It should be noted that in this world ninja do not exist. People and places from the naruto universe are used so that some descriptions and relationships are implied (i.e. the hokage is the head of konoha, ino is a yamanaka around naruto's age, etc.). I do not own anything pertaining to Naruto and do not wish to profit from this work. enjoy
Chapter 1: A Boy and His Plants
Passing stranger! you do not know how longingly I look upon you,
You must be he I was seeking, or she I was seeking, (it comes to me as of a dream,)
I have somewhere surely lived a life of joy with you,
All is recall'd as we flit by each other, fluid, affectionate, chaste, matured,
You grew up with me, were a boy with me or a girl with me,
I ate with you and slept with you, your body has become not yours only nor left my body mine only,
You give me the pleasure of your eyes, face, flesh, as we pass, you take of my beard, breast, hands, in return,
I am not to speak to you, I am to think of you when I sit alone or wake at night alone,
I am to wait, I do not doubt I am to meet you again,
I am to see to it that I do not lose you.
-Walt Whitman
(To a Stranger)
Two flower pots hover at the entrance in lieu of noble lions. The flowers grow downward, legion of stems hanging as if they long to be a willow tree. The plants spin at a slow irregular rate, propelled by some unseen force of nature. Greenery lines the front window obscuring the view of inside, but it would come to no one's surprise to find it adorned with plants as well.
Visitors to Konoha overlook this little wonder. It lies just off the main road in an alley that never seems to get much sun. That's quite alright, though, because this residence belongs to the sun personified: a boy, eighteen, with hair descended from sun and eyes that store the sky. The boy finds solace in tending to his plants. This power he possesses, to understand flora, is a gift from the parents he never met.
As a child, Naruto spent his days drowning in anger and sorrow. Constant threats of, "You'll be next!" and pleas of, "Go away!" forced a scowl on Naruto's face that tears washed away when they turned their backs. Monthly visits from the Hokage did little to lighten his heart. How could a child survive on his own?
The Uzumaki clan is plagued by its own history. A legend that each member hosts a demon caused near extinction of the clan almost nineteen years ago. Naruto was the only survivor. Despite their hatred, the people of Konoha exploited the Uzumaki clan for its ability to grow any plant with extraordinary speed and success. A dependency that was overlooked when the decision was made to get rid of them. Of course, once they realized they'd have to learn to grow their own food and make their own medicine, they blamed the Uzumaki clan for leaving them high and dry. Insolence.
With little interest in what school was teaching him, Naruto spent most of his days perfecting his ability, perseverance his only teacher. He'd smell the leaves, taste the roots, and press the flowers to his whiskered face. With practice, he didn't need to know how to measure or calculate, he simply knew. Since he grew most of his own food, the only thing Naruto needed to buy was meat. Luckily, the ramen shop owner just down the road had a good relationship with the Uzumaki clan and resented the people of Konoha for their actions. Naruto would go there once a week to exchange vegetables and spices for meat. He'd stay for warm conversation under the guise of wanting a bowl of ramen. This man was his only friend.
At the age of twelve, Naruto became proficient in his abilities. He discovered that he can control the behavior of his plants. He could force them to grow sideways, shape them into natural bouquets, and even levitate them (a skill useful for observational purposes, but much more entertaining for a little boy). With more time, Naruto's home became a domicile of creation. However, maturity settled his mind and he became more attached to a plants natural state. Though, he never grew out of his infatuation for levitation.
An unknown tradition of the Uzumaki clan was the planting of a seed at birth. The seed comes out clutched in the newborn's hand. Each seed sprouts a plant which no Uzumaki has control over. The plant is given the same name as the child and is a companion for life. It grows slowly, humbling a master of plants. Naruto's herbal companion sat in the corner of his foyer. Though it needs no care, he prunes and waters it just like all the others. The fact of these special plants is that they always bloom at the same point in their human counterpart's life. They bloom after nineteen years of life. The Uzumaki clan attributed this behavior to the Metonic cycle: a period of nineteen years where the moon undergoes 235 lunations after which the phases of the moon will recur on the same days of the solar year. The plant remains in bloom until the end of its caretakers life. It was a very secret tradition of the Uzumaki clan. Naruto has no knowledge of its significance. All he knows is that he is connected to it, and that his plant produced a bud just two months ago, six months before his nineteenth birthday.
The shouts and stares are particularly nasty today. The rain must be fueling their hatred. It's days like these Naruto is glad the ramen shop is only a few blocks away. He stopped outside the Yamanaka flower shop. Two years ago he applied for a job there knowing it would be the perfect place for him, but they had no job for the Demon Disappointment of Konoha. He noticed a row of flowers enjoying the rain. It saddened him this was the last rain they'd enjoy. He realized the stems had been cut too short and the flowers would die by tomorrow morning. Pity. At this point there was nothing even he could do. Ino shot him a glare from inside. He continued on.
Today, in addition to his weekly exchange he brought a particularly beautiful flower he'd managed to grow. The old man's daughter would love it. She was always impressed by Naruto's ability. Just before arriving at the shop, Naruto levitated the flower out from under his umbrella into the rain. The water droplets would catch the light of the ramen shop perfectly making the flower shine.
"Ayame! I've got a gift for you, today."
"Naruto!" she said pretending she wasn't half-expecting him already.
"This one was exceptionally difficult to grow, ya know? I think it came out perfectly. It's yours," he floated the flower into her hands, rotating it along the way so she could see each of its shimmering facets.
Ayame's face gleamed to mimic the flower petals. Their white to deep purple gradient were highlighted by a jet black outline along the edges. The stem had a curve that seemed too perfect for such a natural thing. The rain was a good idea, Naruto assured himself.
"You've got quite the eye for beauty, don't you kid?"
"Old man, how's business today?"
"Pretty slow due to rain. No one's headed out of their house today. Except you, that is. Staying for a bowl?"
"You know it! This is my favorite day of the week," Naruto grinned, his eyes closed with innocence. "The potatoes will be done next week, but here's the rest. Thanks again for buying that plot of land outside the village for me to use. Comes in handy."
"Don't forget I'm getting something out of it, too," the old man claimed. Though Naruto knew he didn't have to buy that land for him, even if he does grow ingredients for the old man.
"Naruto, this morning I heard a rumor of a visitor to Konoha."
"A visitor? Who would ever come here?"
"Rumor is he's from Kumogakure."
"Kumo? People there hate Konoha, don't they?"
"Well, if this visitor is who they say, the people of Kumo hate him more than they hate us."
Naruto didn't understand. How could an entire village go against one of their own? He wasn't even thinking of his own situation.
"I suppose you wouldn't know this, but he's kind of like you, Naruto."
What could the old man possibly mean by that?
"His name is Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha are a clan from Kumogakure. They had a similar relationship to their village as yours did with Konoha."
"Similar… relationship?" Naruto paused, confused as ever.
"Supposedly, they had an ability. Stories say they could control fire. Might not sound as useful as your gift, but it had its purpose". The old man began to regret his decision to tell Naruto about the visitor.
Naruto couldn't say anything. His mind was too preoccupied thinking about someone else who was like him. But he had only heard the start of it.
"Naruto, there's a sad end to this story. I don't know if you should hear it."
"Please, tell me. I gotta hear it, ya know?" His voice was soft.
The old man went on to tell Naruto the tragedy of the Uchiha clan. It is passed down as follows:
Nineteen years ago…
It's the annual Tanka festival. The Uzumaki and Uchiha clans gather to celebrate their abilities. At this festival, competitions are held where teams of two consisting of one member from each clan compete against other teams by reciting Tanka. The affair is genuine and enjoyed by all. The competition is no more than to award those with particularly exquisite creativity. There is no hostility.
sea-green performance
the wolf howls at its own
create space in blue
ripples grant soft memory
practice heaven-sent virtue
the trees howl back
I will stay here in response
space meets at a place
flowers grow to plant seedlings
in reddened taciturn time
Leaders of the clans use this time to convene and discuss their current status within their respective villages. It's usually a grim, depressing conversation that no one wants to have. Admitting that they are the subject of so much hatred is not an easy thing to do. At the meeting this year, however, one member suggested a coup.
"We can't", "Think of the children", "Why do you think I want to do this?", "We can't act too quickly", "I want my son to enjoy his life", "You know why they fear us".
Silence took residence in the room.
Fugaku Uchiha spoke next. "We will take the next year to prepare. Gather our resources. Instead of reconvening for the next festival, we will strike and free ourselves."
"Where will we go?" Kushina worried.
"We have the ability to go anywhere. Our gifts permit us to live anywhere. We belong in the wild anyway."
"Don't say that, Fugaku! We're human, too! We deserve to live in a village just as much as the rest of them."
"That's just it, Kushina. We're not as human as the rest of them."
Silence pushed itself back in.
The truth is the Uzumaki and Uchiha are descended from the same ancestors. A split some time ago explains the difference in their abilities, but they still share a major part of their identity:
peapods in summer
swift rain carries orchids home
shift to other forms
permit the other to stand
save the orchids from silver
they are wolves.
perfect your art, child
pretense and hatred succumb
to nature's own plum
practice semblance with lovers
sun and moon sprout from peapods
Well, only half-wolves, but not wholly human.
The festival ended. A plan was in place to free themselves. It was a simple plan. They would just leave. And while it seemed odd they did not do so before, some of the clan members held jobs in the villages that saved lives. Members of the Uzumaki created medicine that cured the sick of Konoha and the Uchiha clan's flame powered technology that kept the hospitalized from dying in Kumo. They were morally obligated to remain. But the time has come for self preservation to outweigh moral obligation.
Six months later, half the preparations were complete. That night, a boy was born to the Uzumaki clan. Kushina named him Naruto, and planted the seed he brought into this world in a small pot. He would lead a happy life free from oppression away from Konoha. The very next morning, every Uzumaki was dead. Somehow, the leaders of Konoha found out about the clan's plan and determined the best course of action was execution. If they couldn't benefit from the Uzumaki clan's gift, then no one would. Despite their plan, a single member survived. Naruto was found the next day. His killers were unable to finish the job when a baby smiled at them. Hoping he would never find out the truth, Naruto was allowed to live. But as soon as Naruto had the capacity to understand what was going on around him, he was left to live on his own, and he found out the truth.
Paralyzed by the tragedy, the Uchiha had no choice but to stay in Kumogakure. They couldn't survive in the wild without the Uzumaki. As it turns out, six years after the Uzumaki execution, the Uchiha met the same fate. Blindsided, they didn't stand a chance. Again though, the job was left unfinished. Two brothers survived the incident. One was old enough and used as a scapegoat. Rumors circulated that he'd gone crazy and eliminated his entire clan before fleeing the village. The other was Sasuke. He was just six years old and was allowed to live. The Kumo village leaders believed he would never become a threat. No one knew the truth of the Uchiha, though. The Uchiha were feared for their ability to control fire. No one outside the clans knew that the Uchiha were distantly related to the Uzumaki, and as a result, no legends of hidden demons surround the Uchiha name.
Of course, the old man at the ramen shop didn't know the truth about the wolves, and could only tell Naruto the devastating nature of the executions. That was enough.
Naruto has his back to the old man now, watching the rain through slits in the curtains. There's someone else like me, Naruto thought. He felt awful for feeling relieved. He'd rather this Sasuke have his family back than be Naruto's tragedy twin. Still, Sasuke is here. Sasuke would understand like no one else does. Like no one else can.
It's late.
"I'm headed home, old man."
"Here, take some food home, we've got extra tonight."
"Thanks, ya know."
Naruto waves goodbye to Ayame who is moving her new flower around the shop, trying to find the perfect place to complement its beauty. He leaves and steps into quiet rain. No one is on the street. His walk home is peaceful. Naruto's mind drifts through memories he can't decide are real or not. A box of his parents personal effects is buried deep in his closet.
It's late. I'll find it tomorrow.
The old man's story confused Naruto. Sure, he had a quite the green thumb; but ultimately, he was just a boy and his plants.