AN: I did a lot of research for this story because I wanted it to be just right. I wanted it to be accurate and compelling while at the same time gets you to pause and think about the deeper things in life. While I was researching I stumbled across a quote that has stuck with me for quite some time. It is. "People try to drown their sorrow but what people don't realize is that sorrow knows how to swim." When I read that quote I was immediately reminded of Naruto and how he hides his pain behind his mask of happiness and idiocy. It was then that I decided to write a story that is dedicated for my brother who I believe has a mask just like Narutos. This story is for you bro. I will always keep my promises.

Kyubbi speaking

Thinking or telepathy

"Speaking"

Prologue

Uzumaki Naruto was not a happy child. He was seven years old and had never had the loving touch of a mother or the warmth of a hug from a father. He had never had the rivalry of a sibling or the companionship of a dog. He had felt one thing however. He had felt the cold kiss of steel. He had felt the inferno that is hatred and anger. So what else would a frightened child do when you have nothing to hold you back from the hurt and hatred of everyone around you. He would run. He became quite apt at running. He learned the best hiding spots; he learned where to go and not to go after dark. He learned to avoid certain days in public, most notably his birthday. He became so good at running that he began to run not just to escape the bitterly hated acquaintance that was kunai but to feel the wind caress his skin as he kept moving. He loved the feeling of being able to be free as a bird in the sky where no person on the earth could touch him. The story begins on the day of his eighth birthday. When Uzumaki Naruto learned that running may temporarily set you free but even birds must come back down to earth.

"We'll get you this time you demon brat!"

"Kenji! Go around the west end we can cut him off!"

Naruto heard none of this as he ran. He became so used to this occurrence that he had just quit listening and just concentrated on where his next foot step would land.

Right…

Left…

Right…

Left…

He was jarred out his count when an armored ad reached out in front of him and grabbed the collar of his shirt.

"We caught you this time demon! Time for your birthday gift you scum!"

Naruto had been caught before and he knew that they would beat him to near the breaking point and leave. He would be fine the next day and he would continue running. Kami how he wished he could just run away from it all.

"Oi! Kenji! Save some for the rest of us. This I think is the year we finally finish him off."

Narutos eyes widened at that statement. He looked over at who had spoken. The man was a civilian no doubt, but in his hand he carried two oddly shaped kunai and a torn vest. Naruto squinted at the vest. It appeared to be a standard jounin vest but its color was different and the symbol…

The man Kenji who was holding Naruto still spoke up.

"So we all know the plan? We finally get our revenge for our family and friends, leave the evidence that Kiri did it and dump the body on the outskirts of Konoha."

A round of conformations reached Narutos ears. His eyes dimmed. His last conscientious thoughts before passing out from the assault of the men were, "I won't be able to run again."

Naruto came awake with a jolt. He looked at his surroundings. He seemed to be in a labyrinth of some sort's ad it…stank. He stood up absentmindedly noting that he was about shin deep in water. He walked forward as there seemed to be no other direction to go in. As he walked he began to notice that as he walked the evil presence in the air seemed to thicken. Until it was all h could do to not choke and gasp for clean air.

He reached a stopping point in the form of a giant cage many times his height with a paper seal stuck on the center with the kanji for seal. The evil in the air was so thick that Naruto stood still as he tried to regain his composure.

"You took your sweet time getting here you pitiful excuse for a human."

Naruto found his voice with that comment as all the confusion and sadness that had been building for years burst out of his throat to yell at the bodiless voice that spoke to him

"Sweet time getting here! Oh that's rich! I don't know where I am what has happened to me, whether I'm dead or not and you, a voice with no body that I could be imagining is talking to me. Sorry if I couldn't have gotten here any faster!"

He panted as he glared at the cage waiting for the voice to reply. To his utter astonishment the voice began to give out a barking animalistic laugh.

"Hahahahahahahahahahahah!"

Naruto just glared waiting for the voice to respond.

"You amuse me to no end brat. Here you are not more then a kit fresh out of the den and you can stand in the presence of my killing intent. Not to mention you have the gall to yell at me! Of all the entities that exist you yell at me! Oh that is the kicker. You want to know who I am? Fine then. Behold my presence!"

Emerging from the darkness behind the cage arose the biggest fox that Naruto had ever seen. He had not seen many foxes but he was sure that foxes were not 3 stories tall, had dripping fangs, red evil eyes and nine tails. Nope he was positive that wasn't how foxes were supposed to look like. Naruto tilted his head in confusion.

"Who are you?"

The fox growled and muttered something about damn kids ruining dramatic entrances.

"I am the mighty Kyubbi! The nine tailed demon lord who attacked your village eight years ago and who is now trapped inside your stomach by a seal placed there by your fourth Hokage."

Naruto sat down…hard. This was the mighty Kyubbi? This…demon was the reason why his life was so horrible! This was why he was so lonely and hated! He stood up and glared at the grinning kitsune.

"You bastard demon fox! You have made my life a living hell! I want you gone do you here me! I want you gone! If I ever see you again it will be only to kick your big bushy behind!"

Kyubbi chortled.

"As if a useless gaki like yourself could ever harm me. As for never seeing me again, that would be kind of hard considering that we are in your mind right now."

"So why am I here if I was about to be killed by some stupid thugs!"

Kyubbi growled a deep hate full growl.

"That is the precise reason you are here. Your Hokage designed the seal so that if you die I will die as well meaning that I must keep you alive at all cost! I refuse to have a weak container! So take this to defend yourself and to kill those men hurting your mortal body."

As the fox demon finished his sentence red ooze began to leak out of the cage that contained Kyubbi. To Naruto the ooze reeked of evil and corruption but at the same time appealing and inviting like a blanket on ac old night.

AS it reached him he shook off the grip that the ooze seemed to have on him and shouted…

"NO!"

In a brilliant burst of blue light an energy sphere of what to Naruto appeared to be blue ooze(we all know it is chakra.)Surrounded him and repelled the red ooze back into Kyubbi's cage.

"You fool! Without my chakra we will both die! What then you brat? My healing capabilities might not save you from this onslaught!"

As the sphere of what Naruto now knew as chakra dissipated he scowled up at the Kyubbi.

"I don't care if I die. I have nothing to live for here anyways. Maybe in Heaven there will be a place just for me where I can be free to run forever."

He grinned.

"At least if I die I'll die knowing I took a monster down with me!"

The Kyubbi let out an earsplitting roar as Naruto faded from his sight.

Sandaime walked a slow walk around the battle scene that lay before him. There was blood…a large amount of blood. In the clearing of this part of the street he could see scattered about kunai that were of a different fashion from the ones made in the fire country. He gazed with appraising eyes at the burnt remains of what appeared to be a jounin from Kiri. His eyes began to water as he turned to look upon another scorch mark on the street. A flash of orange could be just seen from the black dust.

"What happened here Kenji?"

The man known as Kenji dropped beside his Hokage and answered his question.

"Hokage-sama. I was out for patrol when I heard the sounds of a struggle. I thought that it was perhaps a mugging of some sort so I decided to help as it was my sworn duty."

The Sandaime nodded for him to continue.

"What I found was no mugging. I found two Kiri ninja attacking the boy Uzumaki Naruto. Before I could do anything one of them decapitated Uzumaki's head. I knew how important he was to you Hokage-sama so I immediately used a Katon jutsu to eliminate the enemy ninja. I managed to kill one but the other one managed to escape. I did not pursue but ran to check on Uzumaki's condition."

He lowered his gaze.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama. I had in my haste burnt Uzumaki's remains. Please forgive me."

The Sandaime blinked the tears away from his eyes as he walked forward to observe the corpse of the Kiri ninja.

Kenji held his breath. If the Hokage bought it then they would go to war with Kiri. That was exactly what he needed I order for his plan to unfold but if the Hokage was suspicious…

The Hokage bent forward and picked up an object. He held it in his hand for a few seconds before turning to Kenji.

"This was the work of missing nin Kenji."

Kenji made no outwards reaction but inside he was boiling. "That is not possible! I am positive those were authentic Kiri headbands and not missing nins! Damnit. Now I can't move ahead. Better make the best of this."

"What does that mean Hokage-sama?"

"It means that I want you to make a report on the incident."

He turned to the other gathered Anbu.

"Spread out and find the other nin. He may still be within our borders. Squad B. I want you to clean up this mess and...

He paused and let out a sad sigh.

"Make the death official of Uzumaki Naruto."

Elsewhere

Naruto groggily sat up and blinked his eyes open. He immediately closed them again and winced. His body was on fire. He could feel his stomach as if it was cut open and splayed out on the ground. He felt that if he moved back into his laying down position that he would never get back up. So he forced himself to rise and he began to….walk.

He had no clue where he was going or why he was still alive but then it all came back like an unwanted itch.

"Damn fox. Damn village. I'll show them. I'll show them that I won't be beaten so easily!"

Inside his stomach he thought he heard a growl of agreement and then a laugh of accomplishment. He reared back and punched himself in the stomach.

"Shut up you stupid fox! I'm not going to kill them or reign destruction upon them like you did. No I'm going to show them that the biggest mistake they ever made was trying to kill me! I only want to become stronger so I can kill that guy. Kenji. He will pay."

He kept walking until at dawn he collapsed inside the forest in witch he was traveling. His last thought before sleep overtook him was, "Why can't I see the stars?"

He awoke to the sound of a crackling fire. He noticed that he was in a soft bed roll and that something was cooking. Immediately his brain ordered him to see if he was in danger. So he cautiously sat up and took in his surroundings. He was in the same forest that he had been traveling in but not in the same spot he had collapsed. Besides the fire with the cooking pot on it Naruto saw only one thing on the other side of the fire.

An old man sat gazing at him. He sported a bald head and an enormously long white beard that had behind it a pair of the most ancient eyes Naruto had ever seen The Sandaime was old but compared to this man the Sandaime was a child! The mans eyes made Naruto feel same and content and he relaxed into the folds of the bedroll. The old man stood and the rustling of his strange kimono drew near to Naruto but he felt no fear.

"I assume you have a story to tell little one."

When the old man spoke it was if a hammer had come down and broken all the barriers and masks Naruto had made over the years. Like a waterfall arising anew Naruto burst into tears and told the old man everything.

The old man listened patiently as Naruto told him his entire life story. Naruto left no part out so eager he was to share his hurts with this man. As he finished the old man placed one hand on Naruto's shoulder causing the tears to stop.

"You have had a harsh life little one. Come with me if you wish and I will give you a place to belong. A place where you can train your body and mind to grow stronger so that you may beat this Kenji and prove to your village you are not something to be feared and hated, but to be love and cherished. For it seems you saved them by having the kitsune sealed within you."

Naruto gaped up at the old man.

"You really mean it?"

The old man smiled gently.

"Of course."

Naruto for the first time smiled a true smile. He bowed before the man who had come to his aid but no words were spoken. None were needed.

"Now little one, help me finish this delicious ramen I have prepared! Then tomorrow we can proceed to the temple!"

"What's ramen?"

At this question the old man got a gleam in his eye as he turned to Naruto.

"Oh you will find out little one. By the way my name is Master Chin but you may call me starting now sensei."

"Hai, sensei."

End Prologue

AN: Sorry if I made Naruto sound a bit like Sasuke right there but I think it fits. As for Naruto talking the way he is, well he is eight years old but he has had a harsh life and he has probably had more than one curse word spewed at him. Next chapter will include meeting Master Chins other students, training, weapons, some humor and the beginning of an evil plot to over throw the Hokage! Please review and thank you for reading.