Hey boys and girls, it's BarelyGhost here. I've been having so many ideas that I just had to start a new story. Don't worry, I will still be updating BRF (Black Rain Falls) as regularly as possible, but this is a project that is just as important to me.

I won't be giving away any spoilers. This story is even more prepared and planned out than BRF- I know exactly what the sequence of events will be as well as the transitions between them as all the ideas just flooded out naturally. I'm very excited about this one.

I really hope you all enjoy this immensely, because I know I'll enjoy writing it.

Enjoy!

-Ghost

Ill-Fated

Chapter 1

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It had been a happy life.

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A very small boy, three years of age, sat looking out a window. He was currently eating (very messily) a full bowl of waffle crisps, his favorite cereal (and the breakfast of choice for every aspiring ninja!). It was wintertime, and that was a cold region, so the snow fell harshly. However, it was beautiful, and to the young boy snow still held that magical quality; the soft, white powder created the feeling of a winter wonderland.

"Kaa-chan! I wanna play in the snow!"

Out of the kitchen nearby emerged a beautiful, slender woman with long, black hair and a wonderful, loving smile on her face and the dress of a simple housewife. Her impressive physique, however, suggested that she had done more than wash dishes and sweep floors her whole life. She leaned down and kissed her son on the cheek and ruffled his similarly dark, but spiky hair.

"In a little bit, Naruto-chan. First eat your waffle crisps then we'll go out", she said with a certain serenity, all while still wearing that lovely smile. Naruto nodded vehemently and she chuckled as she watched her son scarf down the cereal with great vigor.

Naruto loved her mother more than anything. Even at that age, he knew he wanted desperately to protect her and watch out for her no matter what. She was all he had ever had. No friends. No other family. Just her. She treasured him immensely, and he knew that, so the least he could do was return the feeling. None of these thoughts specifically went through the child's head; they simply were. He would do anything for her.

The waffle crisps were done now, the bowl empty, so he got up and put it in the kitchen. His mother noticed he had finished. "I'll go out and see how cold it is."

"Ok, Kaa-chan!"

He stood just behind her as she slowly opened the door. It wasn't as cold as she'd expected which was good. She stood outside and called to her son.

"Ok honey, grab two jackets and you can come out."

"Yes, Kaa-chan!" As fast as he could he scampered to his room to grab a few jackets and hurriedly threw them on. He walked back to the door and looked up at his mother.

"Come on out, sweetie!"

Naruto looked at her. She truly looked like an angel, standing there in white, while the snow fell around her. It was a beautiful sight.

He began to walk toward her to hug her. She bent down to return the loving gesture when suddenly she perked her head up to the left. Before the little boy could ask any questions, four ninja had surrounded her. She immediately dispatched them all and screamed, "Naruto, run!"

The 3 year old took off at a break-neck pace into the house. He immediately ran into his room and under the bed. He stayed there for what felt like days, hearing metal clanging, yells, shouts and suddenly-silence.

For what felt like an eternity.

Silence.

Naruto heard footsteps approaching his room. He somehow restrained himself from running out from under the bed and calling out for his kaa-chan. The feet were now in his room.

They were not his mother's.

He yelled as loud as he could and ran out from under the bed. Naruto just couldn't contain the immense anger he felt. In a flash he was at the strange man. Before he knew it the man had grabbed his tiny body and held him up to his face. The frightening man wore a devious smile under his headband. "Mizukage-sama said no survivors. Not even kids."

Another ninja equally as scary walked up next to his companion. "You won't be as tough as your bitch mother now will you, big guy?" he said with a laugh and his partner joined in.

At this comment Naruto's fear and rage reached a fever pitch. He screamed louder than he ever had threw his arm forward then suddenly everything went black.

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Naruto woke up slowly and looked around. Everything was blurry for a bit and he was exhausted but he rubbed his eyes. His eyes fell on the wall across from him and he witnessed a sight that made him throw up.

The two ninja who had come after him earlier were pinned against the wall by giant metal spikes. Blood stained the entire room, and the boy looked down and saw that his jacket was drenched in it as well. He was horrified but he knew he had to check on his mother.

He stumbled out to the front yard. The stench of fresh blood permeated the air and he gagged. He had thrown up as much as possible. The area was littered with dozens of bodies and the previously clean, beautiful, white snow was stained red all over.

In the center lay a familiar figure. To his best ability he ran over to his mother and dropped to his knees. At first, from his point of view, she seemed peaceful and unharmed, as though asleep. He was suddenly sure she would just wake up now and all would be ok. But then he reached under the back of her head to pick her up.

That was when he felt and saw the kunai lodged in it.

He would have screamed but his throat was clogged with tears. He knelt there mourning over her body for hours. He was overwhelmed with grief. Even at his young age, he could understand such incredible love.

Now he would understand a grief just as great.

"I love you so much kaa-chan. I love you so much."

He suddenly became intensely angry yet again. This time it was more controlled. More focused. He reached nearby and picked up a headband of one of the enemy ninja. After burning the insignia into his memory, he placed it down and said his final goodbye.

"I'll miss you kaa-chan. But I know you're always going to be with me." He looked up at the sky. The snow continued to fall.

"And I will avenge you."

With that he kissed his mother on the cheek for the last time and walked off. He knew he had to get out of there.

Naruto had become angry.

Naruto had become an avenger.

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As you can see, this story is serious right off the bat. No fooling around.

Rate and review.