AN: Well, it seems like my other story A Memory Long Lost is doing OK, so I thought about putting this up. I hope it's at least somewhat original. Ah, well, tell me what you think!

Dattebayo!

o-o-o-o-o

One dreadful night, in the Village Hidden in the Leaves, a demon attacked.

This monster was the Kyuubi no Kitsune, a fox able to level mountains with its tails. However, a great leader called the Yondaime Hokage was able to combat the fox and defeated it, sealing it inside his son, wishing for the boy to be treated as a hero.

Years passed and the boy's heritage remained a secret, keeping him safe from his father's enemies.

However, the villagers did not treat him as a human: they only saw the Kyuubi, not the boy.

So the boy grew up unwanted and unloved.

The boy, whose name was Naruto, put on a mask: a face of cheeriness and of goodwill.

He went through the Shinobi Academy, and though his teachers mistreated him, he never gave up.

On the day of his graduation, Naruto tried and failed to complete the technique necessary for passing.

So the boy sat and watched as his friends left him behind.

Given new hope by a teacher, the boy stole a forbidden scroll, giving him new techniques and strength.

However, he was betrayed by the very teacher who had seemed to help him, and his life was torn asunder.

For he had just discovered that he was the container of the Kyuubi.

However, that night he discovered friendship, love, and true strength, as another teacher, one who was so similar yet so distant from him, gave him a reason to live.

This reason became the heart of his dreams: to protect all those precious to him.

Naruto was placed on a team, and the three seemed to despise one another.

However, in due time, they grudgingly accepted one another and began to form bonds of friendship.

The team went on a mission to the country of Wave, and Naruto discovered that he could help others, even as they helped him.

His bonds with his friends became ever stronger.

However, that was also when the three genin learned the truth of the path of the ninja.

The way of the ninja is death: to be or be killed.

Shaken by this fact, the boy stood resolute and resolved to change this.

Returning to the village, the three were entered into the Chuunin exams, tests to show their worthiness.

The three passed together, and eventually Naruto, as well as his best friend, Sasuke were eventually in the finals.

Naruto showed his true strength and his will to never give up or go back on his word, solidifying his nindo, his ninja way.

During Sasuke's match, the tournament was interrupted and the Leaf was invaded.

Naruto met another boy, Gaara, one who was so alike and yet a mirror of himself.

The other boy was a Jinchuuriki, a demon container, and Naruto felt his pain.

Instead of moving on, though, Gaara chose to stay alone and destroy all others.

Naruto was afraid, not of death, but of this possibility of what he could have become.

Defeating the sand ninja, Naruto spread his outlook to another, and thus began another friendship.

However, all was not well.

Sasuke, yearning for power, deserted the village to gain what he sought: revenge.

Naruto and his friends gave chase, and it all came to one final battle at the Valley of the End: Naruto versus Sasuke.

The clash was epic; a battle of Titans; but the two were evenly matched.

However, one thing happened to change the outcome.

Sasuke aimed for Naruto's chest.

Naruto, in his heart, did not want to harm his friend, and so avoided the blow that would have meant death, taking his friend's attack instead.

Sasuke left soon after, seeking more power.

Three years passed.

Naruto left with the Sannin, Jiraiya, to hone his skills in order to defend himself, as well as bring back his friend.

And so he waited.

Coming back, Naruto was assigned a new team, and so they went off, searching for answers.

Battles were fought and comrades were lost, and Sasuke moved ever closer.

Only to slip out of their fingers yet again.

The hidden organization Akatsuki made its move, and a great teacher was killed.

But with the revenge on his killer, another gained the Will of Fire, the impenetrable drive to protect the village.

Soon. Sasuke succeeded in killing his brother, only to notice the emptiness inside and so went further along into the darkness.

The leader of Akatsuki made his move, and Jiraiya was killed by a pupil he himself had taught.

Naruto was sent off to Mount Myobokuzan to train, grieving over his sensei's death.

The leader of Akatsuki returned, and Konoha was destroyed.

Naruto returned in time, though, and an epic battle was fought as the young Shinobi came into his own and showed his true strength in order to save his friends and village.

He was entrusted with a dream: a wish to give the world peace to save it from pain.

Time passed.

Sasuke appeared, and yet disappeared again.

Naruto trained harder, becoming still more powerful.

Akatsuki surfaced again, and the organization was defeated in one final battle.

Sasuke was still nowhere to be found.

The Rookie Nine of Konoha grew older and wiser.

Kiba became clan head of the Inuzuka, and became a leading Hunter-Nin.

Shino took rein of the Aburame and lead his clan to greatness as they showed their loyalty to the village.

Hinata took control of the Hyuuga and shocked all with her compassion.

Lee married Sakura and the two settled down, retiring from missions, even though Lee never officially stopped getting stronger.

Sakura became the head medic of the Konoha Hospital, and was renowned throughout the land for her abilities.

Tenten and Neji got together, grateful to Hinata for the changes she had wrought in their clan.

Ino and Chouji married, and the two were never seen apart.

Shikamaru and Temari were inseparable, always together.

Gaara led Sunagakure to greatness and was proclaimed the greatest Kazekage to have ever lived.

Naruto lived, happy for his friends, yet sorrowful for the loss of his first and best friend.

Then one day, a message came in.

Uchiha Sasuke was dead, killed in his blindness and hate.

Shocked, Naruto took the mantle of Hokage and became the Rokudaime of Konoha. His exploits were great; during his battles with Akatsuki, he had fused with the Kyuubi, giving him the name "The Golden Fox of Konoha."

Time passed, and people changed.

All but one: Uzumaki Namikaze Naruto.

He did not age.

He did not weaken.

He did not die.

Horrified as he watched his friends grow old and die as he himself remained in his prime, he fled as the village watched in horror as their great leader ran away.

Finding a cave, he was overtaken by the Kyuubi's instincts and knew nothing, only that he had to sleep.

And so, Uzumaki Naruto slumbered, and the world around him changed.

Nothing is final, which is doubly true for mortals.

The worlds changed, and Naruto slept on.

However, nothing lasts forever, not even the sleep of a fox.

And so Uzumaki Naruto awakens….