Ok this is my first Naruto fic, I hope that you enjoy. Leave some reviews and let me know what you think, also I promise to pick up on the action but I had to set up my characters for right now. Anyway I in now way own Naruto. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.
Chapter 1
The wind blew through the trees near the entrance to Konohagakure, traffic through the entrance was calm and moving smooth. Two chunin, Kaito and Toya, were monitoring the people going in and out, fellow Konoha shinobi, citizens and travelers. No one seemed out of the ordinary and the two were feeling that their day was going to be an easy one, that is until they saw someone coming in the distance.
The approaching traveler looked to be a boy in his mid-teens, he wore a straw traveling hat that covered the upper part of his face, a brown traveling cloak draped down to below his waist, but what really caught the guards attention was the sword on his back and kunai holsters on both of his legs. The boy reached the entrance and proceeded straight to the booth the chunin were standing at. Toya stepped out from the booth while Kaito stayed where he was.
"Passport please." Kaito asked. The boy produced his passport and handed it over. Kaito looked it over, Toya asked him to remove his hat. The traveler complied and removed his hat, he had black hair that partially covered his dark green eyes. Toya noticed the white stripe of hair that went from the back of the boys head to the front, so that the hair over his right eye was white. The headband he wore had a blank metal plate.
"Your passport doesn't list a permanent residence, why is that?" Kaito asked while review the passport.
"There's no reason to be concerned with that I'm not a nuke-nin or a criminal, you can check in the bingo book if you want. I'm just a tosei-nin, a simple wanderer." The boy replied. Kaito took out the bingo book kept at the station and looked to see if the boy was indeed in it.
"Tosei-nin huh, that's just the same as being a nuke-nin." Toya said.
"Just because I don't swear an allegiance to any village does not make me any less a shinobi than you." The boy replied coldly to Toya's remark, giving him a cold look.
Kaito put the book away and spoke up, "You're not listed in any wanted section for our village so there is no problem. However you're passport doesn't give your clans name, care to explain that."
"It's a family tradition to choose a name for yourself, but since it's a chosen name I only use the one my father gave me on my passport."
"Alright then" Kaito looked at the name on the passport, "Kazuma, what business does a tosei-nin have here in Konoha?"
Kazuma twirled his hat on his finger and answered, "To take the upcoming Chunin exam of course."
The two guards gave him an exasperated look. "And who exactly gave you permission to take the exam?" Toya asked. "Only approved genin can apply for the exam."
Kazuma produced a piece of paper from his cloak and handed it over to Kaito. "This is a form I was given allowing me to participate and" he produced a second paper, "this is to show where I stand with Konoha."
Kaito examined both forms and was shocked to see whose seal was on them. He handed them over to Toya, who had some expertise in seals, and he too was shocked. Toya preformed some jutsus to verify the authenticity of the seals and when he was finished handed them back to Kazuma. "I guess there's no problem seeing that the documents are real, but how did you get them?"
"That's simple; the Yondaime was a friend of my father and uncle."
"Alright then, are you traveling alone?" Kaito asked as he made a note in the station log.
"I do have a traveling companion but she should have gotten here before me."
"Very well then you can move along." Toya said as he moved aside to let Kazuma pass. Kazuma took back his passport and documents and began to walk into the village. As he put his hand back on he gave a small bow and said respectfully, "Thanks for all your hard work." And continued on. Toya rejoined Kaito in the booth and watched the tosei-nin leave, both wondering if a tosei-nin could pass the exam.
Kazuma walked along taking in the sights of Konoha, this wasn't his first time here but it had been a while. The last time he was here was at least seven years ago, Hayato-ojisan had brought me here for a job back during the war. Kazuma thought to himself as the memories came back to him. Hard to believe so much could change in just seven years. At least this village still seems nice enough. Kazuma was happy to see the villagers going about their business, a sense of normalcy that he didn't have in his life on the road. He continued to walk toward the residential area of the village. Even though he was a tosei-nin he had apartments in some villages, which were left to him by his uncle, including one here in Konoha.
"I'm pretty sure it was around here." He muttered to himself as he looked around at the different apartment buildings that surrounded him. Standing around looking he was surprised when a small boy crashed into him, knocked him down and then took off again around a corner. A few moments later a group of men came charging down, going in the same direction that the small boy just ran. "What was that about?"
Not one to ignore his curiosity Kazuma followed the group's trail, arriving at a closed off alleyway. Peering inside Kazuma was shocked by what he saw, the group of men were kicking the poor kid who was lying on the ground curled into a ball. The word monster was thrown around a few times. Kazuma clenched his fists and walked into the alley, the men froze as they felt the killing intent flow through the alley.
"Does it really take ten grown men to beat up a defenseless kid?" Kazuma spit out, causing the men to turn around to face him.
"This doesn't concern you stranger." One of the men said.
"You don't know anything about this monster." Another said and pointed at the child on the ground, who was now crawling into the corner of the alley trying to protect himself.
Kazuma's head was bowed down so that his hat hid his face, "I think this does concern me, since I only see a kid and no monster." He took a step forward but the men didn't move, apparently the initial fear had left them. In fact one of them walked up to Kazuma and put his hand on his shoulder in a friendly way.
"Listen nii-chan you don't want any part of this, so why don't you just go about your business and forget you saw anything." The man, who looked well built, spoke implying that if Kazuma didn't turn around and leave then he would share the same fate as the kid.
He looked the man in the eyes, smiled and roundhouse kicked him right in the gut. The big man flew into the wall and crumbled to the ground. This time it was the group of men who were shocked. "Teme what do you think you're doing?" One of them yelled, a fat man with a thick beard. Kazuma looked in his direction and ran toward him. The fat man tried to duck but Kazuma's fist connected with his face and down went the fat man.
"Two down eight to go." Kazuma pulled off his best expression of an insane maniac and from the way the other idiots were scrambling around it looked like it worked. He went to town on the remaining men, one he kicked in the head, another he grabbed and threw at two who were coming at him. He jump kicked one of the men in the chest and then launched him self at another using the man's chest as a spring board.
In a few minutes Kazuma was standing with his foot on one of the men's back who was knocked out like the others. "Let that be a lesson to not pick on kids when I'm around assholes." He kicked the big man again and went over to check on the kid, who was still cowering in the corner. Not wanting to scare him further Kazuma took off his hat and kneeled down so that the kid could see his face.
"Hi my name's Kazuma, but my friends call me Kazu." Kazuma smiled and slowly reached out his hand hoping the kid would take it. "What's your name?" The kid slowly turned so that Kazuma could see his face, it looked like the baka mob (which Kazuma now called the group knocked out on the ground) had done a good job of messing the boy up. The boy had blood staining his blond hair, one of his blue eyes was swollen shut and the other had a nasty bruise around it and his lip looked like it had been split open as well.
If Kazuma was angry when he saw the baka mob attack the poor boy he was furious now that he saw the extent of the job. As if picking up on the anger Kazuma was feeling the boy tried to retract further away from him, Kazuma realizing what he was doing quickly waved his hands apologizing. "Oh hey don't worry I'm not mad at you, I'm just pissed at those bakas for hurting you." He motioned with his hand for the boy to relax. "So how about telling me your name and we'll see about getting you fixed up, ok?"
The boy looked Kazuma in the eye and said, "Nii-chan you've got funny looking hair." Kazuma was taken back, did the scared, beat up little kid just crack a joke? Kazuma laughed at the crack about his hair and the boy laughed too. When the two stopped the boy was sitting on the ground, relaxed and letting Kazuma check his wounds. "My name's Uzumaki Naruto."
Kazuma was finishing wiping the blood off Naruto's face when he finally shared his name. Kazuma took his hand and shook it, "Nice to meet you Naruto-kun." Naruto shook back and also returned the smile that Kazuma shared with him. After a few minutes, and a few extra kicks to the baka mob, Kazuma was walking Naruto back to his apartment. When asked where he lived Naruto explained that he lived in an apartment close to here. Kazuma talked in a way that didn't give the impression that he was pressing for information, he asked Naruto about his parents which he didn't answer. When asked why he was being chased Naruto simply said, "That's how my day always is."
"What about your parents?" Was the next question. The answer was just as disturbing.
"I don't have any."
While they walked along Kazuma couldn't believe that this kid could be treated this way all the time. What happened to this being such a nice, peaceful village? Kazuma thought to himself. As he looked Naruto over he could tell that the abuse probably went further than what he saw. Naruto's clothes, a white t-shirt and navy blue shorts, were tattered and dirty. Why was this kid having such a hard life, he couldn't have done anything to deserve this treatment.
The hits just kept coming as the two walked into Naruto's apartment. Apartment failed to describe what Kazuma was seeing; here he was standing in a single room, a cot in one corner, a dresser that wasn't even filled with clothes against the wall and the door they had come in. This was insane, how could Naruto live like this? Taking everything in Kazuma had enough; he took Naruto's hand and led him out of there.
Naruto cocked his head to the side puzzled, "Where are we going Kazuma-nii-chan?"
Kazuma led him a few blocks away, picked him up and leapt up the side of a building. He jumped from building to building until they were standing on the roof top of an apartment building. Kazuma put Naruto, who was again shaken up for the second time that day, down and walked toward a door leading inside. With no way down Naruto followed him into the building; they didn't walk far as Kazuma stopped at one of the apartments and unlocked the door stepping inside. Naruto stood at the threshold and peered inside.
"Make yourself at home Naruto-kun." Kazuma was taking off his cloak and laying it on a chair. The clothes he wore underneath the cloak were a pair of black pants, with black sandals. He was also wearing a white t-shirt under a dark green denim jacket with the sleeves rolled up and the kanji for tiger was written on the back in black.
Naruto was still confused as to why he was so swiftly led from his own home to here, no one had every brought him to their place except for Hokage-ji-chan. "Kazuma-nii-chan why…"
"Why did I bring you here? That's easy to answer," Kazuma walked back over to Naruto and brought himself to the boy's eye level again, "you're going to live here now. Not a problem is it?"
Naruto shook his head, of course it wasn't a problem, after all who wouldn't accept an offer to move out of the bowels of hell. Kazuma stood back up and stepped aside so Naruto could walk around. The apartment was laid out with a living room that connected to a walk in kitchen. A window opened, which Naruto's apartment lacked any, looked out over the village giving a great view of the Hokage Monument. On opposite ends were two bedrooms, Kazuma explained that he and his uncle used to stay here when they visited the village thus they needed two bedrooms.
Naruto was checking everything out and was actually feeling happy, an emotion you rarely felt when you were the village's whipping boy. Kazuma was sitting in a chair in the living room watching Naruto look at everything when a white blur shot through the window and collide with his head. A young feminine voice yelling, "Kazu-nii!" caught Naruto's attention, that and Kazuma tumbling to the floor. When he got over to where Kazuma fell he stumbled back as Kazuma rose quickly to his feet holding by the scruff of its neck what looked like a cat. Looking closer the cat was white and had black stripes, and even weirder was that it was arguing with Kazuma.
"That hurt baka tora." Kazuma said while rubbing the side of his head.
"Not my fault if you couldn't avoid it." The cat shot back.
"That doesn't mean you try to tackle me every time you come back damn it."
"Kazu-nii you're just mad because I got here first."
"No Kira I'm mad because you blind sided me again." Kazuma dropped Kira and she landed in front of Naruto. She growled at the sudden drop but quickly turned her attention to Naruto when he spoke up.
"Neh Kazuma-nii-chan what's with the neko?"
Kazuma laughed, not at Naruto's question but at the shocked look Kira had from being called neko.
"I am a nin-tora, not some loser house cat." Kira growled out.
"Naruto-kun this is my partner Kira. Like she said she's a nin-tora."
Naruto was amazed with Kira, he had never seen a tiger before let alone one that could talk. Kira leapt up onto and lay down over Kazuma's shoulder. "So who's the kid Kazu-nii?"
"This is Uzumaki Naruto and he's going to be staying in the apartment with us."
"Why's that now?" Kira asked, and Kazuma told her everything that Naruto had shared with him. After the talk Kira jumped from Kazuma's shoulder to in front of Naruto. She looked him over and Naruto noticed she had the same green eyes that Kazuma had. She gave him a sniff and apparently satisfied with something turned and jumped up onto the seat she knocked Kazuma out of. "It's ok with me if Naru-chan stays here."
"I'm so glad he meets your approval." Kazuma said sarcastically.
Naruto pointed a finger at Kira and yelled at her, "Don't call me Naru-chan baka-neko."
Kira's fur rose and she shot back, "Don't call me baka-neko Naru-chan."
As the two of them continued to argue Kazuma walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table retrieving a scroll from his pouch. "So good that those two are getting along." He unfurled the scroll and looked over its contents, finding the right part he performed a few hand seals and small cloud of smoke puffed up from the scroll. When the smoke cleared standing on top of the scroll were a few bottles. Kazuma picked them up and walked back out to the living room, in which various insults were being thrown and a few words that Kazuma didn't think that a 4 year old should know.
"How about we call a truce here," Kazuma cut in, "I've got something for you Naruto-kun." Naruto looked to see what he was being given and was quickly confused when Kazuma handed over the bottles.
"What are these?" Naruto asked while he looked at the bottles. Kazuma led him to the one door that he didn't mention in the quick tour.
"These are for you to use in here." Kazuma opened the door to the bathroom and he pointed to the shower. "Shampoo and soap, take a shower, get cleaned up and then I'll take a closer look at those wounds you got." Kazuma opened a cabinet to show where the towels were. He showed Naruto how to work the shower and then he left him alone to clean up.
Kazuma went back into the living room and sat down next to Kira. Her tail twitched, which Kazuma knew was a sign she wanted to talk about something. So he talked, "You have something you want to say Kira?" Kira leapt from here chair to Kazuma again taking her favorite spot over his shoulder.
"You know Naru-chan has a familiar scent don't you?"
"I actually picked up on it from his blood, looks like me and the boya have some things in common."
"He's different from you though Kazu-nii."
"Yeah well not a lot of people share in my unique situation."
Kira moved down to Kazuma's lap so that she could see his face, "So what happens next?" Kazuma grinned, picked her up and put her on his shoulder. He walked into one of the bedrooms and went digging around in the dresser. "First we're going to get something to eat." He pulled out some clothes that he thought might fit Naruto from when he was younger. "After we get some food we pay the Hokage a visit and get registered for the exam. Simple right."
"Sure if you're planning to avoid the groups from Elements."
Kazuma stopped rummaging through the dresser. "What groups, I didn't think they would actually show up?"
"Looks like it's going to be a family reunion."
Kira's joke stung a little, So their going to honor Tou-san's wishes after all, maybe there is hope for them after all. Kazuma thought to him self as he threw a T-shirt and shorts onto the bed.
The sound of the shower stopped and Naruto walked out covered in a towel. Once he was dry and dressed Naruto let Kazuma take a closer look at his wounds. Kazuma was surprised that the cuts and bruises were already healing. He heals pretty quickly for a kid. He thought as he put a few bandages on Naruto.
With the first aid finished Kazuma asked Naruto if there was any place he wanted to eat. "Your treat Kazuma-nii-chan?" Naruto asked.
"Sure, if the place you pick is any good." Kazuma teased as all of them left the apartment and began walking down the street. After a couple of minutes Naruto had lead Kazuma right to his favorite restaurant, Ichiraku Ramen. Kazuma smirked as the kid flashed a foxy grin and took a seat. Kazuma took a seat next to him, with Kira still on his shoulder. The smell of the stand definitely told Kazuma that the food was going to be good.
"Oi ji-chan I'd like a large pork ramen please." Naruto ordered. The cook looked up from what he was doing and looked Naruto over. A mix sight of sadness and joy showed on his face. Kazuma guessed that the man was a friend of Naruto's and didn't like seeing him banged up as he was.
"So is the food here any good?" Kazuma asked gaining the cook's attention.
With a humph the cooked answered, "There's not a better ramen stand in country than what you see before you. Plus you've got the biggest ramen fan sitting with you to vouch for that." Teichu nodded to Naruto, who grinned from the praise. Looks like everyone isn't so hard on the kid. Kazuma thought after observing how Teichu interacted with Naruto.
"Well then I'll have a large miso ramen myself." Was Kazuma's order.
"Beef ramen for me please." Kira purred with out gaining any reaction from Teichu.
A few minutes later three bowls of ramen were set before the three, Kazuma put Kira's on the ground so she could eat it easier. As they ate their meal Naruto was asking Kazuma all sorts of questions about what he's seen and where he's been, what kind of jutsu he knew and plenty of other questions. Kazuma answered some of the questions, mainly people and places his met and been, but he told Naruto that a ninja shouldn't go around telling people what kind of jutsu they used so easily. Apparently Naruto didn't take to not being told and ordered another bowel.
"Hope you have enough cash on you nii-chan." Teichu joked as he served up another bowl for Naruto. Kazuma laughed and ordered another bowl for himself and Kira, "Come one Teichu-san how much could a 4 year old possibly eat?"
Six bowls later and a wallet much lighter than it was Kazuma, Naruto and Kira were on the move again, this time heading toward the Hokage's Tower. Kazuma looked at his empty wallet and then down at the grinning boy at his side, Who would believe that a 4 year old could wolf down eight large bowls of ramen? He shook his head letting the thought go.
"Ne Kazuma-nii-chan why are we going to Hokage-ji-chan's place?" Naruto asked.
Kazuma ruffled his hair, "I have to meet with Hokage-dono and turn in my registration papers to take the Chunin Exam." Naruto nodded and followed along as they started climbing up the stairs of the building. As they entered the building a person in a hooded trench coat passed by them on his way out, the person looked to be close to Kazuma's height. Kazuma caught a quick glance of the person and grinned knowing who was hidden under the hood.
"Nice to see you again." Kazuma said as they passed by.
The hooded person stopped, "I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else."
"You could be right, I apologize ANBU-dono." Kazuma smirked and continued on his way followed by Naruto and Kira. The ANBU member was joined by two others who were looking back at the leaving trio. The two of them stood taller than their comrade.
"Do you know that boy?" One of them asked. The smaller one pulled back his hood, his silver gray hair sticking up over the dog shaped mask on his face. "Just someone I worked with once."
After the little meeting they were standing in front of the Hokage's office. Kazuma knocked on the door and entered after hearing "Come in." come from the other side of the door. Sitting at his desk the Sandaime Hokage looked up and smiled as he saw Naruto come in. "Naruto-kun what can I do for you today?"
"Actually I am the one that needs to meet with you Hokage-dono." Kazuma said as he followed in behind Naruto. Kazuma bowed in front of the Hokage, "It's been too long Sandaime-dono."
"It certainly has Kazu-kun. I've heard rumors about you from time to time you know." The Hokage had taken out his pipe and began puffing away.
"I assure you most of them are unsubstantiated rumors."
"Oh still being modest are you?" The Hokage chuckled, "That's good to know, now I take it you're here to participate in the Chunin exam correct."
"Hai Hokage-dono."
"Of course as you realize Tosei-nin have no standing with any village, so they are not ranked officially."
"I do understand my situation Hokage-dono, but I still wish to participate."
The Hokage letting out a stream of smoke from his lungs, and smirked as Naruto held his nose and waved the smoke away, "Because we are the hosting village I can allow anyone to enter who wishes, but the test is to be taken in a three man team." Kazuma looked anguished; he didn't think that he would have to participate in a team. He was shaken from his worries though as the Hokage cleared his throat to regain his attention. "Luckily for you Kazu-kun I received word that your brother and sisters would be participating this year. So knowing that you would surely follow I have some teammates for you to meet." The Hokage looked over at the door, "Send them in."
In walked a boy and a girl and both looked Kazuma over, as he did the same with them. The boy had dark brown hair that was crew cut and brown eyes, he wore dark brown pants, black t-shirt and a brown sleeveless trench coat. His right arm was bandaged, but it didn't look like he wore them because of any injury. The girl had light brown that was tied back in a ponytail and light green eyes, she wore long black boots, green skirt, white t-shirt and a green short sleeved jacket. She also wore protective braces on both of her arms.
"Yamatori Shunsei and Yamatori Tatsuki," the Hokage spoke with authority now gaining everyone's attention, "allow me to introduce you to your new teammate on Team 4." Kazuma stepped forward, with Kira on his shoulder. "Kaze no Kazuma nice to meet you."