Disclaimer: Naruto isn't mine. But I wish it was.
A/N: Well, I decided I'd take a break from my other story, and write this one. I'll see how it goes, and if it does well enough, I'll continue. Pairings are yet undecided. Vote now!
-Uzumaki Naruto-
He was sick of everyone always looking down at him with scorn in their eyes. He was sick of everyone always hating him for something didn't even do. Most importantly, he was sick of trying to be happy. He had abandoned that long ago, along with any hopes of making friends. Now, he dedicated his every waking moment to training. He no longer chased after his crush, Haruno Sakura. In fact, she became almost non-existent in the mind of Uzumaki Naruto. He had long ago realized that it was stupid to chase after someone who only proceeded to pound the living crap out of him. He was now, more than ever, bent on becoming the Hokage.
……………
"Alright class," began a young man with tanned skin and a scar across the bridge of his nose. "Today is the day you all take the test to graduate from the Academy and become genin. If you should pass, you will receive this Konoha hitai-ate as proof that you're qualified genin. Mizuki-sensei and I shall start to call you in one-by-one to take your test. The theme is, bunshin."
……………
"Uzumaki Naruto!" The said boy walked into the back testing room, where he saw two faces smiling at him warmly.
"Alright, Naruto. Any time you're ready," said Mizuki-sensei.
Naruto made the hand seals necessary to perform the jutsu.
"Bunshin no Jutsu!"
A puff of chakra smoke, and standing next to Naruto were four more Naruto's, each an exact replica.
"Very good, Naruto. You've passed. Congratulations. I knew you could do it," said the smiling tanned man known as Iruka-sensei. Naruto simply received the hitai-ate, bowed to the two chunin, and exited the test room. As he returned to his seat, he caught a certain pink haired kunoichi looking at him. She wasn't necessarily looking at him out of disgust, but more out of awe.
'That baka… he did it after all…'……………
Naruto was proud of himself. He was walking down the streets of Konoha, proudly sporting his hard earned hitai-ate upon his forehead. He decided that he'd do his 'new' training routine from that day forward. After all, a genin needs to stay in top shape if he wants to be the Hokage someday… As he walked down the street, he wasn't watching where he was going, and bumped into and knocked over Sakura. She promptly began yelling at him.
"Baka! Why don't you watch where you're going?"
"Why don't you, forehead girl?" replied Naruto, his eyes suddenly freezing over. The joy he'd felt moments ago was now gone. She'd ruined it. That was why he hated her with every fiber of his being. Stupid forehead-baka ruined everything.
"What did you say to me?" screamed Sakura.
"I said, why don you watch where you're going. Now move. I've gotta go train."
This left Sakura speechless. He'd been like this for almost three months now, and yet, how easily she forgot… She watched him walk off… She was again left speechless by his beautiful blonde hair, glowing golden in the sunlight…
'What am I thinking? That's Naruto-baka! Ugh!'"Conceited, no-good, self-centered, attention-seeking, goody-goody, smart ass…" muttered Naruto, under his breath. Oh how he would hate to be on the same team as her…
The very girl that he would've gladly died for only months ago, now filled him with disgust. Seeing her chase after Sasuke like that… No matter how many times Sasuke would reject her, Sakura would never give up…
He came upon his usual training ground, a fair distance away from Konoha Gates. However, he was surprised to see someone else was there as well. And this, too, filled him with disgust.
"Ino," he simply stated. He tried to keep the obvious disgust out of his voice, but to no avail. This was just what he needed, another Sasuke fan girl.
"Naruto? What are you doing here?" asked the blonde kunoichi. It's not like she knew him personally or anything. Just his name. That, and the fact that he was hated by almost the entire village. She, however, felt no resentment towards him. She had no reason to. Her parents were one of the few in the village that acknowledged Naruto's existence.
"I'm here to… never mind. I'll go somewhere else."
'That was strange… I wonder what's wrong with him?'…………...
Everywhere he went, Naruto met up with somebody or another. On the riverbank outside of Konoha Gates was Nara Shikamaru. He didn't particularly dislike Shikamaru. He just wanted to be alone. He also came across Kiba, Hinata, and Chouji throughout Konoha. In the end, Naruto decided he'd settle for going to Ichiraku.
……………
"Itadakimasu," Naruto said quietly. He loved ramen. Especially the ones from Ichiraku. Too bad he had nobody to share this with…
"Mind if I sit down?" said a familiar voice.
"Ah! Mizuki-sensei! Of course, of course!"
……………
"Let's see… Mizuki-sensei told me to meet him here," muttered Naruto to himself. He looked around the desolate clearing in the forest. There was a lone shack, long abandoned. "Oh well. I might as well start training." And with that, Naruto opened the Scroll of Seals…
---
"-pant- -pant- Man… This jutsu is harder to master than I thought… But I can't give up! Mizuki-sensei said that if I learned this, I'd be a shoe-in for the Hokage role!"
"Naruto!" came a voice that the blonde recognized. He turned to find his academy sensei, Umino Iruka, standing on a branch above him. Iruka deftly jumped and landed on the ground, and looked at Naruto, and…
Here it comes… man oh man… He's gonna beat the living crap out of me…Smiled?
"I found you, you little rascal. Come on, Naruto. That scroll contains forbidden jutsus. You shouldn't be looking at that. Let's go return it to Hokage-sama, and I'm sure you won't be punished." He held his hand out for the tired Naruto, who was sitting on the ground, panting heavily.
"No! I can't give up yet! I have to become Hokage! And Mizuki-sensei told me the only way for me to become one is to master this scroll!"
What? Mizuki… But why would he?…Naruto stood up, dusting himself. He was covered with scratches and bruises, but still stood. That's when Iruka saw a glint of steel in the moonlight. Many glints, in fact. He knocked Naruto over, and was prepared to be impaled by the incoming shuriken and kunai. He was struck, and the force threw him back against the wall of the shack.
"Well, well. Would you look at that? Looks like the fool has a soft spot for that demon bastard after all," came taunting voice recognized easily by Naruto.
"Mi-Mizuki-sensei?" said Naruto, questioningly. It was late at night, and was hard to see, but the voice made it obvious who it was. Why did he talk about a demon? What was going on?
"Heh. I can see by the look on your face that you're obviously confused," began the usually good-natured chunin. This time, however, his voice was full of malice and hatred. "I'll tell you though, Naruto. You know about the Kyubi no Yoko that attacked Konohagakure over twelve years ago, don't you?"
"Y-yeah… But what does that have to do with me?" asked Naruto, the confused look on his face slowly turning into a worried look.
"Well, ever since then, Sandaime-sama had passed a decree, one that was known by everyone… Everyone, that is, except you."
"What? What decree is this? And why am I the only one who doesn't know about this?" yelled the blonde ninja, slowly becoming agitated.
"Mizuki! Stop! You know that's forbidden! To speak of it would bring upon you great trouble!" yelled the tanned chunin, pulling out the kunai and shuriken, wincing with every weapon he pulled out.
"Heh. I'll tell you the decree," the white-haired man continued, ignoring the other chunin. "Not that it matters… The truth is, Uzumaki Naruto… The reason the entire village of Konohagakure no Sato has hated you all your life… is because… YOU are the vessel of the Kyubi no Yoko! That's right! Everyone thinks that Yondaime-sama died in battle, slaying the Kyubi, but instead, he sealed it inside of you!"
He didn't know what to think. The Yondaime Hokage-sama, the very man he respected and aspired to be, had been the source of all his troubles? He suddenly felt betrayed. The very man he had respected all his life… had caused him to go through life as a loner… He was angry. Angry at Yondaime-sama for causing him to go through his life as a loner… He was sad. Sad that he had gone through life as a loner. He also felt, strangely, proud. Proud that he had been chosen as a vessel for the Kyubi. All these emotions and more swirled around, his mind became a blur, and failed to sense the incoming danger in the shape of a fuma shuriken…
"NARUTO LOOK OUT!"
Naruto felt somebody step right in front of him. A look of utter pain flashed across this man's face…
"I-Iruka-sensei…" whimpered Naruto. He could see the chunin in front of him smiling, yet, he was crying. "W-why?…"
"Tch. Looks like you're not as weak as you look, Iruka. No matter. I will kill that Kyubi brat, no matter what."
"I-I'm sorry… Naruto… The pain of growing up… without any parents… I know very well how painful solitude can be… And yet, I did nothing for you… I too grew up without any parents… And yet, I did nothing for you. You and I, Naruto… We're very similar. And yet, I stood by, letting you be harassed day in, day out… Not stopping them… I'm sorry, Naruto… I should've been a better sensei… I should've treated you like a brother, like I'd always believed…" Tears were freely flowing down Iruka's face. Naruto merely continued to stare at the chunin who had just saved him. His mind still did not register what had just happened.
"You… you knew?" said Naruto, barely above a whisper.
"Yes… and I'm sorry, Naruto. I should've been kinder to you…" But Naruto didn't hear any more. He merely jumped back, away from Iruka, and dashed off, tears falling down his face.
"Hahaha! You see that, Iruka? Those eyes… Yes… The demon has awoken inside of him… And I shall kill him, and take the scroll! With that, I will even be able to match that fool Sandaime-sama. And there's nothing you can do to stop me, Iruka!"
……………
Naruto was sitting amongst the roots of a large tree, sobbing. He had known all along? He even said so himself that he considered Naruto as a brother… and yet… Why?
"Naruto!" came that voice that Naruto oh so easily recognized.
"Iruka-sensei!"
"Ah! There you are. Are you all right? Good. Come, Naruto. Give me the scroll. It's too dangerous to walk around alone with that scroll with Mizuki loose. Here. I'll take it back to Hokage-sama."
"I… alright, Iruka-sensei…" Naruto began to hand over the scroll…
-BAM-
Iruka was sent flying by a kick to his stomach, and crashed against a tree. He fell, coughing up blood.
"Wh-why, Naruto? How'd you know?" the 'Iruka' disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke, and standing there was Mizuki.
"I didn't. That was meant for Iruka-sensei, for treating me like that all this time. But now that it's you…" But Naruto didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he disappeared in the blink of an eye.
'What speed… That must be the chakra of the Kyubi…'And almost the instant Naruto disappeared, Iruka crashed through the bushes.
"Naruto!" he yelled, searching for the genin.
"Don't try, Iruka. He's long gone. And besides, the look in his eyes… You saw them. He hates you now, Iruka. You never should've told him. Now he'll come kill you for sure."
"Even so," replied the tanned chunin, "I still respect Naruto too much to give up. These last few months… He made great progress. Even more than I could've hoped for when I was his age…"
"ADMIT IT! YOU HATE THE KYUBI!"
"Yes… I admit it. I do hate the Kyubi…" Unbeknownst to both chunin, Naruto was sitting behind the very tree that Mizuki was holding onto for support. Upon hearing the confession of his sensei, his eyes flared red, his anger rising.
'So he lied to me after all… Just like everyone else…'"But," continued Iruka, "Naruto isn't the Kyubi. Rather, he is the vessel. He is the hero who helped defeat the Kyubi, not the Kyubi itself. And I swear, if you try to hurt Naruto, you'll have to go through me, first."
"Heh. Fine. I was going to let you live, but I guess that's out of the question now…" Mizuki drew another fuma shuriken hanging from his back. He began to spin it, and prepared to throw it. He threw it, but as it flew through the air, straight for Iruka's chest, Naruto jumped out of the bushes, taking the shuriken directly in the chest. Both chunin gasped as the Naruto who took the hit disappeared in a puff of chakra smoke.
"Don't you dare touch Iruka-sensei. If you do… I'll… I'll… I'll KILL YOU!"
"Hah! What are you going to do, Kyubi-baka? Do you forget so easily that I am a chunin, while you a lowly genin?"
"Bring it, jerk. KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!"
'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu? That must've been what he was practicing before I found him…'
Instantly, the clearing around Mizuki, Naruto, and Iruka were completely full of Naruto's, many on trees and braches, and even more on the ground. Mizuki looked around in fear, cold sweat of terror forming on his forehead.
"Come on, what's the matter? You're not scared of a lowly genin, are you?" taunted all the Naruto's.
-pow- -crack- -bam- -crunch-
……………
'Yes… He's turned out to be a fine shinobi, Arashi. Your son… He'll surpass us all. I will keep my promise to you, and raise him to be the best shinobi ever, just like his old man.'