Drip...drip...
It was a silent night in Konohagakure, also known as the Hidden Leaf Village. A slight downpour of rain blanketed the village, permeating an eerie effect. The people of the village were long asleep, and there was no sound in the village except for the platter of rain drops.
That wouldn't last.
A shadow jumped from building top to building top, his sandals briefly touching down before he shot upwards again. This man had white shoulder-length hair and blue-green eyes. He wore a standard Konoha chunin jacket with standard shinobi pants. The name of this man was Mizuki.
Perhaps the most notable thing about this man's attire was a large scroll strapped to the man's back. It glinted in the pale moonlight as the man continued his hasty path towards the village's border.
The man grinned to himself in delight- he was almost there! Just a few more yards and he'd be rewarded beyond his wildest dreams!
His excitement died when he noticed a lone figure waiting by the border. His place slowed as he tried to identify the odd figure.
It appeared to be a young child, if the height was any indication. Blonde hair poked out from behind a mask akin to that of an anbu, covering the child's face. This mask was the visage of a deadly panther, leaving only two fully matured sharingan peering out. A tanto hung across his waist horizontally, and his body was covered from the neck down in a dark cloak.
"Who are you, child?" Mizuki asked detestably, although he was inwardly unsettled. Hadn't all of the Uchiha been slaughtered? "What are you doing out here all alone?"
"Mizuki-san," The figure replied, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hokage-sama asks that you return the Scroll of Sealings immediately."
"I've been found out, have I?" Mizuki chuckled as he cracked his knuckles. He wasn't looking to beat down some kid, but if he didn't leave him alone… "Last chance, brat. Get out of my way."
The figure didn't reply, only placing his hand on his tanto.
Before Mizuki could blink, the figure shot forward and delivered a crushing punch to Mizuki's ribcage. Moments before he could recover, the figure fluidly snapped his leg up, planting a kick to Mizuki's face that caused him to stumble backwards.
"The cost of treason to Konoha is death," The boy said, almost reciting the words. "You have one last chance to turn yourself in, Mizuki-san."
"Come on kid, I'm no pushover. I'm a chunin for a reason," Mizuki smirked as he wiped away a trail of blood leaking down his chin. On the inside, however, Mizuki was shocked. He'd barely registered that the kid even moved!
The boy blurred through hand signs. A monstrous ball of fire exploded from the child's mouth, approaching Mizuki at blazing speeds. Mizuki dodged easily, but gasped out in surprise as he saw a blade poking out from his chest.
"B-but…" He gasped, his throat starting to close. He watched in shock as the fireball simply vanished as if it had never been there in the first place.
"Genjutsu," the child muttered dispassionately as he carefully removed the scroll. He checked Mizuki's pockets, finding another scroll with the wax stamp of a snake on it.
Orochimaru…The boy recognized.
Wood began to peel off of the child and coalesce into an identical clone.
"Dispose of the body." He commanded as he shot into the air with the scroll, making his way over to a building where there was a single light on.
A few minutes later, the boy was kneeling in front of two men.
The man on the right was the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, draped in his traditional red and white robe with the Hokage hat settled comfortably on his head. He had a gaunt face, marred by the wrinkles and liver spots of old age. "Naruto?"
"The scroll, Hokage-sama." Naruto presented the scroll to Hiruzen, who took with a smile and nod.
"Excellent work." The man on the left spoke up. He looked like a frail, old man, which was only accentuated by his cane. He had black, shaggy hair, and his right eye was bandaged. An x-shaped scar adorned his chin. He wore a white shirt, with a black or dark grey robe over the top of it covering from his feet, to just over his right shoulder.
Naruto ignored the man, choosing to continue to stare at the Hokage unflinchingly. The Hokage nodded at the man. "That will be all, Danzo."
Danzo bowed his head. "By your leave, Hokage-sama."
He gave Naruto one last nod, and exited the room. Naruto stayed rigid until he felt Danzo's chakra leave the vicinity. He relaxed slightly. "I don't trust that guy."
"You and me both." Hiruzen muttered under his breath, before clearing his throat. "What else?"
Naruto showed the letter from Orochimaru. "Orochimaru was behind this. For some reason, he had Mizuki send him reports on one Sasuke Uchiha. Then, he asked Mizuki to steal the Scroll, which I think was just his way of getting rid of him without having to do it himself. There's no way he was surviving that."
"I agree," Hiruzen said, blowing a puff of smoke in the air from his pipe. He closed his eyes. "This news about our young Uchiha is incredibly troubling, however."
"What would Orochimaru want with a young boy who has just become a genin?" Naruto asked curiously.
"It's not what he is right now, but rather what he has the capabilities of unlocking." Hiruzen answered, and Naruto nodded knowingly.
"So what do we do?"
Hiruzen's eyes snapped open. He regarded Naruto curiously for a moment. "I have an idea. I can pull some strings, get you on Sasuke's genin team. You can go to his home right now, and try to befriend him by showing that you, too, are an Uchiha. That takes care of his safety and ensures his willingness to stay in Konoha."
"He would actually leave?" Naruto asked ludicrously. "And follow that psycho?"
"To gain the power to kill his brother, most definitely. He doesn't know Itachi like you did. He believes that he's the last of his clan, and that he can only start to rebuild after Itachi is dead." Hiruzen said. "Well then Naruto, do you accept your mission?"
"Yes." He answered without a moment of hesitation.
"Try not to show off your Mokuton, if you can help it. That's a secret we need to keep, for now, anyway." Hiruzen instructed, sighing wearily. "Your story will be that I sent you out with an ANBU squad due to the rising tensions in the village about you being the Hokage's son. You just arrived back in the village and want to see family."
"Yes, sir." Naruto said, standing from his kneel. His sharingan faded to reveal startlingly blue eyes, shining with determination. "I will help him awaken his sharingan and train him."
"Then, you mission begins now, Jonin Namikaze." Hiruzen stated officially. "May Kami guide you."
Naruto nodded, disappearing with a flicker.
Hiruzen sighed, pulling out a fresh bottle of sake. He stared at the picture of the Fourth Hokage behind him. "Your son is well on his way to becoming a legend, Minato. If only you could see it…"
Naruto arrived in front of the Uchiha compound, sparing only a glance at the vast emptiness of many of the buildings. He easily found the only chakra source in the closet building.
Daybreak was nearing. The endless black of the night sky had broken, making way to a darkish blue hue.
He reached the door and knocked twice.
A minute later, a broody looking boy answered the door. His dark eyes looked at Naruto suspiciously. "Yes?"
"Are you Sasuke?" Naruto asked, intentionally letting fake excitement seep into his voice.
Sasuke stared at him weirdly. "Um, yes. Who are you?"
"My name is Naruto Namikaze." Naruto replied, holding out his hand. "I just returned to the village and was hoping to see my family."
"Family?" Sasuke's voice had gotten quieter. A dark look had fallen over his face.
"Yeah. You." Naruto grinned. He let his sharingan appear. "I've been on some long term mission from the Hokage. When I learned of what happened to our clan, I was on the other side of the world. I would've come sooner, but now's better than never coming at all."
Sasuke held up his hands, whispering "Kai."
Naruto watched amusedly as Sasuke's jaw dropped open. "Yup, I'm 100% real."
Sasuke looked at Naruto with an odd expression. "Namikaze? Like the 4th Hokage?"
"Yes. I'm his son. That's why I was sent away- to avoid the people in Konoha until I could defend myself from any assassination attempts." Naruto said. He let his sharingan fade.
Sasuke was at a loss for words. He'd spent so much time alone, trying to avoid the piteous looks of the villagers, he'd forgotten what it was like to have a family- or a friend, for that matter. It made him feel…giddy, almost.
"I'm glad you're back." Sasuke said, a small smile blossoming on his face. "C-come in. It's cold outside."
"Thanks." Naruto grinned back, stepping inside the well decorated home. "Impressive skills there, trying to dispel Genjutsu. Already stronger than your average Genin, huh?"
Sasuke let the small smile appear on his face once more. "Yeah. I got Rookie of The Year in the academy. I think I find out who my Jonin sensei is tomorrow."
"That reminds me!" Naruto said, his face betraying happiness. "When I heard that was happening, I requested the Hokage to be on your team, and he said he'd do his best."
It hurt Naruto to act like, well, a kid. He'd been acting like an adult for most of his life- but, a mission was a mission.
Sasuke grinned at the prospect of spending more time with Naruto. "That's great! I have to ask…how strong are you? I see your sword, and I'm guessing you weren't exactly frolicking around on your time out of the country."
"Good guess, Sasuke." Naruto winked. He thought about it for a moment. "I'm not too sure. I haven't really had to fight anyone in a while. I could easily mop the floor with any of your academy friends, I know that."
Sasuke nodded. "Ah, that makes sense."
"If you want, though, I could help you out with some stuff. I picked up a couple of Jutsus, and of course with your sharingan." Naruto offered kindly. "It's what, 5, 6 AM? What time do we have to go to the academy?"
"7." Sasuke replied. "Why?"
"Want to get a quick spar in?" Naruto asked. "It'd be a good way to see what I can help you out with."
Sasuke smiled, getting up. "Yeah, definitely. We have a training ground right here."
He led Naruto to the back of the house, and opened a door. Naruto let out a low whistle as he took in the sight of the perfectly maintained grass field with an Uchiha symbol in the middle.
"Not bad." Naruto complimented as he stood across from Sasuke.
The sun had begun to rise. Birds began to chirp and fly as pinkish streaks adorned the sky. Blue eyes met black, and Naruto nodded. "Begin."
Sasuke charged forward. Naruto noted that his speed was impressive. It was chunin level at best, but Naruto wagered a few weights here and there could double or maybe even triple it with ease.
Naruto easily ducked under Sasuke's kick. Sasuke landed and flipped around, trying to catch Naruto off guard with a punch. He did not.
Naruto caught the punch with ease. "Not bad, Sasuke. Not bad at all. Let's keep testing that taijutsu, huh?"
Sasuke nodded, coming at him again. Sasuke used the most rudimentary form of the Uchiha style. Naruto wagered that he hadn't had a chance to delve deeper since he was just the child at the time of the massacre.
Small jabs, kicks, and trying to use the opponent's moves against them. An excellent way to wear your opponent down and eventually kill them- there was only one problem.
The technique revolved around using the sharingan.
"Tsk." Naruto said, still fluidly weaving around Sasuke's kicks. "You're still a bit slow to use that to its fullest. We'll work on that."
Sasuke grunted, still trying to hit Naruto. He leapt backwards, and raised his hands. Snake. Ram. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.
Naruto's eyes widened. A genin attempting a C-Rank offensive jutsu?!
"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"Sasuke cried. He took a large intake of breath, and then lifted his hand up to his mouth.
Fwoom!
As he exhaled, a moderately large ball of churning fire launched towards Naruto. Naruto grinned, going through hand signs of his own. "Fūton: Daitoppa!"
A crushing wave of wind was expelled from Naruto's mouth. It raced towards the fireball, and it dispelled it on impact.
"My turn." Naruto winked. He slammed his hands on the ground. "Doton: Tobi Tsubute!"
Shards of the ground shattered and began flying at Sasuke. Naruto followed up behind them, racing towards Sasuke.
Sasuke spryly dodged the rocks, but was left completely defenseless to Naruto's thunderous punch to the stomach.
Naruto was holding back his strength, but when he saw Sasuke's body get rocked, he wondered if he should've held back more.
Sasuke dropped to his knees, panting. Small droplets of blood appeared on the grass. "Kami, that hurt."
"Yeah, sorry about that." Naruto said sheepishly. "Let's get some food in you and get to the Academy…"
AN: And that's it. The very first chapter to my very first Naruto fic. I've intentionally left Naruto's past obscure- we'll delve into that later. Please tell me what you thought of this first chapter, and if the idea is worth continuing or not.
Also, I'm not really sure what the pairing will be- so if you want your voice to be heard, now is the time.
-Maroon
