Chapter1-The Fox Hidden in Fire
3 Years after the Demon Attack
October 8
Concerning the generations of shinobi that have lived and died right down to the first fighter, to the generations that are being born today, Sarutobi Hiruzen has never seen such hate condensed in the civilians and ninja of the hidden leaf village. So much hostile and feral feelings towards the soul that took a lot of things that were important to them; hate that which wasn't more active than the week's celebration of the end of a monster and an end of hundreds of lives. He looked outside his office window and saw the fireworks flying to the skies and a small crowd forming with torches. The Hokage turned and pulse his chakra out into the room and three Anbu appeared before him.
"I want you to make sure that the child doesn't receive severe injuries from this year's festivities, do I make myself clear! None of that waiting for proof make sure he Does. Not. Die!" the hokage says with such earnest that one of the anbu's flinch away. The three ninja nods their head and disappeared. Sarutobi frowned as he saw a fire grow in the distance.
The 3rd Hokage went away from his window and sat down behind his maple desk and pulled out a crystal ball. Sarutobi grimaced with every hit, with ever shout, with every drop of blood that came from Nartuto's body and he couldn't do nothing about to show he wouldn't show favoritism for the Jenjuriki . He continued watching what was happening out in the village, watching a little blond boy get beaten again by the villagers with hate that didn't seem to be decreasing. The fight, if you call it that, and went on for 15 minutes before the anbu he sent to protect the child arrived. After the crowd dispersed the Hokage thought, 'I'm sorry Naruto; if only I can do more….you don't deserve this.' Sarutobi thought while Naruto was unconscious in a dark ally.
Flashback (evening)
3 years ago October 11
The Clans Heads and the Civilians representatives were all surrounding the large table about to start a meeting.
"Kill the Demon!"
"Don't Let Him Live!"
"Get him out of our presents!"
"Finish what the 4th started…!"
The shouts of demand went on while the Third Hokage walked into the room with a little bundle of yellow in his arms and placed him in a crib that was beside his seat. The hokage listen to the ramblings of the council and sighed to himself. He always want democracy with in the walls of the council but their decisions always get in the way of what is for the good of the entire village. He, as the leader of this village, didn't have a complete say in what is done about the leaf as a whole but he did have a little more than half the power in what is done to the shinobi that kills for this village. He know the lineage the blond boy would lead to be and he know that if the council makes the wrong decisions the future could end up disastrous if not handled carefully. Sarutobi waited patiently for the council to stop talking.
'I really don't have time for this.' He thought to himself. He stood up from his seat and yelled "SILENCE!" and everyone stopped talking.
"Now that everyone is done talking we can get on with this meeting. A thousand people just died yesterday and every single one of you is complaining about the happenings of a single baby."
"Not just any baby! It's a demon! And we don't know the cost that will come if we let it live!" said one of the civilians. The Third looked his way and saw one of the monopoly owners that have a collection of restaurants scattered across the village. The civilians of the leaf have always been exceptional towards the village and its economy. But Sarutobi and all the other shinobi sometimes they are given too little or too much power over certain situations for example: the ninja affairs like missions or simple affairs like agriculture.
"And what per say does this have to do with your line of business?" he asked through his teeth.
"Well…", the business man said uncertainly, " A man named Ki died and he was one of my best buyers, and I can't have all my customer being killed off by a monster!" Most of the civilian part of the council nodded their heads in agreement and the others grunted in understanding. The third just shook his head.
"Well I'll tell you right now; this baby isn't going to die any time soon."
"And why is that Lord Hokage? You've seen the damage it caused it can't possibly live!" Uchiha clan head said. "Why are you protecting the boy Hokage-sama, what is he to you?" There was silence with in the room after the question was asked. Everyone turned their head towards Sarutobi and waited for him to answer.
"What is the boy's name anyway?" said one of the other clan leaders.
Sarutobi laughed has everyone was quietly thinking of the baby's name. After a couple of minutes half the council shrugged their shoulders while the other half didn't respond.
"Your all deciding a child's fate even when you don't even know the child's name or heritage!" he said.
"What is the child's name!" questioned the Inuzuka.
'I promised that I wouldn't tell them' the aged Hokage thought.
"His name is Naruto Uzumaki and he was born in the hidden village of the leaves, and as Hokage I protect everyone in this village and that does not change with him."
Everyone scowled at him, while the little baby was kicking under his covers. Everyone knew that the Uzumaki clan was extinct. No one knows the full extent of what went on in that part of the village which was now old and abandoned only 12 miles away from the leaf. Not much was heard about the secrets of its group but it did not last long as the Uchiha or Hyuuga so their abilities were, in Sarutobi's opinion, mistakenly dismissed.
"Even if he maybe the cause of future tragedies to said village? Hokage-sama we need to kill the boy, there is no telling what would happen if he were to grow up. And what will happen if it starts to read into its history, and finds out what we did to it in the not too distant past?" said one of the Hyuuga council members said with concern.
"Now, now Hyuuga, this is a little boy we're talking about…"said the Nara clan head.
"A little boy that can become a huge threat in the future!" the Hyuuga interrupted. That's when the council started shouting more demands of what they thought should happen to the boy. Half of them could already see an older feral Naruto running through the hidden leaf slashing at everyone's hearts and souls. The Third looked upon the leaders of Hidden Leaf Village with disgust. Its as if they will not progress from their traditions and see that what they have learned may come to use but is now superseded.
"SILENCE!" said Sarutobi. Even for someone as old as him knows when to move on.
"What would you have us do Hokage-sama, just watch as the boy, Naruto," he said letting it roll on his tough and making a face deciding he didn't like it. "…grows up and have the demon corrupting him every second of everyday!" said one of the civilians.
"What if he loses control and then it would be yesterday all over again." Said the Inzuka clan head.
The old man was worried if the council chooses unanimously then it would be over for Naruto. He promised he would protect Naruto at all cost, he promised Minato and he knew that even he never went back on his word. "Sarutobi-sama may I make a suggestion on the matter…. "He looks up at Danzo and waiting. Sarutobi only sees an senile old man, much like himself, but much more deranged.
"…. Maybe it would be wise if I take him into ROOT." Everyone started to whisper to one another about Danzo's idea. 'Oh no I don't like where this is going…' thought the Hokage.
"Why would we want him to go into ROOT, I don't want him to become a danger than what he already is…" said the Haruno clan head. (Yeah they have a clan too, just go along with it). Everyone was arguing over what they should do about the baby…again.
"Be quiet!…. He's only a baby boy, why not let him live, he has done nothing wrong and we don't even know if something will happen…." In the whole ordeal Fugaku was silent the whole time.
"What about you Hokage-sama?" Haruno asked. She had the kyrptic look on her face as if she was trying to connect the dots. The Haruno clan was known for their problem solving.
"What about me?" The Hokage said with a curious expression.
"You seem close to the boy… maybe your emotion for the demon brat is getting in the way of your judgment." The Hokage was panicking but it didn't show on his face.
"Why do you care for 'Naruto' Sarutobi? I know what you said earlier but I seem there something more there…" said Koharu Utatane.
The Hokage was quiet.
"Then why don't we have a vote then…all in favor in having the demon baby executed…"
"Hold on a second! Just like everyone else in this village the boy has lost his family too. And just to make it worse for wear you want to kill him to when the parents fought so hard to keep him alive!" the third shouted out.
"Nevertheless, I bet the parents didn't know that the child would be the vessel for the kyuubi either. I think there is no point in avoiding the enviable so why we don't get this over with and have a good night's sleep." Said Danzo. The Hokage thought to himself, 'as if anyone can get a good night sleep even two days after the disaster.'
"WAIT..." Sarutobi said stopping the head Hyuuga from counting down. "I'll make a compromise…"
"And what is the compromise then" said Fugaku Uchiha said.
"I want him to live in an orphanage and if any sign of the demon controlling him then you may….solve the problem." the Third said in a solemn voice with his head down. Everyone thought about this until a civilian spoke.
All the council thought that no they won't get to kill the demon but I retrospect the boy was only a few steps away from easily being handle if need be.
"What is to say that you won't stop us or get someone to stop us for you…."
Sarutobi was quiet. "I won't interfere."
"But before we start I would still like everyone to consider the thing into ROOT. Half our army just died and with the boy it could equal half the power we have lost.' Says Danzo leaning toward the other clan leaders.
"Enough with your military bull shit general, it's too dangerous! End of discussion!" said Yamanaka.
"Then it settled then…all in favor of the compromise…." Shikaku Nara said. Every raised their hand, except Donzo who just watch Naruto in the crib.
Flashback Jutsu Finished
'I'm sorry Naruto'
Flashback Jutsu (night time)
Three years ago
The 3rd Hokage carried Naruto into the orphanages room and laid him down on the crib.
"Kyuubi…. I know you can hear me…" he sighed quietly in the dark. "…it seems I made a deal with a devil and it wasn't you. You shouldn't heal him in the future,….if any one finds out that he's been healing at a fast rate, they will think you are taking him over…only asking that you don't heal him completely, enough that they won't notice." The old man said. The Hokage couldn't stay long. With accusations about his relationship with the toddler and the tension about letting the boy live he could not be seen with Naruto very long. After five minutes he comforts the boy and let the building.
Flashback Jutsu Finished
The Sarutobi turned off the crystal ball sulking.
In The Ally
Naruto lay in the ally about to wake up from unconsciousness. The sky was still dark and almost every light in the village was turned off but gave just enough to see his way around. He walked over and looked at himself in the reflection of the puddle nearby. He looked small for his age, at least a head shorter than everyone else. He really didn't have any meat on his bones because low amounts of food. Some parts of his skin was smudged under dirt and his hair was mated down from the mud he fell in.
The only thing recognizable from the little boy was his clear Pacific blue eyes and the whisker marks on his cheek.
The little toddler got up to his feet and started walking towards the little bridge in training ground 7. He walked under the bridge to where the sides of the land held it up and found rag covers lying on the dirt. He looked under the pillow he had and found an old first aid kit and started to wrap his body with bandages. He was covered in gashes and bruised along his arms, legs and back. He looked around his sleeping spot and thought he might find a new hiding spot that wasn't so visible on the left side where if any walked by they would see him or all his stuff.
He got a needle and thread and started sowing the gash that cut across his chest and stomach.
After doing that for an hour, he finished wrapping the bandages around his body. And he fell asleep crying. 'What I do wrong.'
It was only the afternoon that Naruto found himself sitting on a swing near the academy. He watches all the kids playing ninja with the other kids. Naruto stop trying to make friends with them since he got kick out the orphanage. Naruto didn't know the reason for why everyone treated him like trash. As if he did something wrong which he didn't think he did. Naruto remember one time when at lunch, he took two cookies instead of one. He didn't mean to. The frosted cookie was sticking together and he had already touched the top one so he took both. The orphanage lady came by and saw him with the two cookies and snatched his plate of food from his hand and yelled that he wasn't to have any more cookies. The kids laughed at him and the teacher did nothing to stop it. This keep going for 3 years but Naruto tried to keep those first of many memories at bay.
The blond got up from his swing and started walking back into town. He tried to ignore all the glares but it was get hard to not notice. Naruto's body filled with hopelessness and then rage, with his hands to his side in little fist. It all became clear to him then that what they were doing and how their reaction was affecting him. They did own him. The day that was kicked, no, thrown out to that cold place they demed an orpahage was the day Konah lost ownership of Naruto Uzumaki. They have no powers to keep him down but the fact that they were only more powerful and taller than him. As if that matter to Naruto because he was going to be the most powerful of them all!
Naruto screams, "I hate you all…someday I'll be Hokage, and then you have to respect me!" Naruto ran as fast as he could back to his little shelter. But on his way he didn't see where he was going and bumped into someone. He looked up and squinted to see who it was, but at the moment all he could see was the glaring sun. Once his vision cleared and he finally saw an Anbu around the age of 16.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bump you, it was an accident, I won't…." He was interrupted by the tall man.
"It alright…just watch where you're going next time."
Naruto nodded his head and ran away towards the bridge.
The anbu walked into the compound and past the Uchiha civilians. He heard what they were saying as he past by. Squeals and screams of his name and how 'Prodigy' he was. But Itachi didn't think it matter nor did he care that they were funning over him. He had business to take care of and right now that's all that matters.
He walked towards the compound's secret training ground, but looked up at the sky and saw a hawk flying by.
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