Author's Note: Hello and welcome to my first fanfic. I am kind of new to the whole fanfic writing thing. A word about my story before you read, the character Shepard is NOT based on the mass effect Sheapard. He is based off my Heroes Unlimited RP character. I make note of this because i have gotten comments that make me believe this is what they think. There will be pairings but ill announce it later. ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!
A middle aged man shakily stood with arms thrust outward towards a large vertical disk of swirling purple energy. He was roughly six and a half feet tall, thoroughly muscled, and bore four long semi diagonal scars on his face. His medium length hair was swept back and unkempt but partially held under a fedora which had seen better days. It was in a similar state as his clothes and body, tattered and beaten. He wore the remains of his formal suit covered by a ripped and torn leather trench coat. At one point it was an entirely black suit with a white tie, finely made and well kept. The coat was used to house the man's weapons but during the recent fight all he was left was a few knives.
In-between the man and the portal stood a shimmering nearly invisible wall that sought to hold back whatever may make its entrance into this world from beyond. Behind him was a room filled with the bodies of those he vanquished, they looked like giant bugs but upon close inspection it was merely armor. What lay beneath was unknown to the man but he didn't care, they took someone precious and he'd be damned if he took it sitting do
One of the bodies was a man like figure with a blank mask upon his face and his body covered in thick purple robes. It lay next to a pedestal with a few dials and switches adorned with a dark blue crystal. Set on this panel was a small device that beeped in tune with the portal and crystal, but it was rapidly gaining speed.
Suddenly the robed individual stirred, he coughed with enough force to shake his mask. He began to pull himself up to the device. This suited man may have beaten them but he would fail in damaging their army with the explosion of the gateway. He decided to change the destination, it may disrupt the invasion but it would spare his home any more loses. He reached the top of the pedestal and began to alter the end point, this drew the suited man's attention, but it was too late.
The portal shifted colors many times but ended up turning a bright orange. Realizing the reinforcements were cut off he dropped barrier and whipped around. His right hand shot out towards the masked man who had intervened and saved his comrades. From the man's outstretched palm came a bolt of what looked to be a disturbance of air. It struck its target and threw him across the room and into the opposite wall where the man hit with a sickening crunch.
With his device preparing to detonate and take the gate with it, the man in the torn suit had only seconds to flee before he would become a smear on the ground. He wasn't fast enough to out run it and it was strong enough to level half a dozen city blocks. When he decided to take drastic measures no one could mistake his intentions. He took a gamble and covered himself in another barrier and dove thru the orange disk that would take him away from the explosion, and anywhere had to be safer than sitting on top of a huge bomb. Right?
In the dead quiet night, a small child ran terrified into a thick dark forest. Under normal circumstances no kid would be approaching, let alone seeking refuge in, this 'forest of death'. Then again most children have no need to outrun angry mobs bent on their death or dismemberment. He may have stood a chance of hiding but his bright orange jumpsuit and even brighter yellow hair made him stick out even in the darkness of these forbidding woods.
Behind him he heard the calls of rage and hatred that lusted for his blood. Cries of 'demon brat' and 'fox child' rang throughout the cold night air. Anyone watching could feel the waves of murderous intent roll off the mob. Of course the only ones to witness this were quick to forget because not a single other person could see this spectacle and either join in or refuse to acknowledge it.
Thoughts raced thru the orange clad boy's mind as tears streamed down his face. 'Why do they do this? What have I done to cause this? It always gets worse on my birthday; I shouldn't have tried to go to the festival!' even with his mind in a turbulent state his body wasn't nearly in as much anguish, the cuts and bruises he had were slowly healing and returning to normal. If not for the strain of running for hours he would feel fine. The burning sensation of his muscles begged for him to stop but his fear drove him further into the dark sanctuary.
As the boy leapt over a root that jutted out from the ground he felt something hit him in the head. He tumbled to a stop as did the large rock that had become his undoing. The mob quickly caught up to their target of misplaced rage, and he turned over and covered his body in a vain attempt to protect himself. If this impending beating was like the others he would be on death's door, but his silent ANBU protectors would stop the killing blow. All he would have to do is hold out until then...
Not too far from the beatings sat two men dressed in black slacks and a sleeveless vest. Each wore a mask resembling different animals. One had a ram mask, the other a boar mask. They stayed nearly stationary with only the occasional body tremor. This shaking was not from the cold night but from the scene in front of them. They found it funny that this demon child was being beaten, and they believed it was deserved. Only a few of the ANBU set to guard this boy cared for his wellbeing, like dog, hawk, and a few other 'fools'. These two were different; they figured that the child deserved this and so much more. These men and others with the same outlook were either disturbed in the head, or deluded by the venomous words from the council.
Just because they despised the little child with most of their being, they still had fun being in charge of his wellbeing; they even played 'games'. The game of choice for these lackluster defenders was to see who could stop the killing blow with as little time to spare as possible. It was too bad these two wouldn't get the chance to play tonight and go for the record; they had a date with the shinigami.
From the shadows two figures silently emerged. They were dressed similar to the ANBU but with small variations, their masks were blank and exact duplicates of each other's. The assassins pulled tantos from sheaths placed on their backs, and both thrust them straight thru the little child's guards, hitting both the heart and lungs. Before the victims knew what hit them, they were gone from this world.
These two man slayers looked towards each other and nodded, the first part of the plan was done. All that was left was to ensure the demon's destruction. They leapt closer to the action, it wasn't necessary to kill the kid themselves but just in case the brat decided to release his demon upon the crowd they would be ready.
The scene continued as kicks, punches, and even a few kunai slashes rained down upon the boy. While inside the abused youth there was an iron cage with a paper that displayed the kanji for 'seal'. This contraption held what appeared to be to large red and glowing fox eyes. While used to this treatment from eight years inside the boy, he was still disgusted by it. While normally he would focus on keeping the vessel of his seal alive until help arrived, he had a feeling that help wasn't coming.
The beast decided to alert the boy to his presence and allow him use of his immense power, and with that gain some revenge on this accused village not only for his wrongful imprisonment but the horrid treatment of his container. Just as he began speaking he felt a very strange energy and it caused him to pause. The amount of power was on par with a tailed beast much like himself, but it was without emotion. Every demon he came across gave off a malevolent feel with its power, but this was neutral.
An orange disc opened and seconds later a vaguely familiar man came diving out. Riding on his proverbial coat tails was a rather large explosion that was abruptly cut off when the portal wavered and collapsed. It propelled the figure right into a large tree and loud cracks were heard as chunks of bark flew off and leaves cascaded to the ground.
The awaiting mob was taken aback, well more like blown back by the force of the explosion and resulting impact. Even the prone form of the child was moved back a few feet and right next to the newly appeared man. The two assassins perched on a branch directly above were spared most of the blast but the reverberations from the trees threatened to send them to the ground. They adhered themselves to the trees with chakra, lest they be thrown from their hiding spot.
A grunt emanated from the suited man who slowly picked himself up. "That's the last time I take 'Dimension Airlines' for a quick escape..." He surveyed his surroundings and saw the group of people shifting and groaning on the ground and figured he'd hurt some innocent civilians. Then he noticed the small boy laying as still as he could; whimpering and protecting himself. His injuries were definitely not from his grand entrance but he didn't know who would do this to a child.
The mob's victim soon skidded to a stop; he tensed up expecting the continuation of his abuse. When it never came he decided to venture a peek around his guard. What he saw was a rather large and scary looking man. He cringed at the sight of this opposing man and covered himself back up.
"I'm s-s-ssorry for w-w-whatever I d-did, I w-wont do whatever it w-was again. P-p-please don't hurt m-me anymore..." was the hesitant remark. Usually they hit him more when he spoke but he thought maybe this once...
The scarred man scoffed and grabbed the child scaring him. "I ain't gonna hurt you for no reason kiddo, I'm gonna get you to someplace safe. But answer me a few questions, okay?" The man looked down at the child and awaited his response.
"O-okay..." the kid looked up at this man, who was looking out for him. It made him curious as to whom this man was, and what he wanted.
"What's your name kid and were those people hurting you?" He asked while motioning to the mass of villagers, a few of which were staying on the ground. The rest were getting to their feet and preparing to resume the demon hunt when they noticed the new arrival.
"...N-n-naruto U-uzumaki…. and….." the boy stuttered out but then looked down, dejected and nodded.
Upon hearing the accusation from this 'outsider' many of the mob became livid and started yelling death threats towards the 'Demon Filth' and his new protector.
Seemingly unshaken by this vulgar display he looked back at the kid in his arms and set his piercing gaze into his eyes. He looked for some trace of anything 'evil' or 'demonic'. He saw no other emotions but fear and sadness. He also saw his friend from his youth, the golden hair and blue eyes made him a spitting image. The only difference was his whisker like marks.
Looking into the eyes of this unexpected ally he saw a spark of remembrance flash in the brown colored orbs. Before he could say or do anything the man's eyes grew dull and lifeless, fearing pain he flinched but the man only set him down.
"Stay right here and look away Naruto, this ain't gonna be pretty..." the man stated in an emotionless tone as he set his hand on the kid's head and turned it towards a tree, away from the mob that threatened him.
His anger flaring for but a brief instant the man squashed his emotions; it would be easier that way. He turned slowly towards the 'callous bastards' who would do this to a child. The mob saw his cold demeanor and shuddered at the nearly suffocating levels of killing intent, maybe this man was a demon as well? Just as quickly as it had descended the stifling atmosphere receded, replaced with a cold fire of vengeance. Drawing out two knives in reverse grips, the man made his way slowly and with decided purpose to the terrified mass of people.
Seeing as it was thirty to one in the crowds favor they steeled themselves and shook off the creeping feeling of dread. With the man's blood curdling aura gone the foolish mob grew confidant. His slow confident stride took little over a minute to reach them; the first five lunged at him as he got in reach.
Three punched at him hoping to connect, and two did but instead of him they hit a barrier that formed around him. He stabbed them both in the arms midway between wrist and elbow, took another step and smashed them in the back of the skull with the back of his fists. He caught the last punch and stabbed into the attacker's right shoulder. Using the knife and arm as leverage he tweaked the arm and with a loud crack sent his opponent to the ground.
The last two of the first wave both swung kunai wildly; he caught one arm between his left arm and torso. The other caught a hard foot to the chest and numerous snaps gave the indication of broken ribs. The caught arm was forced backward at the elbow and followed up with a fierce head-butt.
The quick and sound defeat of fellow villagers quickly sobered many from their rage, but some weren't so easily discouraged...
The frightened child sat there, eyes screwed shut. The sounds of a fight, bodies striking bodies and screams of pain filled the night air. This continued for what seemed to be ten minutes, the sounds grew quieter until only a few were left whimpering in pain. The rest were unconscious, but they were left alive.
"Alrighty squirt you can open your eyes, I'm done." When he turned to thank his savior he noticed what looked like two ANBU appear behind him mid swing.
"Look out!" cried the kid. The man dropped down and shot both elbows back catching his would be assailants off guard. He followed up by hooking their legs and attempting to trip them up. One managed to keep his footing and stumbled back, the other fell like a ton of bricks. The kid's protector then pivoted on his left-hand and brought his right fist down to hit the prone man in the throat. If the attacker hadn't rolled away then jumped up to rejoin his partner, it'd have worked.
As all the involved parties stood straight the assassins realized the best bet would be to split up and have one complete the mission. One charged the man while the other continued to the shocked boy. The lone defender smirked slightly at this; they didn't know who they were dealing with.
With his attention solely on the one still attacking him, the suited man began narrowly dodging the aggressive sword swings. He tried getting in a few hits but these men were a little too fast. This dance continued for a few moments before they broke apart and squared off again.
Looking back to the kid he saw the assassin prepared to end it when suddenly he stuck a nearly invisible force protecting the child. A puzzled look crossed the assailant's face that went unseen due to his mask. Even with the mask it was easy for the barrier maker to tell, after all he has seen that look countless times.
"I guess you're wondering what stopped you, that'd be me." he said as he pointed to himself. "And it won't go away 'till I'm dead, so bring it on you cowardly bastards!" As he spoke he dropped into a fighting stance neither man recognized. With legs spread wide, a slight slouch, and both arms hung limply to the sides he smirked and waited to be attacked.
The two exchanged a look and some signs. The one near the kid nodded and disappeared only to reappear next to his partner with weapon drawn. They both took off at an impressive speed with one preparing a thrust and the other a slash. The latter lagged behind a step, hoping to catch his opponent dodging the thrust with his swipe. The two made it to the target and unleashed their strikes, only to have the first caught by the tip and the second by the middle of the blade. They didn't have enough time to register the shock as the man took a step back dragging them forward. He thrust both palms out and sent a wave of force at his enemies, sending them flying towards a large tree.
There wasn't a chance for them to catch themselves before they impacted the tree. After a few seconds the two opened their eyes to see why they hadn't hit the ground when the reality of the situation sunk in, they had become bound to the tree. Looking back at the reason for the flight, he still had one hand up but now it was closed. Cursing themselves for falling into this they knew this could mean trouble.
"Okay assholes, you're gonna tell me who the fuck sent you to kill a kid!" He growled at his captives while motioning at Naruto.
The two assassins remained silent, but underneath their calm masked faces they were sweating bullets. They saw no escape but they would die before betraying their leader. This wasn't blind loyalty, it was seal reinforced obedience. They would be paralyzed completely if they spoke of their lord, and if capture was indefinite or if they became evidence against him, fiery 'suicide' was all that was left.
"Well I guess this won't be the easy way huh? Fine, but we can do it later. I'm taking this brat to the hospital." As he spoke he shifted both hands towards his prisoners and closed his hands like he was holding something. With this the barrier he had stuck them to the tree with formed around the two in a nearly suffocating tight tube, allowing minimal movement but not enough to form seals.
"We could take them to the old man, they look like ANBU and they are supposed to be his personal force of shinobi..." Naruto spoke barely a whisper, worried he might get in trouble for this. The Hokage, while nice to him, seemed so angry whenever he got attacked. Sometimes he thought it was his fault so he never told the old man he was hurt unless he got asked.
The man glared at the assassins before turning his gaze at the kid. His look softened, not wanting to scare the kid again. If this old man sent these people here to kill Naruto he couldn't figure why he would still trust him. Deciding he'd sort this out later he started walking over to his captives.
"Ok, we can go see the old man but we should be careful. Can you still walk? If not then I'll have to-HOLY SHIT!" The last part was hollered as he leapt back from the burning piles that were the assassins. They had become barbeque when the secrecy seals activated, not wanting anyone to know of their involvement.
"What the fuck was that, do all ninjas I fight have to spontaneously combust or explode! Goddamn I keep forgetting they like to do that." A few more curses upon 'suicidal ninjas' and he strode over a gathered the blades that had fallen from their grasp during the fighting.
"At least they left proof, so kid can you walk?" He looked back at Naruto only to see his wide eyed stare at the human fire pits. Upon seeing this, the man secured the blades to his back with barriers and scooped the child up and rested his head in the crook of his neck. Hoping to save the kid from some nightmares because he watched too long.
They stood there for a few minutes, the man soothing the child as he was rubbing his back. Tears had begun flowing mere seconds after the embrace started but left at a slower pace now. When Naruto was calm enough to talk he asked the man his name. The man looked puzzled for a second or two but he replied once he realized he hadn't told the kid.
"People call me Shepard, that or asshole..." A giggle slipped from the child's mouth before he could contain it.
"That's a funny name, what does it mean?"
"What asshole? It means..."
"No, Shepard. It sounds foreign."
"It's my last name; it means someone who takes care of a herd of sheep or something...never really thought about it. So what does your name mean?" He prayed this would ease the boy's mind about what he saw.
"Uzumaki means whirlpool I think and...Um... Naruto means... fishcakes..." The last part dropped lower than a whisper, but Shepard heard it all the same. He couldn't contain his laughter, for the first time in years he let out a true laugh.
"OH MY GOD! That's fuckin' hilarious, and you thought my name was funny... ah, well come on fishcakes let's get you to the hospital."
"SHUT UP!" Screeched Naruto with a deep blush forming on his face, if it was anger or embarrassment was unknown. Still Shepard continued to laugh crazily; nearing hyperventilation he finally calmed himself.
"Alright kid, I'll stop. Which way is the hospital?" Even though he was still upset he pointed off in the distance. "So tell me about yourself, where are your parents and why the fuck do they let you out in these dark ass woods in the middle of the night?"
Naruto's face fell and he looked ready to cry. He had been doing better at not crying and was even able to put on a happy face and smile. He felt all alone and without anyone to care if he died, except maybe the Hokage. He was too busy to watch him and ever since he was kicked from the orphanage he had as little interaction with anyone his age. When he would try the parents would butt in, ranging from poor excuses why they had to leave to beatings until he left. With no friends around he resorted to watching from afar and pretending it was him. It may seem awkward but it was as close as he was allowed, and he would take it.
As sudden as Shepard's intervention was he hoped he would stick around and be his first real friend. He felt safe, and although he looked kind of scary Naruto knew he would never hurt him. He decided to tell his new buddy the truth, and see if he would stick around. Even if only for a little bit...
Shepard recognized the look in the kid's eyes, loneliness. Having lived it for about twenty years he was all too familiar with it. When Naruto opened his mouth to speak he was cut off and had a hand placed lightly on his head, gently reassuring him.
"I understand kid, it's a damn shame you got no one. After we get you checked up I'll see what I can do. So whose in charge around here, I'm thinking I'll pay his ass a visit. Letting villagers treat someone from their home like this, let alone a small child. Rotten bastard..."
"The old man runs the town. He's the Hokage, the strongest ninja in Konoha! And I'm gonna take his spot one day, that'll show those villagers. Then everyone will have to look up to me..." Naruto immediately slipped on his happy face and yelled out his declaration. Upon seeing this Shepard couldn't help but smile. This kid has guts, just like his old friend had. He decided that talking about him a little would help pass the time as he carried the kid to get looked at.
"You know what Naruto; I used to have a friend just like you when I was a teenager. His name was Dan and he was the most loyal and determined person I thought I'd ever see. But I was wrong, you got him beat." He had a rare smile on his face as he talked of his fallen friend.
"Really, you mean it?" Shepard nodded. "Wow that's cool, what happened to him? Is he famous, is he a kick butt ninja, can I meet him, is he as old as you, can he..." he was starting to talk faster than any ninja could run, and that got nipped in the bud rather quickly.
"No kid, not really. He... well... he died to save my life. Way back when I was seventeen, my... gang and this other group got into a really big fight. I didn't think it was too serious but then one of them pulled out a gun and aimed at my back. Dan dived in the way and protected me. The fight stopped after that and he didn't make it, I stopped hanging around those guys. Got my life together, and moved on. Although I still miss him a lot it's something you get used to." Realizing he just took a dump on the kid's good mood he looked down to see Naruto on the verge of tears again. Cursing his stupidity he opened his mouth to apologize when he was beaten to the punch.
"I'm sorry for bringing it up... I-I didn't mean to make you sad..." A tap on the nose forced him to look up.
"Oh no you ain't taking the blame for this one fishcakes, it's my bad for pulling out the depressing shit. Let's change the topic, you choose." Naruto face puckered at his nickname then waved it off as something friends do.
"OK I got two questions, first what's a gun?"
'Crap' he thought, 'I forgot this was a different damn dimension' "Well a gun is a weapon that shoots little metal balls, and they are lethal. So what's your next query? "
"Nani?" A confused look spread across Naruto's face.
"Question, kid, what's your question?"
"Why couldn't you just say that?"
"It's called a diverse vocabulary, read a book once in a while boy!" A smirk flashed on both guys faces.
"Oh I'm sorry I haven't been alive forever like you have!"
"You little shit I'm gonna throttle you!" His fist rose up and shook in mock anger. Silence filled the night for a brief moment before they erupted in laughter.
The evening had gotten off to a rough start, but as both approached the village they felt that it couldn't have gone better. An older man who had spent a life burying his emotions and a young boy whose whole life has been nothing but ridicule and suffering. An odd pair to say the least, but they would do their best to defend this new bond of friendship.
Unknown to them they would have to do just that...