Ghost Ninja

Ch 01: The Birth of Death

By: MikeJV37

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Author's Note: Due to the odd nature of the theme, I honestly have no idea what type of fic it'll be, and I most likely won't be doing most of my usual weirdness, except maybe a few slightly enhanced breasts here and there, and it'll be on adults if I do. I'm trying something different so if you know my work, try to bear with me while I stretch my limits as a writer. Oh, this does NOT mean I won't be doing lemons, I will, but I'll be putting a different spin on them... they will be M/F and F/F for the record. I also was to say that altho the original idea for this is mine, some of what I'm doing, plot-wise, was inspired by a 1-Shot by Silent Magi so I felt he deserved a mention for it because his 131 seperate 1-shots in a 'fic' is the funniest stuff I have ever read in my life. Almost forgot... this will only follow canon lightly, if that's a problem then go read some other fic. If you have a brain and can handle that then please R&R.

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=== Kyuubi Attack, Konoha Hospital ===

"I'm sorry Kushina-chan, I hope you'll forgive me someday." Minato said, holding his newborn son in his arms, then vanished in a yellow flash.

"You bring my son back to me unhurt Jiraiya... or I swear to Kami I'll kill you." Kushina said in a tired, but cold voice.

Jiraiya nodded and leapt out the open window.

A few minutes later Kushina heard a massive explosion, a few moments of silence, then cheering. She smiled proudly as tears ran down her cheeks. "He did it...ack! No... not now, please... just let me..." Kushina said as she felt it, then collapsed... dead.

The monitor let out a long, high pitched tone.

She stood, took a few steps then several nurses ran by her, she turned around and gasped when she saw herself laying in the hospital bed, then Jiraiya appeared in the window holding her son, and carefully dropped into the room, shock and then sadness on his face. Without thinking she ran to them, reached for her son and her hands passed through them. "I'm dead." Kushina said sadly. She watched, almost blankly as they tried to revive her, only to finally give up. She turned to the door when she heard 2 familiar voices, Kakashi Hatake her husband's only living student and Sarutobi, the retired Third Hokage.

"What happened?" Sarutobi said, hiding his sadness.

"There was a complication Hokage-sama, there was nothing we could of done." The nurse in charge said.

"Tsunade could of saved her... I could of brought her back for this. She would of come for Kushina and Minato, you know how she felt about them." Jiraiya said.

Sarutobi very subtley flnched and he nodded, he knew he should of sent Jiraiya to bring her back. Unknown to him, or anyone else, fists were passing through his head and a speed that truely defied description.

Were she still alive, the unmatched ki Kushina was releasing would of killed every living thing within 100 yards of her from sheer terror.

What everyone in the room failed to notice, including Kushina, was that baby Naruto was shaking slightly.

=== July 28, 8:04 AM, Konoha Park, Naruto Age 5 ===

Seeing the older boy smile at him as he was walking past him, he decided this person didn't hate him like everyone else did. "Where ya goin?" Naruto said cheerfully.

The 14 year old Chuunin boy stopped when he realized the little blonde boy was not only talking to him, but looking at him. "You talking to me?" He asked, genuinely stunned.

"Sure am, so where ya goin?" Naruto said.

"To see a friend, but how can you see me?" He asked politelty.

Naruto laughed. "That's a dumb question... you're standing right there!" Naruto said, highly amused.

He ran this through his mind a moment, then smiled, this was too good to be true. "How would you like to help me, I want to pull a prank on a good friend of mine and you're the only person that can help me do it. So what's your name kid?" He said.

"Naruto Uzumaki! What's your name, and why do you have bandages over your eye?" Naruto said.

"Just a injury, it doesn't hurt. I'm a Leaf Shinobi, see." He said and pointed to the hitai-ite on his forehead.

"Cool!" Naruto said excitedly.

"Come on, if we want to catch him we have to go now, and my name is..." He said and he starting walking with Naruto, who either didn't know, or didn't mind, he was a ghost. If Naruto didn't know he wouldn't tell him, he didn't want to scare him.

=== 8:16 AM, Konoha Hero Memorial ===

"Excuse me, are you Kakashi?" Naruto said as he approached the man with the spikey silver hair, black clothes and green vest.

Kakashi spun around, he'd almost been caught off guard. "Who are you, you shouldn't be here." Kakashi said firmly but politely to the kid in the orange jumpsuit..

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki, and someone told me to tell you to... what was it again?" Naruto said looking up to his right.

Kakashi looked at the blonde boy who seemed to be talking to someone that wasn't there. Something about him was very familiar though.

"Thanks... he told me to tell you to get your head out of your butt, and that you didn't fail him you ugly scarecrow." Naruto said.

Kakashi's visible right eye got as big as a saucer. "Who told you to tell me that?" Kakashi said, trying to compose himself.

Naruto looked to his right a moment then laughed. "Why should I tell you, needle nose." Naruto said.

Kakashi stumbled backward and tripped over the the 2' memorial stone.

"You okay?' Naruto said.

"Uh... I'm fine." Kakashi said then stood.

Naruto sighed almost sadly. "Okay, if you want to. He said I can tell you... REALLY? He said I'll tell you anything you wanna know if you'll buy me breakfast." Naruto said with a big smile, he could taste it already.

"Deal, where do you want to eat?" Kakashi said.

=== 9:10 AM, Ichiraku Ramen ===

With a sigh Kakashi put a stack of bills on the counter, he'd nearly emptied his wallet. How a little kid could eat so much food was beyond him, but he HAD to know how Naruto knew what he did, and why everything about him was so familiar. He knew he was forgetting something. "Now that you ate, we're going to talk. Where to?" Kakashi said.

Naruto shrugged. "Okay. Thanks Teuchi-san, Ayame-chan! Follow me." Naruto said, hopped off his stool and left.

Kakashi followed him out.

"Dad, don't you think Naruto is a little weird the way he sometimes talks to people that aren't there? I know some little kids have imaginary friends, but Naruto-kun's are... different, especially because some of the things he says could only be from someone older than me." Ayame said.

"You may be twelve, but you didn't grow up like he did. So he talks to imaginary people, I thinks he's pretty well adjusted considering he's been on his own since he was four." Teuchi said.

Ayame nodded.

=== 9:31 AM, Naruto's Secret Training Spot ===

"Here we are. He said to bring you somewhere no one would see us, so I brought you here, this is my secret place so you can't tell anyone about it, promise?" Naruto said.

"Hai, I promise. Now, tell me what you know." Kakashi said.

Naruto turned to the dark haired boy. "I'm not suppossed to do this, but I know you're a ghost... I promised I wouldn't tell, but I can do something special and for it to work I have to tell you. Kakashi, promise me you won't tell anyone what I can do." Naruto said, visibley nervous.

"I'll promise, but there's one person that has to know..." Kakashi said.

"Hokage-sama." Naruto interrupted. "Okay, but not until tomorrow, there's someone else I have to talk to first. Okay?" Naruto said.

"Deal, Eight oclock tomorrow morning, meet me at the Tower." Kakashi said.

"Okay... here goes." Naruto said, then made a cross finger hand sign. "SHADOW CLONE JUTSU!" Naruto said, and a clone appeared in a puff of smoke. "This sounds weird, but I want you to step into my clone... you'll be fine, I've done this before. What rank are you... then you should have about ten minutes, from what I was told." Naruto said.

Despite all his experience, this was getting close to being too much even for him to handle, then the clone started shaking, like it was in pain, then his right eye almost popped from his head when it physically changed into a very familiar person, clothes and all.

"Whoa, now that was a weird experience... hey Kakashi, long time no see." Obito said with a smile.

"Ob... Obito... but how?" Kakashi said in shock.

"I don't understand it either, but Naruto can see ghosts it seems." Obito said.

"Only if they were ninja." Naruto interrupted, then both men looked at him. "I can only see people that were ninja. Its because of their chakra. I'll let you talk alone, I'll be over there." Naruto said then walked away.

"I don't know if we have the time he told me, so let's get to it. I've been watching you Kakashi and you have to stop feeling so damn guilty. You did everything you could, it was my time and you can't change that. You've mourned long enough, now get you head out of your ass and stop pissing away your life! I gave you my eye to help you, so stop shitting on my gift, because frankly Kakashi you're really pissing me off the way you've been living since my funeral." Obito said strongly.

Kakashi wanted to argue, but he just couldn't do it, he knew his friend was right. "Sorry Obito, I've lost so many friends and... that's why he's so familiar!"

Obito smiled. "Took you long enough. He is, but you know you can't say anything. It took me a few minutes to make the connection, but the blond hair is a dead give away, he looks just like Sensei as a kid." Obito said.

=== 9:43 AM ===

"Thanks Naruto, if you ever need anything... just ask. I do have a question though, when he's using your clone..." Kakashi said.

"I don't get their memories." Naruto interrupted.

"Thanks. You look tired, I give you a lift home?" Kakashi said.

"Sure, I live at the Motomi Apartments." Naruto said.

Kakashi nodded, put a hand on Naruto's shoulder and they vanished in a swirl of leaves.

=== Naruto's Apartment ===

Naruto unlocked his door, went in, shut it behind him, locked it and put the key back in his pocket. "I'm back Hokara-chan." Naruto called out tiredly as he headed to the couch.

She walked out of the guest room in a black trimmed red kimono and sandles, her bright red hair hung almost to her ankles. She smiled at him, her green eyes sparkling with happiness. "Welcome home Naruto-kun! I felt it, you did it for someone didn't you?" Hokara said a little worried, she knew what a strain it put on even his chakra to do while she was out.

Naruto flopped on the couch on his back. "Yes... I saw him in the park, he was going to see a friend who knew him before... Kakashi Hatake."

Hokara silently gasped nervously. "Was the ghost named Obito Uchiha?"

"Yes. He was only in control ten minutes, but it really wore me out, I even had eight bowls of ramen, Kakashi took me out to breakfast first... it was Obito's idea." Naruto said tiredly.

She thought for a few moments, her mind racing. "Did it help Kakashi to talk to his friend?" Hokara said.

"Hai, I let them talk by themselves, you told me not to listen to people talking, so I went to the other side of the clearing... oh, I kinda have to meet Kakashi at the Tower in the morning to talk to Jiji about what I can do... are you mad?" Naruto said, nervously.

"No. I knew this would happen eventually, I was hoping to have a few more years though. I won't have you lying to him, so tell him the truth, but don't mention me or especially Kyuubi, who you aren't suppossed to know about yet, and they aren't ready for what really happened five years ago or why Kyuubi really attacked Konoha. If you have to mention me, give them my name and that I've been training you for the last year, but don't describe me or tell them I'm a ghost using your Shadow Clone as a body. Promise me." Hokara said firmly.

"Hai, I promise Hokara-chan. I'm going to take a nap, wake me for lunch okay." Naruto said as he got up.

"Hai." Hokara said. It was only for 6, sometimes 8 hours a day, 4-6 days a week, but she truely enjoyed every second she could spend with her son, even if only as a surrogate mother and Sensei, he just wasn't ready to know she was his real mother. She went back to her room to work on the seals. She knew she was no Seal Master, but she did have some talent for it as she found out and was glad she'd made Minato teach her about them. About 6 minutes later she felt the chakra surge from the special seal tag on her chest as it tapped into Kyuubi's chakra. If she hadn't come up with it she'd still dispell when Naruto went to sleep. She knew who could help her, but Naruto's meeting tomorrow with Sarutobi had potential, if there was anyone Sarutobi would summon for help, it was him.

=== Sunset, Hokage Monument ===

He'd been sitting there all day staring out at Konoha and thinking about what had happened that morning. He'd gone over his entire life, in detail, countless times, and could only come to 1 conclusion. "He was right... I'm a asshole. I need to get out of the hole I dug for myself and move on." Kakashi said then laughed hard for several minutes. "I should of listened to them when I had the chance, they kept telling me if I didn't get my head out of my ass it'd get stuck and I'd lose them both... oh Kami did I fuck up. Those that don't follow the rules are trash, but those that abandon their friends are less than trash... I should of taken my own advice. No more, tomorrow Kakashi Hatake is reborn."

=== July 29, 7:55 AM, Hokage Tower ===

Naruto walked into the waiting room and waved at the secretary when she saw him.

"You're here to see Hokage-sama with Kakashi-san, he made the appointment yesterday morning. Please have a seat Naruto." She said.

Naruto shrugged, smiled and took a seat by the wall. A few minutes later he saw 2 people leave the old man's office. The first was a kunoichi he didm't know, the 2nd he knew only he could see. He watched them walk past, then the purple-haired lady in the trenchcoat stopped.

"You staring at me brat?" She said, strongly.

Naruto glanced to the purple-haired lady's right, and laughed, he couldn't hold it in. "Really, at her age?" Naruto said, then broke out laughing hard.

"Who the hell are you talking to, what's so damn funny and do you know who I am?" She said.

Naruto took a few deep breaths to calm himself, then looked at the ghost next to the lady. "Your name is Anko Mitarashi... Special Jonin... you have a tattoo of a snake on your left arm..." Naruto said then blushed. "I can't say that... can you come closer, I'm suppossed to tell you something, but I can't say it out loud."

This kid was confusing the hell out of her, he kept looking to her left like someone was there, and just generally acting weird, but she had to find out what was going on so she walked up and leaned down close. "Spill it brat, I don't like people messing with me, I've crippled people for doing less than what you've done." Anko said.

"I don't totally understand it, but I'm not allowed to use these words. I'm suppossed to tell you that you've never shaved your pussy, that's a kunai not a dildo, and I was laughing because when you're alone you sleep with a small stuffed purple bunny called mister fuzzyhead." Naruto whispered.

At the shaved comment Anko's eyes got bigger, by the time the blonde kid said the name of her stuffed bunny she'd had since she was 3 and was her only posession from her childhood before she became his apprentice. Most shocking was the simple fact that there were only 8 people in the world that even knew about it, and not 1 of them would dare mention it, not even the Hokage who was 1 of them, it was basically an S-Ranked secret done for her as a favor by the Third Hokage when he was still Third Hokage. When he finished she was almost chalk white. Swallowing the huge lump in her throat, she got on her knees. "How do you know that about me?" Anko whispered.

"That's kinda why I'm here, me and Kakashi have an appointment at eight with Jiji, you can join us if ya want to." Naruto said.

A moment later the door opened and Kakashi walked in, right on time.

"They're here Hokage-sama." She said.

"Send them in." Came back on the intercom.

"I think I will." Anko said almost blankly, stood and followed Kakashi and the blond kid into his office.

He watched Kakashi walk in, followed by Naruto as he expected, but he was a little surprised to see Anko walk back in behind them. She hid it well, but he could tell she'd just been emotionally shaken to her very core, only Naruto could have that kind of effect on someone. "Have a seat Naruto. What is this about?" Sarutobi said calmly then puffed his pipe..

"I had a... strange experience yesterday... it seams Naruto has a very... unusual, ability." Kakashi said.

The Third looked at Naruto curiously a moment. "Please explain."

Naruto sighed loudly. "I can see and talk to ghosts." Naruto said casually.

The pipe fell from Sarutobi's mouth and clanked on the desk as his jaw dropped.

"At least I can if they were ninja, it has something to do with them being able to use chakra before they died." Naruto said.

While Kakashi and Anko just stared at Naruto, Sarutobi composed himself, that last line sounded a bit over his head, an adult, likely a shinobi, told him that... the question was, who? "Who's been helping you Naruto? You couldn't of figured this out on your own, I can see it on your face, you're hiding something. Kakashi, I want to know exactly what happened yesterday." Sarutobi calmly commanded.

=== 8:33 AM ===

"Then I came here, made the appointment with your secretary and spent the rest of the day alone, thinking." Kakashi said.

"Who's with me Naruto, are they still here?" Anko said nervously but excitedly. If someone from her past was following her around, even watching over her, she HAD to know who it was.

Naruto turned and looked at Anko. "Hai, she's the only ghost here... and I'm sorry, but she doesn't want you to know... not yet. I can't make her tell me anything. Wait... she just told me that she'd like you to talk to her sometimes, at least at home so she doesn't have to follow you around all day... okay, tell her about your day, stuff like that... okay. She'll rest during the day, then she'll be in your house at... eight at night."

Anko glanced around a moment. "Deal, on one condition, she answers a question. Tell me what she says exactly... was she someone I knew, or was she related to me?"

Naruto looked in Anko's direction a moment, then his eyes got big and he smiled. "She said... Unfortunately I'm related to the crazy bitch, because only family would put up with her for this long... that's all she said, except that if you try any of your usual shit to find out before she wants you to know, you'll never get to talk her like Kakashi did Obito."

"I really hate being toyed with, but I'll make an exception this time, deal. From now on brat we're friends, so expect to see me a lot." Anko said.

"If you're both finished, I have some questions." Sarutobi said.

"Sorry Hokage-sama." Kakashi and Anko said together.

Naruto laughed a moment.

"Who trained you Naruto? Since I got you that apartment you haven't been seen with anyone, so who taught you the Shadow Clone Jutsu and what else do you know?" Sarutobi calmly commanded.

Naruto swallowed nervously, he knew that tone, he wanted Naruto to tell him, but he was going to find out no matter what. "Hai. I do have a Sensei, she said this would happen. She told me I can tell you a little about her, but for now it'll have to be enough. Her name is Hokara, I met her a few days after you got me my apartment, she use to be a kunoichi and lives here in Konoha. She trained me, taught me the Shadow Clone jutsu, and the other basic jutsu I'd learn at Academy, she said I'm a natural and can learn and master any jutsu faster than any adult can. I learned the Shadow Clone jutsu in like, an hour. Oh, I can do some basic seals too, but I just started learning those a few months ago. That's everything I can tell you right now, I promise."

Sarutobi looked at Naruto intently a few moments, he knew there was more, but if Naruto had promised this woman he wouldn't tell him everything, there was virtually nothing he could do to make Naruto tell him that wouldn't cost him Naruto's trust, and once you lost that with Naruto, even at his age... you had no chance in Hell of getting it back. "You'll tell me everything eventually though, right?" He asked and Naruto nodded. "I have your promise on this?" Naruto nodded. "That's acceptable then. I have one question though... how can a ghost take over a Shadow Clone as their own body? That shouldn't be possible."

"I don't really know, even Hokara doesn't really understand it, but she said my chakra is special, different from everyone else, that's why I can see and talk to ghosts, my ability lets them borrow my Shadow Clone for a little while, but I don't know anything they did when they leave it or it gets dispelled. That's why I don't know what Obito and Kakashi talked about." Naruto said.

Sarutobi nodded, that made sense. "Thank you Naruto, I think that's enough for now."

"I almost forgot something Jiji. Hokara told me to tell you that since you know now, not to spy on me or have my apartment watched, she'll know if you do, and she said she'd be very mad and it would cost Fire Country its greatest treasure. I don't know what that is, but she said you'd understand." Naruto said.

Sarutobi knew instantly that was no idle threat, the way he phrased it told him that this woman knew who Naruto's parents were and what was sealed inside him, and she most likely meant she'd take Naruto from them to another Country, and potentially make Naruto an enemy they couldn't beat. Looking closely at Naruto he could tell Naruto honestly didn't know what she meant. If she has as much influence over Naruto as he now suspected, trying to seperate them would be a mistake, especially if Naruto chose to fight against them, which meant Kyuubi might be released, and that risk was far too great. "Understood, tell her she has my word we'll do as she asked."

Naruto smiled. "Thanks Jiji, is that all?"

"Hai... dismissed." Sarutobi said calmly, a small smile on his face. Inside, he hoped he made the right choice not to push, but since Naruto had promised to tell him everything eventually and trusted him, he could wait. He didn't like it, but his other choice was lose Naruto's trust, and potentially the lives of many of his shinobi and even civilians.

All 3 nodded and left the office.

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End Chapter 1