A/N:
Hello, I'm writing my first Naruto fanfiction. Pardon if the format's a little sketchy, I've been having problems with some of my other stories, and needed something to take my mind off them. I'll try to write a good story, but I'll be making quite a few twists to the storyline. It's set after the whole hospital rooftop fight with Naruto and Sasuke. Hope you enjoy.
Fifteen Years before the fall of Kyuubi
'Once there were seven princes, and they lived in a castle far away. Each prince was represented by a guardian spirit, and when the spirits' names were invoked, the princes gained strong power. But with such power always comes danger.
One day, a prince was walking out of the bounds of his country, when he was set upon by a ferocious snake. Its body was the width as a man stands tall, and it length many yards long. Without delay, the young prince spoke out the name of his guardian spirit. But, in his haste, spoke the name unclearly and only invoked part of the creature. For the young prince, the last sight he saw of this world were the horrifying eyes of the beast as it turned and ate him whole.
Later, when they learned what happened, the other six princes vowed never to use the guardian spirits again. They sealed the spirits away in a mountain that floats about the sky, never to return to the earth's surface.'
"I don't like it when you tell her those horrible stories." Inoue sniffed. "It's bad for her. She'll get ideas about monsters and heroes and want to be one or the other. You know the active imagination she has."
"Ah yes. Mustn't give my granddaughter ideas, who knows what she'll become of herself. She certainly won't become anything without them."
"How dare you say such a thing! She will marry to a good home and raise a family! Just like I did!"
"Perhaps your parents didn't let you have enough ideas!" The old, slight man retorted. The woman who was his son's wife fumed, wide mouthed. Beautiful, but too set in her ways to be truly bright.
"Grandpa?" A slight tug on his sleeve caused him to look down.
"Yes, little one?"
"What happened to the young prince's guardian beast?"
"It wandered the earth." His hand made a sweeping motion. "Until it could find a vessel worth taking."
"What did it look like?"
"It had fur of fire and claws that could tear apart a single man to pieces within a second. It had unimaginable power, and with only its evil side showing, it spread destruction where it went."
"Did it find the vessel?"
"No one knows. Perhaps one day you'll tell me."
"Enough! GO to bed, Nani!"
"So what are the other beasts like, Grandpa?"
"Another time perhaps." He scooped her up into a hug. "Go to bed now, Nani. I will tell you the rest some other time."
"Okay." The girl wandered off too her bed in disappointment, dragging along her stuffed cat doll.
The old man smiled. The girl was the spitting image of his own wife at that age, and strongly resembled his son as well, thank goodness. The same brown hair, the same quizzical eyes always asking questions, the same slightly upturned mouth. She was only five, but had captured her father's mannerisms almost completely now. He'd be teaching her his craft and taking her out to fish any day now.
"How can you tell her such things? Everyone knows that story is just some fantasy."
"Shouldn't children keep their fantasies, at least for awhile?" He countered while taking a quick sip of his drink. "Besides, she'll grow up sooner than you think, and she will decide if the old legend is true or not."
"It's not!" The woman snapped exasperatedly.
"All legends have a basis in fact. The nine tailed fox is causing trouble even now. And, leaving you that thought, I'm off to bed as well. Goodnight, daughter-in-law."
Present day
'Years passed. Winter turned to summer again ten times over. War broke out. An uneasy peace reigned. Heroes lived and died. Some villages grew into great cities. Others stayed small and inconspicuous. Others ceased to exist at all. But the great village of the leaf ever prospered.'
"Hurry up, Naruto!" Sakura yelled.
"Just a minute!" Naruto turned back to the storyteller. "Then what happened?"
"Then you gave me some money to continue the story."
"What? NO way!" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "I can't believe you!"
"Believe it sonny, we all have to make money." The storyteller grinned with his crooked teeth. His head was losing hair left and right, making him seem like some demented wanderer.
A hand clapped down on Naruto's shoulder. "You're making us late. Hurry up!"
Kakashi dragged the boy away from the storyteller over to the large load of packages in front of the Konahagure post office.
"This better not all be to some old house in the Leaf. I wanna go somewhere else!" Naruto whined.
"Shut-up and help us, stupid." Sasuke snapped. "It's your fault, anyway. You didn't do the last job right and now we're being punished."
Naruto fumed. He didn't have anything to say in return.
Delivering the packages took most of the day, as it seemed none of the packages had the right address. By nightfall, they were down to one package and all of them, including Kakashi, were harboring thoughts of hatred toward all postal offices.
"I'm gonna go crazy. Why would anyone do this for a living? Good thing there's only one left."
"Uhh…" Sakura looked over the small wrapped package. "It doesn't have an address. It says, 'To Inventor Nani'. No wait, here it says 'Outskirts of Yushono Fields'. It's not addressed like a regular package."
"Aww, man. And the old Obaa-san told us we had to deliver all of them. Maybe we should just slip it back in the mailbox."
"I wonder who sent it…Hey! Tsunade-sama sent this! We can ask her where it goes!"
Naruto mumbled something unintelligible. Sakura replied by glaring at him.
"You said you wanted to go somewhere else. This is somewhere else! Stop complaining Naruto!"
"Enough. Sakura, go ask Tsunade where the package goes. You two go pick up a few days supplies. NO RAMEN. And hurry up, I'll wait here." Kakashi sighed.
"How do you know?" Naruto questioned.
"I've been in the area around those plains. Get moving." Kakashi leaned against the wall of the post office and watched them leave to their different tasks, Sasuke having to drag the unwilling Naruto around by the scruff as the blond complained.
The last few days had been tense. They were under his command, the chunnin exams were over, and much of the problems in leaf were caused by the remarkable clumsiness of one Uzumaki Naruto. The last job had been so badly botched that the entire team, along with their sensei, had been disciplined.
He would never, ever let Naruto near paint again.
Naruto and Sasuke were still a little tense around each other. The fight they had on the hospital roof could have killed them both, along with Sakura. After that, a few harsh lectures had set them both right, or so he hoped.
Twenty minutes later, Sakura came running back holding the package and a small scroll. Her face was slightly flushed from running. "I got directions."
"Good job. Where is it?"
"It's almost a hundred miles away."
They were going to need a few more days' rations.
"Looks like this mission may be a bit longer than I thought." Kakashi sighed. There was loud arguing coming from the direction the two boys had gone. "You go home and pack for the trip. I'll tell the other two. Hurry up."
For a trip this long, they must be going to the woods on the far end of the plains. Kakashi scratched his nose. The area was relatively safe, if one didn't count the bandits and the paranoid villagers.
Sakura quickly disappeared to the direction of her home. Kakashi shook his head and walked to the other gennin, who had a much too small bag of small rations. He quickly relayed the message.
"Be at the bridge in two hours. Don't be late."
Please leave any comments, notes, criticisms, or anything of the like in the review box below. Reviews are appreciated but not necessary, as I intend to write the story with or without them. Constructive criticisms are welcomed. Thank you.