Hey! I read a story that involved Naruto getting a new teacher after being abandon at the chunin exams. It got me thinking of this and I just had to write it. Of course it's more of a impulse thing so I hope you all like it. J
OKAY THERE IS A POLL ON MY PROFILE WITH A QUESTION THAT REALLY DETERMENS THE DIRECTION OF THIS STORRY SO PLEASE ANSWER IT.
Well I hope you like this chapter. If I get a enough reviews I'll continue this.
KEY.
"Believe it!" = regular talk
Please don't see me. Rats she saw me. Smile and be social. = thinking
"What! I am a fox! The greatest fox you'll ever see!" = Kurama talking
Most not tell him he's sad. Must be supportive. = Kurama thinking
_ Summary_
At the Chunin exams when Kakashi ignores his students, Naruto gets frustrated to the point that he asks the Kyuubi –or better known as Kurama- for help. Kurama agrees after reviewing Naruto's life. However due to being seal, he tells Naruto the next best thing. Kurama pulls some strings in the demon universe, and manages to get Naruto in the best demon school, that he ever attended. Now Naruto's has the means to show the world what a little attention and a good education can do. By the time the final stage of the Chunin come he'll be unstoppable. All he has to do is pass his classes, get used to his new demon roommate, and being the first human ever to walk the halls of Dream of Darkness. Open your texts books, class is now in session.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto Uzumaki pulled more of his clothes in his traveling bag, with fast harsh movements. This however would not be the only indicator of the blonde's anger. His normally bright blue sky eyes were stormy, his frustrated breathe breath was quite loud, his sun kissed hair going in all directions from where he had pulled it, and the white on his knuckles as he gripped the bag with unnecessary force could tell anyone that the whiskered boy was beyond furious.
Why was he so anger?
It was the feeling of being ignored that finally burst open from the tight bottle that he keep in his heart. Years and years of being mistreated had surface and made him sick. Today was the first day of the month they have given contestants to train for the chance of becoming chunin. He made it through the first two tests and all he had to do now was beat a Neji Hyuga meaning he'll be one step closer to his dream.
His dream of becoming Hokage.
Though sometimes he wondered why he even tried. The village did not welcome him, even after he put his life on the line for them; they only treated him like a waste of space. While someone who would probable trade all of their souls to the shinigami for power was treated like a cute little prince. Naruto let a small growl at the thought of his teammate Sasuke Uchiha who had gotten their sensei to only to train him.
Naruto found this out after hunting down Kakashi for hours, finally finding him only to be told that Sasuke needed more help so Kakashi would be training Sasuke only this month. As if the man had only that student to teach. Trying to trick Naruto into believing that he got him a better teacher, Kakashi probably expected Naruto to jump up and down with glee. However he hadn't instead he let some of his mask fall.
With his bangs covering his eyes all he said was one sentence before running of determined to train himself. It wasn't like it was the first time, Naruto always trained himself and he was quickly catching up to the "prince Uchiha" even after the many attempts of sabotage that the village seem to love to do to him.
He pauses to think of that. Yes that was true, even Iruka who was fair had not truly tried to teach him. How much time would it had taken out of the man's day to tell him that he had too much chakra to be able to perform the most of the academy jutsu?
Apparently too much, since he was told of this disadvantage after he graduated by the village leader! His own sensei had not bothered to even try to help him at all with his problem.
But he'll show them. Naruto turned from his closet to the kitchen, pulling as much food as he could stuff into his bag. He did not know how much food he would need but he rather be prepared for anything. He was going to find a place to train that would be so secluded that others wouldn't even dare to enter.
There he would train to the point that the villagers would have to admit that he no longer needed to be on Team 7 since he could take solo missions, from now on.
Yes he would show them all.
Naruto looked at his apartment, if you could even call it that. The place was a dump, holes in the ceiling, licks in most of pipes that ran thought the places getting his floor wet with a horrible smell, the table which looked like it was soon going to fall apart if too much pressure was place on its surface, the doors were rotten along with the cabinets in the kitchen, the water always came out looking some kind mucky brown. His bed seemed to be the only good thing he owned.
Even his clothing was pathetic. Others thought he wore the orange out of love and stupidity, though he did love the color orange, it was more of a constant reminder that he was the only one not allowed into normal clothes stores.
That the only reason he even had this jumpsuit was because a traveling merchant made a mistake when ordering the colors for his jumpsuit clothes line for ninjas. The man was extremely kind and understanding for instead of getting angry he had walked around the village searching for anyone who seemed in the need of clothes, and in the leaf village that would be the demon jailor.
Naruto would never forget it, it was around the time of winter and even though it did not snow in the village the air still got cold.
He had at the time only a white short sleeve t- shirt and green shorts, so he was always shivering while the smug faces of the adults followed him everywhere, purposely making loud comments of how warm their children were and how those that shivered in the cold usually died alone.
He had tried his best to ignore those words by throwing it back in their faces that it did not bother him, what with the way he smiled like there was no problem in the world, even though on the inside he was crying his eyes out. That it did not bother him that he was an eight year old alone by a lake sitting on the dock trying to forget everything as he stared out into the lack's water.
Until the merchant had spotted him quickly walking over he had asked "Child it freezing out. Are you not cold?"
Turning over to the voice that called out, Naruto eyes landed on a tall male adult, who had curly red hair that ended about the ears , green eyes that seemed like emerald sparkly in sunlight and a wide grin, that seemed almost like Naruto's own when he was truly smiling. A fat shack swooned over his shoulder looked oddly right with his civilian but with a hint of fighter outfit.
Believing it was another adult that decided to taunt him, Naruto had lied as he replied loudly "No sir! I'm warm as ever because when I'm Hokage I'll be immune to the weather! Believe it!"
The merchant - who had eyes like him now that he thought about it, not the color or shape of course but the same loneliness and sadness reflected in them- had stared at him before letting out a soft chuckle,.
"Ah but you'll freeze before if you don't put something on. You can't be a ninja if your hand has to be unfrozen in order for you to throw a kunai now can you?" the man had asked
Naruto remembered scowling at him before standing up from the dock so if needed he could run. If the man turned out to be like those adults who would push Naruto into the lake laughing as he pulled himself out all the while cold ,wet and miserable, then the man would see how hard it had gotten to accomplish this.
"I can too! You'll see! Believe it!" he had yelled at the top of his lungs seeing his own breath in the air.
"Oh will I? Then since I am speaking to the future Hokage I should offer you something warm if I want to return to sell here don't I?" the man had said and then to Naruto's shock placed a warm bright orange jacket on his shoulders even if it was too large for his small frame.
"I also have pants that go along with this here jacket. You can have it; in fact you can have the other sixes that I have. It seems to me you only have those clothes, and it's always well to have extras laying around." The man said as he pulled out the promised pants from the sack on his shoulder then tying it into a tight knot before handing it out to Naruto.
Naruto had stayed muted to his spot staring wide eyed at the bag trying to find the lie in the man's words, when he hadn't found one he reached out and for the first time someone other than old man Hokage had shown him kindness. He never learned that man's name though he would never forget his face or the lesson he was taught that day.
Sighing he zipped up his traveling bag after the flash bask back ended. Making sure that he had everything he owned pack away and secured.
He then moved to the ground in the middle of his room , remembered the what the Yamanakas' did when they trained their young to enter their own minds, and crossed his legs to sit Indian style he then keep his breathing even and slowly the world began to become unimportant and faze as he journeyed to his mind-scape to pay his prisoner a visit.
If anyone knew how to get out of the village undedicated it would be the Kyuubi. All he had to do was convince the Kyuubi to help him. Even if all the demon would help with was finding Naruto a place to train, then from there he would train himself of course.
After a while he was about to give up on this idea, for who was he kidding? The only reason he knew of this technique that the Yamanakas' uses was because here was there hiding when he pulled a prank on some of the clansmen and overheard a father explain the progress to his son.
Sighing he was about get up when he notice that he was no longer in his room instead he was in a swear like setting, the place was quite old. It had a feeling of fording, the lighting seemed red and the water that reached his knees didn't get him wet. So this was his mind? It's a lot better then he thought it would be so that was a good thing. Now that he had made it into his mind all he had to do is find the giant demon in his maze of sewers and work out some kind of deal that involved help but keeping the thing under lock and key.
Getting to his feet he walked around looking at everything on his path though after a while he began to notice that the sewers would not change since his mistreatment hadn't change from his childhood he quickly grew bored with the place. The sounds of water dripping was beginning to annoy the young boy, because other than his feet splashing in the water it was the only sound he could heard reminding him of how lonely he really was. Maybe this was why the beast was so angry? Locked here for twelve years could become a hassle.
Pondering this Naruto almost didn't notice the golden pipe that began along the ground. When he tripped over it though he notice right away. Groaning as he sat up from his fall Naruto turned and followed the pipe with his eyes as he rubbed his sore forehead. The pipe disappeared around the corner and with nothing better to do Naruto fallowed.
He soon notice that the pipe made many turns before he could see light in the far distance. With new found hope Naruto ran towards it as the pounding of his heart grew louder. Could this be it? Had he finally found the beast? Now that he was closer he knew he had. The chakra, but mostly the power in the chakra, allowed him to know that straight ahead was the strongest demon of all the tails beast. Gulping down his fear he stepped into a dead end. The ceiling was so high and he could not see the end of it but what he could see were the golden pipes that made up a cell door with the a piece of paper that had the world "seal" on it.
"So my jailor comes. And from the looks of it you want something." A dark voice said from the darkness inside of the cage. Unable to see where the voice was coming from Naruto is torn between stepping closer or staying as far away from the cell door as he could. But he came here with a need and he be dammed if he ran away now. Steeling his resolve, Naruto made his way over to the cell door with a head held high.
"Yes. I wanted to speak to the nine-tails" His voice bouncing of the walls but not echoing added a creepy feeling to the whole thing.
Suddenly large teeth become visible in the cage and Naruto was stunned to see that he wasn't even taller then one of the canine teeth before the head of the great Kyuubi was seen. Naruto froze unable to look away though he felt no fear just wonder at the size of the fox. The fox's smile though had something he was tired of seeing. Mockery with a hint of amusement was the only way to describe the smirk of the Kyuubi. Its eyes were madding red with a crazed glee in them.
"Is that so? And do tell little warrant, what could you want from me hmm?" it asked as its tails swung back and forth. It seemed to be sizing up Naruto like it was thinking of all the different ways it could kill him.
Determined not to be intimated Naruto answered "I need your help. I want to train, but I know I can't in my village and I thought….I thought you and me-"
"You and I" the fox corrected automatically which gave Naruto pause. When it didn't say anything else he continued though a little less aggressive
"You and I should become partners. I mean we're treated the same and we should stick together right?" Just then Naruto thought of something. All his life he was told by adults that the Kyuubi was evil horrible mindless monster something that should have never been but then again didn't adults tell their kids he was dangerous when the kids knew themselves that he would never hurt them? Did they not keep the secret of what he had inside him to themselves? Then why shouldn't he ignore everything they had told him about the demon? Perhaps it turned out to be misunderstood.
"Um what's your name?" Naruto asked after a long moment of silence when the Kyuubi just grinned and licked its lips after Naruto made his proposal as if it was savoring the thought of his flesh—NO he had to stop thinking like that he had to give this beast err fox a chance if he ever hope someone would do the same for him.
The fox lifted an eyebrow. The expression it displayed almost as if saying "did you really just ask that" was oddly normal that Naruto completely relax.
"I am known as the Kyuubi" it answered grinning as if expecting Naruto to back down in fear at the name. But Naruto is known for being unpredictable and if this giant of a fox thought he would be intimated it was in for a big surprise.
"I didn't as for what you are, I asked who you are" Naruto said with as much bravo as he could.
It had seemed to work since the beast looked token back, shock that even its tails froze in mid air like they had become stone. And for that one second Naruto saw it. Saw the emotion that he kept locked in his own eyes, sadness, loneliness, fear, determination, and hope. There were others as well like the wisdom and understatement that shined in the deep red eyes before him. That was when he knew that the tail beast was more than a beast.
It was alive and it had emotions refusing to allow others to hurt it by scaring those that got near. However Naruto will be one to get near it and he will be the one to show it that it wasn't alone. That he had a friend in Naruto because Naruto understood the feeling of being fear or hated for being born the way he was born and the world damning him for it.
"Come on say something. I just want to know your name, mines Naruto. And I know what its like, to be hated, so why not be friends? Because we understand each other-
"HOW COULD YOU UNDERSTAND!? HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHATS IT LIKE TO BE FEARED, TO BE HATED, TO LOCKED UP FOR BEING WHAT YOU ARE!? HOW!?" Snapped the Kyuubi as it glare down at Naruto daring him to answer but in truth he had none.
He just stood there staring wide eyed at the nine tails as it began to breathe hard, scorn dripping into it words while the hurt and anger mixed in its expression into a crazed fox like snare.
"Your right I don't know what it like to be locked up, but I do know how it feels to be alone; to be feared. And I hate it. I want it to end. But the only way for it to end is if I have friends, real friends, to be there for me. Mr. Kyuubi I want to be there for you."
At the end Naruto's voice rising to a yell had more emotion then all his years of living. And the Kyuubi stared filled with confusion, for the only person to ever show that much emotion for him was his father. Looking down at the child- who would damn a child to this life? Only a monster in his opinion—and was hit fully by the fact that he could see his father staring right back. The six paths of sage was a demon though not many know this but the man was, he had died protecting the demon universe from a mad demon known as the ten tail banishing him to the human world where his father finish the job and sealed the criminal away creating the moon.
He had open the portal form his world to the human would trying to find his father after being told he was now the heir to the thrown after his father's death when fighting the criminal who was known for destroying everything in his path. He was a child refusing to believe that the man he looked up to was gone, so he decided to find his father and bring him home. But by then, however, it was too late, his father's soul was bounded to this world and he could never return. The humans had taken one look at him, seen a gaint fox with large teeth ,and done anything in their power to end his life screaming he was an abomination. He had been no more than ten at the time.
He had managed to jump back to his world after knowing his father would live out the rest of his life with the humans, even gone as far as given him half brothers, and vowed to never return. The Kyuubi would admit that he had been a fool to think his younger siblings would not attempt the same thing and unlike him they were unable to return home. One by one they were sealed away forever branded with the name "tail beasts" that humans had given them while he could do nothing. Five years after that, Madara Uchiha had summoned him in the fight against the First Hokage Hashirama with the shanringan that had glazed him when he first came to this world and the Uchiha had ripped him from his home, force him to fight and he had lost his freedom ever since.
But this child was willing to get to know him before judging. Perhaps he could learn to do the same but he'll be safe about it. No need to trust blindly, he had seen the horrible consecutions that came from trust.
"If you allow me to see your memories I will grant you the knowledge of my name" the king of demons said.
This way the boy could not lie to him. He well see if the truth behind the words.
Naruto looked confused before nodding in understanding. The Kyuubi was at least willing to consider working with him. "Okay how do I do that?"
The nine tail was confused, if the boy could enter his mind wouldn't he at least be able to access his memories? There was something he was missing. Surely the boy was taught the dangers of entering one's mind?
"you must first find them, then you must tap them to open. However do not hold them nor stare at them too long, memories are dangerous because they keep the person so involved with their past they tend to linger and before they know it they fall into a coma. The best thing to do is thinking of it as chakra with water walking. It loose but tamable. After finding them all you have to do is think of me and the memories will show themselves to me." Pausing to check if Naruto was still listening he continued "In a mind-scape it reflects the person who holds it, so all you have to do is find the thing you love the most and the memoires will be around there, DO NOT GO NEAR WHITE LIGHTS."
Naruto blinked at the end. He was no expecting that, nor the fact that the demon was giving him a warning. "why?"
Sighing the Kyuubi stared of into the distance his eyes someplace far from where he really was "In the mind white means guilt. Black means nothingness. Red means either love if its bight ruby or a warning if its blood red. However if you feel guilt it's the only thing that will keep you locked into your mind, because even if you crush this feeling it will always be there hidden in your unconscious"
When the demon said no more Naruto nodded and turn to search for the thing he loved the most. Now where could he find his precious people here?
All I saw on the way here were the sewers. Maybe I have to find a ramen stand? The Hokage tower? Naruto thought as he walked back through his mind away from the cage of his prisoner. Walking back into the maze of sewers he looked left and right trying to determine which way to go. In the end he decided to go left since the golden pipe had come from the right path.
Turning he saw that the place had taken a hint of red, and now knowing it meant a warning thanks to the Kyuubi, he paused. He had thought they seemed familiar but he hadn't paid much attention to them. Yes he recognized these sewers now. They were the ones the angry mob had dragged him into when he was five after he had disobeyed the Hokage's order to stay away from the Kyuubi's defeat festival.
He shivered as the pain he revised from the beatings that night returned to him. Phantom pain but pain none the less.
Running as fast as he could from that place he notice a that the further he got the less red he could see. Good. He never wanted to think of that for as long as he lived.
If Weasel hadn't found me, they would have killed me. Not a slow death either. Naruto thought with grim acceptance. I would have thought it hadn't traumatized me but it seems I was wrong.
Sighing he tried to push those thoughts away and tried to think of a place where his precious people would be. Someplace where they had a meaning he supposed. He kept walking on trying to find such a place in his mind.
After walking for half an hour suddenly cold Naruto notice that he was in the village but with no people. This must be the part of his mind that felt alone. The place was just like home, shops, houses and buildings were same as the original with all places open for business but it had a feeling as if people dropped whatever they were doing and just left.
Looking around the ghost town Naruto tried to spot the Hokage tower for if were else would his love ones be? However he could not find it due to the fact the place seems to be a stretch of the same block. There had to be something he was missing, he had to think of this place as everything representing a symbol. Trying to enter the shops he realized that they were all black, probable since he never enter the real ones, and move on. Walking mindlessly on the endless block of empty buildings.
Then he saw it. The lake. Or more importantly the man by the lake , staring into the horizon. He would never forget the sack nor the red hair.
Heart pounding he ran towards the man. It was him! He knew it was, it was the man that taught him to believe in humanity again. The man who had taught him the power of having someone to consider precious had actual power.
The man turned and Naruto saw the face he had missed and loved. The grinning face of one of his hero's watch Naruto's approach, the merchant didn't look a day old. Just as he got near however the man placed the sack on the ground and disappeared.
The Uzumaki symbol glow a healthy ruby bright on the sack, but he could care less since his first true friend was gone. And he was left alone again in the ghost town.
After blinking back tears for five minutes he realized the bag had gotten brighter, and when reached for it everyone he considered a love one voice's had been blown out of the bag and the lack's surface turned into a solid ice block glowing a brightly orange light. He found them, his memories. It made sense that the place he learn why should keep trying to become Hokage would be his memories storage.
Tapping the water he watched his life flash before his eyes. It seemed like ages had gone by but he no desire to move, in fact he wanted to stay there re-watching everything. He noticed things that he had not the when he lived these picture, like the color of buildings or faces of his former classmates. Now it seemed to matter so much that he wished the images to slow down for he would love to notice them longer
And then the Kyuubi's words came back to him. Tearing his eyes from the lake with great difficulty he realized the was Kyuubi standing next to him.
"I see. You had a harsh life child." The Kyuubi said "yes a true injustice had been your life so far, So you came for teaching help?"
Naruto nodded because he knew that the Kyuubi had seen all of his life and hadn't bothers to show pity making Naruto grateful.
"my name is Kurama. I cannot train you for I am stuck in this seal but I can get you into the demon's best schools. What do you say child, how would you like to be train in the arts of the demon?" Kurama said with a grin
Naruto felt relief make his heart faint, and when Kurama's words finally clicked he whipped his head so fast his neck popped to see the face of the fox.
A school? Demons had schools? The very idea seemed so strange that it was funny but the seriousness he could see in the eyes of Kurama made him swallowed his laughter that bubbled in his throut.
"What's the school like? I mean you guys have a school?" He asked after trying to find words that wouldn't offend the fox but unable to at least ask these two questions.
Kurama gave a short laugh, completely comfortable in Naruto's presence after seeing the way they both lived, the only difference was that the humans had not lock up the boy.
"yes we have schools in fact we have a floating island that is nothing but a boarding school. It's known for training the best of the best, only nobles send their kids there, but anyone's allowed really as long as they get accepted. I went studied there in fact" Kuramra said proudly as pride for his old school swelled his chest.
The awe widening of Naruto's eyes just made him prouder.
"Really?! So you think I can have a chance to train there?!" he asked with hope. A place that train the strongest tail beast? He be Hokage in no time!
Grinning the fox nodded "of course they let you in. After all the King of the demon world will write you a recommendation letter."
Naruto's knees almost broke under his weight as they weaken. "He will?!"
"Of course I will." Kurama answered "good thing your packed boy, we'll be leaving now. By tonight you'll be a student of Flames Acadamy: Domain of demons"