea just how out of his league he was. The man before him exuded power, like it was seeping through his pores and into the room, pressuring down on him from every angle. He felt like a bug, a bug that could be atomized by a simple wayward glance, or a flick of the wrist. This level of power... it made him lose hope. All of his claims that he would one day be hokage felt like childish babbling. He feel like he could never reach this, or if he did, he'd only be a vague shadow, a dim imitation, like saying a lizard is similar to a dragon, or a light bulb to the sun.
The man before him made him realize just what it meant to be a kage.
"You know" The Mizukage said, emphasizing the word "know", "that you are far more valuable than money. I want something more permanent. You, young one, will be a ninja of my village".
"A ninja? Why do you want me as your ninja? I'm barely an academy student..." Naruto said.
"You are special, Naruto, whether you choose to acknowledge it or not. There are only a few of you in our world, and having you in my forces would be an excellent weapon against my enemies".
"Yeah, well find someone else! I refuse!" Naruto shouted.
"I'm not giving you a choice". The Mizukage said.
A searing burn of pain exploded on Naruto's neck. He gritted his teeth, letting out a cracking grunt of pain. A hand that Naruto hadn't even realized was placed on him lifted from his neck. The burn resided to a simmer, and Naruto looked up through teary eyes, catching a blur as a ninja in a mask seemed to fade from existence. Naruto looked at the Mizukage before him.
"That's a bomb seal. Disobey me, and you will die. Attempt to flee, and you will die. Turn from my service, and you will quickly, and painfully, die. Do you understand me?"
"Screw you!" Naruto shouted.
The Mizukage held up his hand, and let out a firm snap. An electric shock from nowhere reached Naruto's chair, sending him into a convulsing pain as he screamed.
"Do you understand me?" The Mizukage said, no change in his voice
"..." Naruto kept his head down, looking up at him with a glare. Naruto and the Mizukage locked eyes in a silent tug of war, blue eyes crashing against black. The Mizukage held up his fingers again. Naruto let out a low growl. The kage rose his eyebrows at him, daring him to continue. Slowly, but surely, Naruto let his gaze fall.
"You are my ninja then?" The Mizukage said, his fingers still in the air.
"Yes" Naruto said through gritted teeth.
"You will follow my every command?"
"...Don't have much of a choice"
"Yes or no". The Mizukage said firmly.
"...Yes..." Naruto said.
"Good. Take him to his cell".
Naruto was hoisted up, and hooded yet again, as the jailer dragged him back to his cell. After the long walk, he was thrown in, the guard not caring enough to remove the hood. The torches on the wall leading to his cell were dead, leaving the room much colder than when he woke up. Naruto sat up, taking the hood off, and curling into a ball to conserve warmth. His breath fogged out in front of him, and lazily curled into the air. He breathed into his hands.
Naruto wondered how he was going to get back to Konoha, or even if he would. He would likely need to research how to remove seals. Would he even have access to that information? Even if he did, there was still the matter of sneaking away from the village, and traveling to Konoha all by himself. Naruto didn't even know where Kiri was on the map, let alone how to get from there to Konoha.
Laying against the corner, Naruto allowed his thoughts to wander away from home. He wondered whether Jiji would be looking for him, or if he even knew he was gone. Naruto didn't even know how long he had been in Kiri. Without much else to do, Naruto shut his eyes, letting sleep take him. He dreamed sleeplessly, the cold an uncomfortable partner that joined him.
Naruto awoke feeling like he had barely shut his eyes before the jailer rattled the door. He looked up, noticing that the sun was out, and it was morning. The jailer threw a tray on the floor, holding a piece of bread, and a clean, gleaming headband attached to a black cloth, four small squiggles running diagonally down it's surface. Naruto had long desired to be a ninja, and wear a headband.
He thought that if Kami wanted to pull a terrible joke, then he would be to give someone what they most desired, and watch it destroy them.
Naruto walked out into the open air, embracing the feeling with open arms. He deeply inhaled, his first breath of fresh air in a while. His jailer stood next to him as they left the complex, not joining Naruto in such proclivities. He suspected the jailer was used to stale air by now. Naruto looked around. They were near the top of a large, spire like mountain, giving him a good look at the village. Well, a good look at the mist surrounding the village, anyway.
It was almost night, but Naruto could see that Kiri was set in a valley. Mist rolled into it from all sides, like someone slowly pouring milk into a bowl. The buildings barely breached the top of the mist, save one. All the mist rolling downhill collided in the middle of a valley, right where a tower lay. It caused the mist to twirl up the side of the building like a spiral staircase, dissipating before it reached the tower's top.
If Naruto had to guess, that would be the equivalent of the Hokage's tower at Konoha.
"So..." Naruto said, looking around, "What are we doing?"
The jailer didn't reply, simply leaning against the wall of the complex, his eyes closed. Naruto guessed he wouldn't be getting an answer. He was tempted to run, but thought against it. Naruto wasn't the smartest of the bunch, but he knew that just because a ninja had their eyes closed didn't mean they weren't aware of everything around them. Instead, he sat in the grass, some dew wetting his shorts. A good hour or so passed before a man came walking down the road towards them.
The man was tall, six feet or so, with short brown hair and pale skin. A series of bandages covered his mouth, and his headband was tilted to the side on his forehead, instead of being straight. He wore a grey flat jacket, similar to the ones the ANBU in Konoha wore. He had standard black pants, and had a pack slung over his shoulder.
But perhaps the most noticeable thing about him was his blade. A large, single edged greatsword, almost as tall as him, rested on his back, a long grey handle sprouting from it's hilt. Naruto was no blacksmith, but even he could tell the cleaver-like blade was of great quality. The dark metal seemed perfectly flat, extending to it's paper thin, almost white edge. A large circle was cut out near the blade's tip, reducing the weight. All in all, Naruto did not want to be on the opposite side of that sword.
The man approached them both, and the jailer went back into the complex without a word, leaving Naruto alone with the intimidating man. He regarded Naruto for a moment like one would regard a stray piece of dog feces they had just accidentally stepped in. He gave a "tch", his voice rough and rocky, before turning and walking back the way he came. Naruto stood for a moment, not sure whether to follow him or not, before he jogged after him. He fell in beside him and looked up at him, but the man continued walking, eyes forward, not acknowledging he was there.
"Um..." Naruto said, "are you the guy watching over me now, or-".
"If you speak without spoken to again, you'll lose a limb" the man said. Naruto wisely decided to keep quiet.
They entered into the village after a ten minute walk. It was much different than Konoha. The villagers were more quiet, tense almost. Vendors and food carts didn't try getting anyone's attention, or yell out about their bargains. The buildings, in contrast to Konoha's wooden structures, were concrete and stone, with little color. Naruto thought that you might find more cheerful faces in a graveyard. He and the man continued walking, before arriving at an apartment complex.
The man pulled a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door before them with a click. The inside was more of a military sanctuary then a home. There was little furniture, save a bookcase full of scrolls, a table, and a weapons rack on the wall stocked full of shuriken, kunai, and other blades. The man set his sack on the table, before turning around, seeing Naruto still at the door. He motioned him in with a flick of his head.
Naruto walked in slowly. The man went into the next room for a moment, giving Naruto a chance to examine the room further. It was a small space, with a dark wood floor, and grey walls to match the grey everything in this village. A very, emphasis on the word "very", modest kitchen sat near the corner, some fresh fruit in a basket on the counter. The man returned with a set of clothing in his arm. He tossed it to Naruto, who caught it in surprise. He looked down, seeing a black and grey ninja garb.
"Put those on" the man said. Naruto looked at the clothes, and then looked around
"...Where's your bathr-"
The man shot a thumb over at the door to Naruto's right, not looking up as he rummaged through his scrolls. Naruto went to the bathroom, closing it and letting out a sigh. He examined the clothes. He didn't know how the man had guessed his size perfectly, and preferred not to ask. He looked into the mirror, and was surprised to see how dirty he was. His face was caked in grime, and his hair was wild. Naruto ran the sink, and splashed some water on his face, relishing the cool feeling.
He came out of the bathroom in his new outfit. It matched the man's, save the armbands, vest, and bandages. His undershirt and pants were the same, however. He also had a torso strap that he held in his hands, not quite sure how to put on. As he looked at the man, he noticed that there were a few scrolls and books on the table. Among the titles were "Basics of Chakra", "Blade etiquette" and "Kiri's Bingo Book", whatever that was. The man was now at his weapons rack, thumbing over the various blades.
He turned and looked at Naruto, regarding him for a moment, before letting out a long breath through his nose, and throwing him a sheathed chokuto. Naruto almost didn't catch it, but was grateful that he did. He didn't think the man would be too happy if he were to drop it on the floor. The sheath was undecorated, dark grey. It's handle fit well in Naruto's hand, with groves to rest his fingers in. He timidly drew the blade a few inches out of the sheath, the white steel greeting him, sharp as a scalpel. Naruto always wanted a sword, but now that he held one, he felt afraid, like he was going to cut himself. He let it fall back in the sheath, clicking it in with a chk.
"Put that on" the man said.
"I don't know how to get the strap...". The man came over, quickly slung the Y shaped diagonal strap over Naruto's shoulders, and tightly, perhaps too tightly, buckled it into place. He slid the chokuto's sheath into the holster, and returned to the weapons rack. Naruto looked over his shoulder at the blade's handle, adjusting it a bit to get it more comfortable.
"Don't touch it" The man said. "That's where it should be".
Naruto let his hand fall to his side. The man plucked some kunai and shuriken from the rack, and stocked them in his weapons pouch. He turned and looked at Naruto. His brown eyes were narrow and hawk like, something Naruto hadn't seen change since they first left the compound. He crossed his arms as he stared at Naruto, who shuffled a little. Then, for the first time since he met him, the man spoke more than a single sentence.
"My name is Zabuza. The Mizukage assigned me to train you" he said. "I'm going away on a mission for the next week. I'm leaving a water clone to make sure you don't try anything stupid. This will be a common occurrence". Zabuza shot a thumb at the scrolls on the table. "Memorize those by the time I get back. The clone will be training you in the meantime" the man looked down at him with annoyance, and Naruto realized that his trainer must hate this just as much as he did.
"Do you understand" The man said.
"Yes" Naruto replied. The man flashed through three hand signs faster than Naruto could even make one. A clone, looking completely similar to the original, appeared out of existence. The man grabbed his sack, looked Naruto over one last time, walked out the door, and firmly shut it, leaving him, and the clone, alone in the apartment.
Naruto stood, not quite knowing what to do. The clone came to the closet, pulling out a small cot, and throwing it in the corner with little care. Naruto looked at him, and to the cot. He walked up to it, fiddling with the strap, trying to get it off.
"Sleep with it on" Zabuza's clone said. "It'll get you used to doing that".
Naruto looked at him with his hands still on the buckle, before lowering his head, and laying down on the cot. Zabuza's clone hit the lights as soon as he laid back, and then headed to his bedroom. Naruto looked to the door. He didn't think for a moment that he could escape with this man around him, even if he was asleep. While he didn't exude the same air of absolute power the Mizukage did, Naruto could still see the confidence in him that only the ANBU Naruto saw around the village exuded.
Naruto laid his hand under his head. It just wasn't fair. Naruto wanted to be a ninja, wanted to become powerful, but not like this. Not like a slave doing a master's every whim. He wanted to be back in Konoha. He wanted to see Hokage-jiji, and Iruka-sensei again. Without being able to control it, Naruto started to cry. He would continue for a good hour, until his emotions were spend, and he was left exhausted enough for sleep to claim him.
And there you go! First chapter! This chapter is a bit short, but I hope to get each chapter at about five thousand words, with the finale of each act being seven or eight thousand. Tell me what you guys think! Follows and favorites are much appreciated. Reviews are welcome! Any questions will be answered at the top of the next chapter, as long as the answer doesn't reveal the plot! Hope you enjoyed!