Title: Enigma- The Beginning

Summary: He always craved. But he was always neglected. Now, he doesn't care. Not after that night. Naruto goes through many adventures and creates many bonds, but he's still an enigma. *Warning: There may be yaoi* (I'm not good at summaries...)

Hi! This is my first story so please excuse me if it sucks. I appreciate helpful criticism and please give me some pointers. I'm new here so I'm open to any advice about writing and being a member of FF.

Also, please note that Naruto doesn't have any whiskers marks here!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything anime-related in this story. (alchemy, popping out of a cabinet, ect.)

(...I feel really awkward saying/typing the disclaimer...)

"...I'm bored," Thoughts

"...stupid ningens," Kurama(Kyuubi)

...I'm bored... Flashbacks

Seven year old Naruto was grinning ear to ear as he strutted down the streets of Konoha. He was making a valiant effort to ignore the fierce glares of the villagers.

"Just smile. Just smile and everything will be okay. Smile for Jiji."

He would tell himself that and it became a constant mantra in his head. Jiji, or Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime Hokage of Konoha, was someone he knew he could rely on. Most of Naruto's pleasant memories centered on his precious Jiji.

"I'll become Hokage someday!"

Bullshit.

Naruto knew as well as any other that his chance of becoming Hokage was 5%. If anything, he only said that to make Jiji laugh and give the old man hope that Naruto was fine. He was fine. Naruto was fine despite living in a home where everyone despised him, didn't care about him, and made him feel more lonely than most would think possible.

Naruto reached his destination: The Forest of Death. He liked this place. The villagers didn't go in there. The ninjas that were brave enough to enter the forest ignored him in favor of their training. The animals were friendly. They would keep him company when they sensed his loneliness and the blond would welcome them to his side. The animals were in a huge variety and they were all supersized. He's established good relationships with many of them and became familiar with most of the forest with their help. However, the thing he likes about his sanctuary the most was the exotic and calm aura it gave off. He felt so peaceful there, like all the turmoil in him dissipated the moment he stepped in the forest.

As he entered the Forest of Death, Naruto was instantly greeted by a lazy white tiger, twice the size of a normal one. He grinned, for real this time, and calmly walked over to the tiger. They stalked off to a large redwood tree fairly deep in the forest.

Maiko.

That's what Naruto had named him. Maiko purred as Naruto scratched his ear while they lazed around under the shade of a great big redwood. He felt at peace as the wind that swirled around his body blew away his troubles.

Speaking of troubles, tomorrow was his birthday.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto!" Sarutobi smiled and fondly patted his surrogate grandson's head. Naruto beamed up at the old man. The day was just starting. The sky was still dark and most of the villagers were still in their warm beds.

Sarutobi nudged two small boxes to Naruto. "The second one is for missing your birthday last year." Naruto nodded in understanding with a slight smile. He knew that being the Sandaime was no walk in the park and that he couldn't be there for him all the time.

Naruto slowly opened the first box and gasped in delight. A pair of black, leather, fingerless shinobi gloves with a metal plate on the back of the hand. He had been eyeing these on their walks around the village and it looks like the old man noticed. He hugged Sarutobi, shouting out his thanks. "Arigato, Jiji!"

Sarutobi chuckled, "Glad you like it, but you still have one more present." Naruto smiled and opened the second box. A ring. It had the Uzumaki symbol on it. Naruto had long since figured out his heritage.

"Jiji~!"

"Yes, Naruto?"

"I want to know who my parents are..."

Sarutobi sighed; the boy had been asking this for a long time. "I told you, Naruto. All I know is that your mother is from the Uzumaki clan." He felt guilty for lying to the child like this, but he knew there was too much risk in telling him the truth.

The bright eyed boy pouted, "But there's got to be someone who knows!"

"I'm afraid not, my boy. Your parents were quite elusive..."

Naruto sighed and nodded his head. He trudged out of the room, but not before glancing at the picture of the Yondaime on the wall.

Later that day, Naruto was at the library. The librarian there was nice. She didn't send him away or send scornful looks his way. She let him be and helped him when she could.

Naruto found what he was looking for in a dusty, thick history book. Contrary to common belief, the boy actually liked to read. He just didn't read openly, he read books in the Forest of Death instead where he could have his privacy.

"The Yondaime's real name is Namikaze Minato, huh? It doesn't say he married anyone though..."

As he leafed through the book, he realized he already knew most of these things from his previous books. In fact, he knew much more than standard knowledge.

Uzumaki Clan

There were various pages missing from this particular book, but from the looks of it, this clan was powerful and influential. The book also hinted that they had a bloodline, but there was no further information on the matter. Naruto sighed. There was a forbidden section, but it was forbidden for a reason. Only the Hokage and people with permission from the Hokage himself are allowed to enter the room. Maybe if he sneaked in...

The rest was "ancient history." Naruto was able to weasel the truth of his parent's identity out of Sarutobi after being caught sneaking into the forbidden section. Naruto had forgiven Sarutobi, understanding the risk that came with this knowledge, but he was still a bit peeved...

"It's a family heirloom. It doesn't quite fit though, does it?" Sarutobi's rough voice pulled Naruto out of his reminiscing. Sarutobi chuckled as the small boy stuck the ring onto his thumb. It was still too big. He pulled out a small, rectangular box from his Hokage robes. "The ring is a present from your parents. This one is from me."

Naruto opened the box to find a chained necklace made of white gold. It was beautiful even without a pendant. He looked up to the old man with a big smile. Sarutobi took the ring and slipped it onto the chain. Naruto put on the necklace, which was still a bit too big on his thin neck, but he'll grow into it.

"Thank you. Thank you so much, Hokage-sama!" Naruto only addressed Sarutobi as "Hokage-sama" if he was really serious.

As he waved goodbye to Sarutobi from his apartment, he couldn't help but wonder what would befall him on this day. October 10th. The attack of the Kyuubi and his birthday.

Around noon, Naruto had an urge to go to the park. So he did, knowing only loneliness awaited him. He found an empty wooden swing. It was a simple little dingy swing. He sat with his eyes downcast, not wanting to meet the scornful eyes of the villagers on his birthday as he played with his necklace.

"What are you doing, boy?"

Naruto raised his head to meet the coal black eyes of an Uchiha. Itachi Uchiha.

"...just sitting..."

Itachi nodded and sat on the swing next to the boy.

Itachi had just gotten back from a long-term mission and was doing some errands for his mother. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a little blond sit on the dingy swing. The Kyuubi Jinchuuriki. He hesitated, which was abnormal for him. Sighing, he approached the boy.

Naruto was surprised to see the prestigious Uchiha talk to the Kyuubi brat. Furthermore, he sat next to him, but all of this was welcome, because despite the Uchiha being a man of few words, it was nice to enjoy the presence of someone else. He closed his eyes and felt the cold breeze caress his form.

Meanwhile, Itachi studied the boy. "He doesn't quite strike me as a brat." In fact, to Itachi, Naruto looked like he was quite docile. He supposed the boy simply wanted attention when he acts out; he just gets it in the wrong way.

The sun started to set and Itachi realized with minimal dread, he was late, and his mother will not be happy. He started to head home, as did Naruto. Neither gave a "Goodbye" or anything of the sort. They just walked opposite ways, knowing they'll see each other again someday.

"Itachi! Why are you so late! I was so worried!" Itachi's mother, Mikato, greeted him at the doorway in a berating tone.

Itachi wondered what kind of mother the boy would have had if she was still alive as he apoligized to his mother several times.

At the other side of Konoha, Naruto leisurely walked to his apartment. The festival was going to begin soon and he didn't want to be there when it does. The festival celebrated the defeat of Kyuubi. In his mind though, the Kyuubi wasn't defeated. Not totally. The wind was edgey. He should go home quickly. He was just at the stairs of his building when something from the shadows grabbed him.

"What the fu-!" All he saw was darkness as he drifted away from consciousness at the blunt blow on his head.

There were many in Konoha who still held hatred for the Kyuubi, the one who took their homes, their loved ones. Most of them didn't act on their hatred though, but of course, there were always a select few who did.

The first thing Naruto's mind registered was the wind. There was no wind. The second would be he was tied up. He looked around in terror. He expected something like this, but not this soon. Not when he was only eight. A figure in the shadows caught his eye. A scruffy man. He didn't wear a mask which made Naruto conclude that he was going to kill him so that there would be no witnesses to accuse him of the crime he was about to commit.

"Finally, you going to die! I've waited far too long!" Naruto inwardly rolled his eyes. If he was going to kill him, he might want to leave the dramatic rant for when the job is done.

Furthermore, this place looked like the man's home. Stupid. This place would be too easy to find and it would become major evidence against the man. But his thoughts stopped in their tracks when he saw the man pull out a blunt knife.

An ANBU had been tailing Naruto at the command of the Hokage who suspected this would be the day something would happen to Naruto. He was ordered to report to the Hokage immediately should anything happen to the boy. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the kidnapper.

Sarutobi sighed. Paperwork. He really hated it. It was a crime against nature! He looked out the window to see his villagers enjoy the festival. He had mixed feelings about the festival. It was a joyous celebration of the Kyuubi's "death," but also a painful reminder of his failure to protect the boy from all the pain he would suffer from being the jailor of the terrible beast.

"Hokage-sama! The boy was taken by a male civilian."

Sarutobi leapt into action hearing this and gathered 2 ANBU to accompany him. It was easy to find the small dingy house where Naruto was taken, but the sight that greeted them was horrid.

The man came closer and closer to the terrified boy. Breaking the suspension, he plunged the knife into Naruto's right shoulder, then his left forearm. He stepped back with a maniacal grin on his scruffy face. Naruto was slipping into unconsciousness from the blood loss. He couldn't even find the will to scream. As he slowly drifted away from reality, he saw red. Just red. Then, it morphed into the shape of a fox. He looked around and realized he was in a sewer and the red fox was behind a giant bronze cage with a mysterious seal that was starting to wear. The fox, he realized was the Kyuubi no Kitsune. He had an inkling that he was one of those Jinchuuriki he read about and this proved it.

"Boy, what are doing here?" A gruff voice along with giant glaring eyes questioned him of his presence.

Naruto rarely talked back, but the question ticked him off a little despite his current situation. "This is my mindscape. Do I really need to answer that?"

The great beast sighed at the snarky reply. He was expecting a more fearful response. "It seems like you're taking this well..."

"Well, I've had my suspicions. Now, can you do anything about the bastard whose trying to kill me?"

"Looks like I don't need to." With that simple response, Naruto was thrust back into the world.

The first thing he registered was immense pain and blood. The second was the hazy form of his Jiji, which lead to the discovery of blood in his right eye. Blood was everywhere.

Wah~~! I'm done! Gosh... I feel so happy now! Oh, and if anything confuses you, please tell me and I will do my best to clarify. I'll most likely be uploading once a month, at the latest, but I'll be faster when I'm on vacation. So... I hope you enjoyed the first chapter and please review! ...please... I need to know someone is reading my stories... *pitifully sobs in the corner*