CH.1
Konohagakure no stato outskirts,
II Shinobi war, early years.
The stars looked amazing. They always did.
They were so far away, so mysterious... yet they shined bright, almost mocking whoever had the time to look at them.
When he was younger he used to believe that for every person in the world, a new star would appear in the sky, its light fueled by the untouchable energy of dreams, love, hardships, accomplishments…
He really wanted to keep believing.
But the stars kept quiet, far away from the pitiful human reality. People died, dreams shattered, nothing changed… bar the stars, they were always the same.
That is why he stopped believing. The stars didn't care about him.
''Uzumaki-san, we are ready to move.''
He nodded softly, his blue eyes firm on the sprinkled sky. The konoha ANBU waited silently for the Uzumaki, the quiet atmosphere tinged in a not so subtle hue of eagerness.
He sighed while getting up from the flat rock he had been sitting on, his crimson hair hanging messily just below his eyes.
He should cut them. Or maybe not.
Since Uzu had assigned him this mission, his priorities changed greatly along with his goals… If he still had any. He should have one.
He had been a ninja since he was able to hold a kunai, after all. In just 15 years of life, he had become the elite of his village, along with flattering yet dangerous mentions in several bingo books. He had strived for his village safety unquestionably, only to be given to Konoha in order to become the next jinchuuriki of the famed nine tails demon. The village elders tried to sugarcoat the whole thing, talking about ensuring the village safety by siding with Konoha, but he knew better. He was sold like a weapon, he held no real value apart from his ninja curriculum.
Anyhow, the village safety was still his priority, he would do anything in his powers to ensure a peaceful life in Uzu. He owned little Kushina that much.
He was still lost in his thoughts as he jumped from branch to branch, following the three konoha operatives quietly.
''We are here.''
Naruto's eyes focused immediately on the tiny cave entrance, barely concealed by the tall evergreen trees that populated the majority of Hi No Kuni.
Waiting under the dim light of the moon he recognized immediately the silky white kage robes, wrapped around who was arguably one of the most powerful shinobi to ever perform in kami's realm.
The Shinobi No Kami himself, Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His stiff and regal body posture was somewhat eased by the gentle look in his steely gray eyes.
'Guilt', Naruto thought bitterly. How horribly wonderful the reality of a shinobi really was. A seemingly endless amount of power restricted behind the bars of human imperfection. How frustrating really was, to have wings... in a world with no gravity. He often wondered whether there where no shinobi, would the world be different then? Probably not.
''Naruto-san, a pleasure finally meeting you in person… Even under these unfortunate circumstances.''
The Hokage's ashy voice brought him back to reality.
''This is a dire situation indeed. I would like to proceed with the ritual as soon as possible... if it's not a problem, Hokage sama.''
He did not want to get stuck in troublesome conversations with powerful shinobi. Konoha people were known for their silver tongue and charisma.
''I see. I do believe my student Jiraiya will arrive shortly, he is going to be the one working on the ritual. Mito-sama made sure everything will be going as smoothly as planned.''
Naruto nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. He was about to indirectly kill one of the greatest ninja his clan ever raised. Mito Uzumaki, wife of the late Shodaime Hokage and arguably the strongest kunoichi ever known to the elemental nations. He didn't know the woman personally, but he couldn't help but to feel sorry for somebody that, in all likes, was forced to a life she didn't choose.
He hated this feeling. That warm idealism deep inside him, the very same that got him dismissed from the Uzushiokagure black ops forces. Was it Kushina's fult? Or Was it Kushina's merit?
He didn't know. Did he want to know? He shamefully envied the emotionless killing machines the Hidden villages were able to create, everything would have been way easier if he was like that..
He shook his head. He was probably too young to even grasp the meaning of life. Many kids his age were still in the academy after all.
A loud clacking noise nearby put him immediately on high alert, his standard tanto already pointed were a small cloud of smoke was obscuring a tall man silhouette. He glanced sideways at the hokage who was… face-palming?
''WHERE THE SHADOW CONSUME THE LIGHT…''
A loud booming voice bellowed behind the smoke.
''WHERE THE EVIL SWINGS ITS BLADE…''
Naruto for the sake of his life couldn't figure out where the low whispered chorus following the loud voice was coming from.
''WHERE THE WOME-''
A sudden huge fireball cut through the seemingly endless amount of mist, followed immediately by a slightly feminine scream of pain.
The hokage's hand was still in position for the katon jutsu, his face twitching in annoyance.
''Jiraiya cut the crap, this is not the time for your antics.''
'Jiraiya?' Thought Naruto in confusion. The worldwide famous A-ranked toad summoner Jiraiya just screamed like a schoolgirl?
Fairly enough, from the now gone cloud of smoke, a tall white haired man in his early twenties slowly walked out, his standard konoha jounin attire gleaming under a non-existent light. His face wore a proud smirk, almost as if the Katon justu from before never happened in the first place.
''I wouldn't be so harsh sensei, after all, I have just completed the super secret paradise mission… I'm sure you would like to check the reports..''
The hokage stiffened immediately, his eyes narrowing noticeably.
Naruto watched carefully as the two got close to each other, whispering rapidly. It must have been a really important mission, the red-haired assumed. He noticed Jiraiya sliding something akin to a book inside the wide pockets of the hokage cotton white robes.
.
.
Was that a perverted giggle?
Naruto scoffed, he was already going crazy.
Not even a blink later Jiraiya was in front of him, seizing him up and down while stroking his chin in meditation. He heard rumors about the white haired ninja before him, but now Naruto was absolutely sure… He really was an S-ranked idiot.
Could it be a self-made defense mechanism? Something to shield away from the darkness that always lingered the battlefield, or maybe-
''Look at this Sarutobi-sensei, we asked for an Uzu-maki and they gave us an Uzu-Gaki.''
Nope. He was an idiot.
While the fuming red-haired boy was thinking how to kill the laughing shinobi without diplomatic consequences, the hokage busted his student in the head, flooring him immediately.
''You should know very well that age doesn't matter in the shinobi world...unfortunately…''
'Unfortunately', Naruto repeated in his mind bitterly. Ever since he dropped out from the Uzu black ops everybody started treating him like he was some victim of war, a young man deprived of his childhood… Fools. He was sick of the people's hypocrisy.
''Hokage-sama.''
All three of them turned towards the source of the voice, where a tall man with exotic silver hair and an elderly looking woman were passively waiting to be acknowledged.
Naruto recognized the two immediately.
The tall man in a slightly lighter colored jounin attire had one hell of a reputation after all. Sakumo Hatake, also know as the white fang of Konoha. The only Konoha shinobi of its generation to reach an S-rank mentioning, yet. Walking calmly next to the almost living legend was the very same Mito Uzumaki, her elegance not lost to old age. Her eyes were fixed on Naruto. Those narrow dark purple orbs almost gleamed behind the crinkled dry skin of her cheekbones. They looked so much like the Uzukage's that Naruto was unable to lower his gaze. The raw knowledge those eyes seemed to hold was somehow physically weighting on his shoulders, he felt so outclassed that even remembering his own name felt like a challenge. She was using the taller man right arm for support, as if the worldwide known killer beside her was nothing but her little nephew. While part of his mind was stuck, he wondered if he would be able to live long enough to carry this kind of attitude even while walking to his deathbed.
Probably not.
Before even reaching the Hokage she left her grip on Hatake's biceps, slowing making her way to the younger red-head. He could see her clearer now. Every single imperfection of the skin brought by the passing years, every single white hair of the sparse hair bun that was said to be a breathtaking sight back in the past. Her chin was high, as even in her soon to be cemetery she was in control of the situation.
Naruto was absolutely sure not even with his trusted oni-mask on he would be able to intimidate the woman before him.
And then she spoke.
''The leafs know when fall is coming. They try to hide their color, hoping that by leaving the beauty they always cherished the ground wouldn't want to claim their corpse. They decays, They get corrupted, old… Evil. In the end, the very same tree that gave them life becomes sick of them, so are they unwilling to accept change. The tree kills the leafs, for better, younger ones are going to replace them. You will do fine remembering this, Naruto.''
Not even a blink later she was back at the side of the silver haired shinobi, smiling politely to the Hokage and his student.
Did it really happen?
Not a single one of the monstrous shinobi around him seemed to be aware of the conversation, excluding immediately the possibility of a genjutsu.
Naruto's clever mind was spinning, either he was really going crazy or the older woman really did that just by manifesting part of her chakra.
Both possibilities were equally terrifying.
What was all of that supposed to mean? What leafs had to do whit him? The only leaf in his life was…
''Naruto-kun, why don't you come here meeting Mito-sama, she was really anxious to finally be able to meet you in person.''
''Hai, Hokage-sama.''
He got closer to the konoha group, bowing deeply once he was in front of the older woman. He was sweating.
''Mito-sama.''
She chuckled lightly, her sudden grandmotherly attitude a glaring disagreement from her previous self.
''It is nice to know youngster this days still have some manners… Jiraiya-kun, maybe you could learn a thing or two from young Naruto here.''
Despite himself, he felt a well deserved smirk tugging at his lips. He decided that getting on the white haired oaf's nerves could become an enjoyable time-killer for the time being.
After Jirayia sulked next to an amused Sakumo, the whole group wordlessly decided to enter the illuminated cave, where a seemingly endless amount of seals covered the polished rock.
He only managed to exchange few more pleasantries with the older Uzumaki woman. It almost felt like everything he needed to know from her had already been said. However, behind that warm smile of her, he could recognize several hidden meanings, meanings that only somebody used to the stoical Uzumaki nobility could identify. Her smiles to the konoha shinobi were forced, all of them.
She would stiffen occasionally, ever so slightly. Hidden anger, resentment, distrust…
Sadness.
Before even realizing it, he was laying on the cold unforgiving stone. All around him medics and shinobi of all sorts flooded the room.
The Hokage said something to him. He didn't listen.
They were blurred, all of them. His mind and soul was focused on her. She didn't need to say anything.
She became blurred too, but the message was clear.
Don't trust a single one of them.