Disclaimer: I do not Naruto some of the characters that will appear in this story
Chapter 1 – Home
Naruto was walking slowly through a snowy bank. He didn't know how he got here. He had left Konoha in the dead of the night after another attack. This time it wasn't a mob nor any ninja involved, it was just three men.
The men were all tall, muscular like a body builder, and covered in some kind of dirt or filth. They caught him as he was returning from one of the parks after another unsuccessful attempt at finding someone to play with. The kids had beat him up and chased him away to the cheers of their parents.
Naruto could have taken the bullies if he wanted to, but with their parents watching he knew better than to fight back so after a few shoves and a couple punches he ran. He had received much worse so he was able to brush it off and decided to head towards Ichiraku. A bowl of ramen always cured things.
The men had grabbed him and after knocking him around for a few minutes shoved him in a bag. The next thing Naruto knew the bag was thrown into some kind of liquid. He could feel the bag sink into the liquid slower than he thought it should as some of the strange liquid seeped into the bag. He fought like a demon to escape, but it was no use he soon found himself suffocating as the bag totally submerged and the liquid got into his lungs, pores, and blocked his nose.
That was the last thing Naruto remembered except for this feeling of warm enveloping him soon after right before he blacked out. When he woke up he was in the Forest surrounding Konoha and it was dark out. He had no clue how he had gotten outside of the village, but as he looked at the lights emanating from the village he didn't feel like going back.
His mind was telling him to go back, but something kept him rooted to that spot as he looked at the village. It looked so peaceful and welcoming. He had never seen it like this before; then again he had never been outside of the village before.
As he watched the village he couldn't stop the thoughts of all the abuse he had suffered at the hands of the villagers and ninja. He had no friends and there were only three people in the entire village out of thousands that were even nice to him. From a distance he could even see a big fire burning like one of those bonfire celebrations he was never allowed to go that the village some times held.
He then turned to face away from the village. What he saw was scary as he didn't know what was out there. It was dark and vast and unknown. Naruto didn't know what would happen to him if he didn't return, but he found his feet moving anyway. He didn't even look back once as his feet trudged forward. For some reason he felt really heavy.
Naruto had no set direction. He didn't know anything about the outside world so he just walked aimlessly. He just continued to walk despite the pain he felt.
Two days later the old Hokage sat in his office going over reports from the fire the night before. The frown on his face grew into a scowl as he scanned the reports several times before addressing the only other person in the room.
"There's nothing left of project Swan?" Sarutobi asked.
"No Hokage-sama. The fire originated in the pot currently holding all of the liquid"
"Can it be reproduced?" Sarutobi continued.
"At a significant cost I'm afraid. It would cost substantially more than it did originally since we no longer have any of the samples Delta Team provided"
Sarutobi sat in silence for several minutes. The problem was the liquid was an experimental metal that Iwa was said to be using to create some kind of new weapon. Sarutobi had to use some of his best spies to even obtain a small sample from which they used to create more in a secret underground lab. There wouldn't be another attempt.
The stuff had been useless anyway. It didn't seem to be any different from the metals they already had available to them. The scientist had deemed it practically worthless, which is why it was being stored off site in a large pot. It was still a metal so they were going to use it like any other metal before it some how caught on fire the previous night resulting in an explosion that killed three metal workers.
Sarutobi pinched his nose before sighing in resignation and placed the files in his desk to be destroyed later.
"Was there anything else?" Sarutobi asks.
"No sir, the fire spread and pretty much destroyed everything and everyone in that building. Although one of the investigators noted there seemed to be a 4th set of footprints that were unaccounted for positioned around the destroyed pot"
"Any clue as to who they might belong to?" Sarutobi questions.
"No … but he did report they were rather small. Almost childlike"
"Hmm … that is strange. Could there be another victim that just hasn't been found yet?" Sarutobi inquired.
"We had the Inuzuka dogs search the building and surrounding area shortly after the fire was quelled, but they only found the three corpses"
Sarutobi nodded at the response, but something was telling him there was more to this and it was important. Unfortunately the council was demanding to meet with him again soon so he dismissed the ANBU.
He read through the reports one more time before turning to his favorite view. The view outside his window … well second favorite.
'Hmmm … it's been quiet around here lately. I thought I would see Naruto-kun yesterday. He usually runs out of money around this time every month after binging on Ramen.
Oh, well I'm sure he's fine and now that I have a few minutes …' The Hokage thought.
The old man then reached into another drawer and produced the only thing he actually wanted to read his favorite Icha Icha Novel Saints and Sinners written by his student Jiraiya. The plot revolved around a powerful country in the midst of war against the most dangerous enemy and their hero whom got with all the hot ladies allies and enemies alike. A few of the scenes were based of stories he had once told Jiraiya about his days before he married Biwanko.
It was weeks later when Naruto's legs finally gave out no longer being able to support his weight or move another inch. He fell face forward in a snow bank and just lay there oblivious to the world around him.
"Hey"
"Hey kid"
"Hey kid wake up!"
Naruto felt what seemed like several taps to his side as he stirred, but barely had enough energy to lift his head. It was the unfocused look in his eyes that got who ever was calling him to pick him up and take him to a doctor … or at least they attempted to.
"Aarghh!" The man shouted as he tried to pick him up.
" … what's wrong man?"
"It's this kid. He weights a freaking ton. Help me out man"
"Haha … what's the matter? Can't even pick up a kid that looks like he last saw a good meal several weeks ago?"
"No wonder you still swing your sword around like a novice"
"Shut the fuck up and help me!"
"Alright, alright don't get your panties in a twist"
The man bent down to help out, but instantly felt why his friend was struggling. The kid did feel like he weighted a ton. It was freaky considering how small the kid was not to mention he looks severely malnourished.
"Not so easy is it"
"Shut up and lift"
Both men managed to get Naruto upright as they dragged him through the snow. It was a few hours later when Naruto awoke again this time he found himself being prodded by two women in white uniforms that he associated with nurses. None of them had noted the boy had awakened and were getting frustrated, because all their attempts at drawing blood had been thwarted.
"Aargghh!" Shouted one of the medics.
"I'm tired of this. Four hours and nothing we do works. The needles always break as soon as they touch his skin!" Shouted the nurse.
"Be patient Chieko, we just need to come at this a different way" Offered another medic.
"Shut it Yuko, we've been at this for four hours. Four hours wasted trying to draw a little blood from one stinking kid! Our work is piling up and if we don't finish this now we'll be here all night trying to catch up" Chieko responds angrily.
"I … I know, but what can we do?" Yuko questions timidly.
"This!" Shouted Chieko.
Before Yuko could stop her Chieko reared back and then used all her strength the momentum she could muster to plunge down aiming roughly for Naruto's arm. Naruto upon seeing this was wide awake his eyes wide and alert as he tried to move his body, but he found he couldn't as he felt way too heavy.
But to everyone's surprise Naruto's body glowed brightly for a second before the light died down revealing his body had turned completely metallic. Chieko couldn't stop herself though and the needle continued on it's path until plunged deeply into his skin up to the base before it broke off. Chieko removed the tube and watched in fascination as the area around where the needle went in hardened and darkened a little to match the color of the lost needle.
The nurses watched for ten minutes as the transformation held, before Naruto's skin returned to it's normal color and the needle popped out of his skin like a spent cartridge and the exit area closed up like nothing had happened. Looking to Naruto's eyes they saw he was once again unconscious, but after inspecting the needle saw a bit of blood lodged inside of it.
"Hurry we have to get this to the lab and then inform Head Doctor Sato" Yuko says.
Chieko nods as they hastily leave not knowing that Naruto was about to learn something that would change his life forever. Naruto's eyes fluttered open as he took in his surroundings.
"Where the hell am I?" He says out loud.
Looking around it resembles a place he had been a few times before after being kicked out of the orphanage. Naruto found himself standing in a sewer a present drip falling to the floor mingling with the water already on the damp surface of the floor.
'At least it looks cleaner than the last time I was dumped down here and the smell isn't bad either' Naruto thought confusedly.
'ROAR'
"What was that?" Naruto thought worriedly.
Yet he couldn't stop his feet from moving towards the source of that noise. As he walked he noticed how some of the walls or columns had little divots taken out of them and other marks that showed wear and tear.
Walking past a few columns he turned a corner that led him down a dark very dimly lit hall with a bright white light ahead. He kept walking towards the light as he heard the sound again louder than before before he was blinded by the white light.
When his eyes were able to focus again as the light dimmed he found he was standing in front of a huge ornate gate.
"What's this?" He thought out loud.
Looking closer towards the middle of the gate he saw a piece of paper with some kanji on it and the word 'seal'. Looking beyond that he saw was a pair of huge red eyes and a huge set of sharp white teeth seemingly smiling maliciously at him
'Whoa, what is it?' Naruto thought staring at the huge creature still partially hidden in the dark.
"Kid come closer" The creature beckons.
Naruto slowly walks closer when suddenly a set of claws came rushing at him faster than he could comprehend, but just like with the nurses his body turns metallic and the claws go right through him. Unfortunately for the creature the seal reacts shocking it and forcing it back into the darkness and Naruto finds his body reverts automatically back to normal like he hadn't be touched.
"My container has finally come to visit me" The creature bellows.
"What are you talking about?" Naruto asks.
"What are you?" Naruto followed up with quickly.
Suddenly evil red chakra sprung up all around the creature revealing it to be some kind of fox. And despite being five he had heard about the Nine Tails and it's terrible power. After all he had always wanted to go to the festival celebrating the things defeat. Plus, at the orphanage when they read to the kids it was usually a book on the heroic deeds of the Fourth Hokage and how they should emulate him. The defeat of the Kyūbi was chief among the deeds they preached about.
"Kyūbi" Naruto utters shocked.
"Indeed boy, now come closer" Kyūbi orders.
"I'm not stupid or suicidal. I'm fine where I am" Naruto states.
"Then leave, your presence disturbs me" Kyūbi orders.
"Wait … where are we and why did you call me your container?" Naruto asks confused.
"What am I, your answer book?"
"Figure it out for yourself weakling" Kyūbi says.
Before Naruto could say anything else he suddenly black out before finding himself back in the hospital room.
"What was that?" Naruto muttered out loud.
Naruto didn't get to ponder long before a man in a white lab coat flanked by the two women he remembered from earlier came in.
"Hello young man, my name is Doctor Takahashi Akio. Could you tell me your name?" The Doctor asks.
"Uzu-maki Naruto" Naruto replies.
"Okay Naruto, I do not know if you are aware of this but you are currently in the main hospital in the Land of Iron" The doctor says.
"The Land of Iron?" Naruto says questioningly.
"Yes … I take it you haven't heard of it?" The doctor questions.
Naruto just shook his head. Then again he didn't know much about anything outside of Konoha.
"Is it near Konoha?" Naruto asks.
"No, is that where you are from?" One of the nurses asks getting involved.
Naruto hesitantly nodded.
"That presents a problem. It will be difficult to get in contact with anyone from Konoha for some time especially with the storm coming soon" Said the other nurse.
"Good. I don't want to go back there" Naruto states.
"What? But your parents must miss you" Yuko responds shocked.
"I am an orphan. I don't even know who my parents are" Naruto says sadly.
"Surely your friends at the orphanage and the head mistress must miss you then?" Yuko continued to prod.
"I was kicked out of the orphanage and I never had any friends" Naruto responds angrily.
"I'm sorry" Yuko says sadly.
"You were found extremely exhausted laying in a snow bank. Can you tell me what you are doing this far away from your home?" Chieko asks.
"I was attacked and ran away. I was tired, but I just kept walking …" Naruto says telling them what he remembered.
"I am sorry, but surely you still want to go home and be some where you are familiar?" The doctor asks.
"No" Naruto shakes head.
"I never felt safe there and no one cared about me. I never want to go back there again" Naruto answers.
"Alright, you seem to be fine but we would like to keep you for observation" The doctor tells him.
Naruto nods knowing that was standard procedure as far as he was aware. The doctor and nurses then left him alone.
It a few days later when Naruto met someone that wasn't a doctor or a nurse. The past few days Naruto had been getting to know the nurses as they had been help him to used the new environment. Coming from Konoha Naruto wasn't used to the cold. He was constantly wearing layer after layer of clothes to keep warm, which made the nurses tease him a bit.
Back to who was at the door Naruto heard a knock.
"Come in" Naruto called.
In came a man standing about 5'8 maybe an inch shorter , with gray hair that goes down to his waist, bandages covering the top of his head, black eyes, a mustache with a goatee, kimono-like outfight in a purple color and sandals.
"Hello young man, my name is Mifune" The man says.
"Hi I'm Uzumaki Naruto" Naruto responds.
"I have come to the understanding that you might interested in becoming a samurai while you are in the Land of Iron?" Mifune starts.
Truthfully Naruto had simply said he wanted to learn how to fight or protect himself. It was the nurses who told him about the samurai and then extolled the virtues of Samurai over Ninja.
"Yes sir I do" Naruto says respectfully.
The nurses had said that he had to learn some manners if he really wanted to live there.
"Then follow me"
Naruto quickly put on the clothes the nurses got him including well as quickly as he could anyway. Putting on two layers of everything especially the socks was a bit time consuming, Mifune seemed to understand as he waited patiently for him. Soon they were off and out of the hospital though Naruto had been squished by the two nurses that had been primarily taking care of him before he left the building.
As Naruto in a pair of dark brown boots that added a couple of inches to his height not that he needed that any more. The nurses had measured him and he was proud of the fact he had grown several inches although he still looked like he was in need of several large meals.
After a modest trek Naruto was then lead to a fairly nice house and taken inside. Mifune without saying a word opened the door and guided him inside and then closed the door behind them. He then led him through the house until he came upon a room.
"You will become my son and be treated as such in my home. I feel you have potential Uzumaki-san. I look forward to teaching you the proper way of being samurai starting tomorrow. You should rest and get settled before dinner. I will have some come and fetch you when it's ready" Mifune ways before leaves.
Naruto stares as the strange man left before he went inside the room, which was simple in design and took Mifune's advice and took a nap. Later that night Naruto was led to the dinning room and was surprised to find Mifune along with a girl waiting on him.
"Sorry if I am late" Naruto apologize as he took a seat at the table.
No one said a word as severs came into the immediately and placed food on their plates and then left the room. The meal consisted of Miso soup, rice, sushi, and finally pork cutlets. Naruto had never had a meal like this in his life so savored it while try to remember the lessons the nurses gave him.
Still it was start unnerve him the longer no one talked as the meal was had in relative silence. Although he had the sneak suspicion that this was common for this house. As he looked over at the two he was sharing a meal with he focused more on the girl as he hadn't seen her before and he had met Mifune before.
He noted she had silver hair that framed her face and trailed down to below her shoulders, she had one green eye but the other was covered with eye patch, a cute nose, and she was wearing a dark blue dress. Unfortunately she caught him staring but instead of saying anything she just returned to her meal after giving him a curious look that Naruto couldn't identify. Naruto decided to follow her lead and returned to finishing up his meal.
After they finished eating they all went into the living room. Naruto took a seat opposite Mifune as he tried ignore the some times teasing look the still unknown girls gave him.
"Naruto for now you will live here with me and my daughter Gisen. I expect you to keep your room clean and orderly if you need help one of the servants will help you initially. You will also go to school in the village and I expect you to keep your grades up to a respectable level.
After school you will come here to learn how to wield a sword to potentially become a samurai. After that you and Gisen will work on your homework. When you are finished with that we have a meditation break then more work and then dinner" Mifune tells him.
Naruto just nodded even if he felt a little overwhelmed after all he didn't live with any before let alone have any kind of structure not even when he was at the orphanage.
"Good then it's getting late. If you want to wander around a bit to familiarize yourself with the house then you may do so, but remember the time and go to bed soon. You don't have school for now, but in place of that we'll be training early. I admit I'm curious about this ability the doctors told me about" Mifune says before he leaves.
That just left Naruto and Gisen whom promptly sat beside him perhaps a little too close.
"Do you want to see my room?" She asked.
Naruto being unaware just nodded not knowing the danger that await him. Before he could even think about it he was dragged from the room and through the house opposite of his assigned room.
"This is my room, please make yourself at home" Gisen says.
She then promptly shoved the door open and threw Naruto inside which wasn't an easy feat considering when he wanted to Naruto could make himself weight a ton or more … well if he could actually practice and control the sudden bloodline he has gained. For now he had no clue how activate or even what it was or that he had one thus he was as easy to fling around as any boy his age would be.
Before he knew it he found himself sprawled out on her futon face down with her laying over top of him. He tried to get up, but she pushed him back down.
"Now Naruto-kun, you would be trying to run away from me would you" Gisen says.
"W-hat are you doing" Naruto asks.
"Nothing … just rubbing your shoulders … why, don't you like it" Gisen says using a voice that's supposed to be sultry but they're still just kids, so it's not.
"No I don't like it, let me up" Naruto orders.
"But I just wanted to get to know you better Naruto-kun" Gisen purrs.
"Why, no one ever wanted to get to know me before" Naruto says back.
She stopped for a moment before she spoke again.
"I don't know … I just do" Gisen says.
Naruto really don't know what to do so he did the only think he could really think of which is flip their positions run away as fast as he could, which was what he did. But Gisen wasn't fazed, this was just the first night. She would have many opportunities to have fun with Naruto and that's why she let him get away so easily.
Naruto was able to make it back to his room and shut the door behind him.
"That was strange" He thought.
He then got ready bed before thinking about everything that had happened.
"I always wanted a family…" Naruto thought.
He thought back to those days at the orphanage back in Konoha. The matrons that ran the place never let him greet the potential parents that sometimes came to adopt a child. On those days he was usually told to stay outside or a few times he was locked in one of the rooms even one time in the basement.
"Naruto looked up out of the window adjacent to his bed and stared at the moon. I definitely made the right decision" Naruto thinks.
He then closed his eyes and gets some rest.
Hello again. It's been a long time since I have been able to write for various medical reasons. Main reason was unfortunately mind was and still is somewhat affected so it's taken me awhile to get even to this point although as you can see I've slowly been working.
So I know this wasn't one of the many stories any of you want me to get back to working on. Its been hard to get motivated because of my injury and other distractions. I can't promise that any of my old stories will be updated any time soon. I'm trying it's just hard right now. I apologize to all my readers/followers. Please stay patient.
As always, until next time dear reader :)