Challenge by Soprano-in-waiting
Summary: Sarutobi wasn't the only one to watch during the fight with Mizuki. The ANBU commander watched from the shadows, waiting for a chance to intervene. What he decides to do, will change the world forever.
Author's Note: This is my first story, each chapter will probably be 4-5k words if not a 10 or 20k special. Updates will probably be once or twice every few days to a week. I will try to inform you guys in advance, if there is a problem.
'Thoughts'
Prologue...
Takashi Abina, was a young man, but a seasoned veteran of war, at the age of 34. He had seen many amazing, and horrible things in his life, but what he was seeing now, was mind blowing. As the Anbu Commander, he was the first one sent after the criminal who had taken the scroll. It wasn't a huge attempt by an outstanding shinobi, but it was done by a academy student, who was dead last, no less! He had heard the dead last, had failed the exam again this year, but was skeptical, but he didn't probe.
'Uzumaki Naruto, the host of the Kyuubi. He's trying to use the forbidden scroll?! Doesn't he realize what it was? He isn't doing anything particularly harmful, since most of the techniques in that scroll are beyond him. Heck, even me!' Thought the Anbu.
Iruka who was a Chunin at age 24 was the sensei at the academy, who admittedly hated the 'Kyuubi Brat' , but was charmed by Naruto's way of thinking and determination. He had been blind towards the hatred Naruto felt, and he was sorry he left him alone. Iruka was extremely angry at what Naruto had done, and tried to find him desperately, before he was captured, or worse, killed.
'Should I do something or not? I'll probably wait to see what Iruka has to say.' pondered the Anbu as he watched from the trees, silently watching the approaching confrontation.
Now many people had thought, Uzumaki was a talentless loser and a dumb demon, who had no chance in succeeding, but those who knew him best, knew better. Naruto was extremely smart, knowing if he played dumb, the council and civilians wouldn't even try to limit his ability to become a Shinobi. They would graduate him, send him on a dangerous mission, impossible to accomplish, and hear the news of his death. He knew that people had purposely failed him, and still tried to do it. He also knew the scroll was sacred, so he tried to pin the blame on Mizuki, who had "tricked" him into taking it.
'Hmmm, what technique should I try? The Katon Jutsu sound promising, but making solid clones of oneself? The possibilities... To perform the Jutsu, you need Jounin level chakra. To perform the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, one must cross his two index and middle fingers together in a cross, as you summon chakra. Picture a copy of yourself and call on your chakra to summon a clone of yourself.
Naruto had tried diligently and earnestly, trying to succeed, but he only was able to make a half dead copy at most. Noticing Iruka approaching, Naruto put a grin on his face, turning and laughing.
"Iruka-sensei! I found you!" bellowed Naruto, as he gave a nervous laugh at the tic mark on Iruka's face.
"FOUND ME! More, like me finding you, Naruto! What are you doing with this scroll? I've spent hours trying to find you! What were you trying to accomplish Naruto?" questioned Iruka in an angry voice, matched by an equally angry face.
"I was only trying to master the Jutsu, in the scroll so I could pass!" reasoned Naruto, as Iruka who was listening, gaped.
"What! Who told you that Naruto? We need to go the Hokage quickly to get his mess cleared up!" stated Iruka who was beginning to feel a slight chill. Suddenly, Iruka shoved Naruto suddenly who gasped in surprise, as Iruka was hit with multiple kunai, lodged in his legs and arms, pinning him to a tree.
Takashi, the silent Anbu, had noticed it, but he realized it was not a killing strike, and deduced, that it would be better to wait and watch the real mastermind gloat.
'So, this is from Mizuki, that Chunin, who was accused of killing one of his comrades on a mission. Tch, he managed to fool me, with his nice guy facade. I need to step up and act like an Anbu Commander.' thought Takashi.
"Iruka, it was a shame you had to be here tonight. But, I suppose its better, as when you witness me killing the brat. I get to take the scroll and escape! You all fell for it to! HAHAAHAHAHH" came Mizuki's deranged laughter which chilled the bones of the 3 present to hear him.
"Why Mizuki? Why would you do this? You were a Chunin, you could've moved on and became a Jounin? We were friends and I trusted you!" spat out Iruka who was getting furious as the smirk on Mizuki's face.
"Why, you say? I hate this village, Konoha will burn, as I bring this scroll to my master. I've hated you Iruka! You always sided with that brat, and all he did was prank and he doesn't deserve to live at all! He's killed my parents! Do you hear that Naruto? Your a monster who doesn't deserve to live!" screamed Mizuki who was becoming increasing agitated as he prepared a giant shuriken on his back to throw.
"Naruto, do you want to know why, everyone's hated you, your whole life? No one likes you and they never will because-"
"Don't you dare Mizuki! Your breaking a law which can get you killed!" cut off a desperate Iruka who could only glance at the distraught face of Naruto, and try not to wince.
"Why... why does everyone hate me?" Naruto could barely ask.
Takashi was in a very bad situation now. Either wait for Mizuki to tell Naruto the truth about the Kyuubi, and have Naruto flip and likely unleash the Kyuubi or go insane. Or, he could execute the law, and kill Mizuki, and rescue them. ''If I kill Mizuki, we won't know who his master is, but if I don't kill him, Naruto could go insane or worse." Takashi furiously thought as he quickly decided what he was going to do.
"The reason why everyone hates you, Naruto, is because, of the fact that you are the Kyuubi! The Fourth never killed it! It was a lie, so no one would know it was you who was the Kyuubi! Oh, but we knew, and we hated you for it! The foolish Sandamie would never allow us, to tell you. We shunned you, hated you, beat you, and tormented you! It was nothing less than what you deserve you little monster!" and with that, Mizuki, drew, his arm back, holding the giant shuriken by the loop in the middle, as he threw it, directly at the stunned Naruto, who was so shocked, he couldn't react.
Iruka had silently removed the kunai, and jumped in front of Naruto, his face, facing him, as the shuriken entered the back, lodged in his back, with a sickening squish.
"Why..." Naruto whispered, "Why did you save me and help me?"
"Naruto, I could never hate you... You reminded me of myself to much... I could see your loneliness, and sadness, the pain of being an orphan, dragging you down. Like me, I could relate to you, trying as hard as I could, being the class clown, to get that attention I had craved. So I tried to help you as much as I could, and I failed... You are not they Kyuubi Naruto, it was sealed in you. Run with the scroll and don't let Mizuki get it." Iruka gasped out, as his tears poured onto the ground.
Naruto ran as hard as he could, tears streaming as he later came back, and saw Mizuki about to kill Iruka. Naruto had decided he would die to help Iruka, as he jumped in front of Iruka, who was unconscious.
"I won't let you hurt Iruka-sensei anymore!" declared Naruto, as he held his hands up in a cross, his chakra pouring out of his body, as his emotions powered him.
"KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" screamed Naruto as thousands of clones filled the forest, stunning the three into shock.
Takashi who had been watching, was greeted with a sight that stunned him to his very core. Naruto, dead last, pariah of Konoha, had pulled a feat, that Kages would not be able to do.
Mizuki who was so confident that he would win, was stunned and frightened, as the clones around him began to smirk, and crack their knuckles as they mobbed him.
A few hours later, a report put in, a badly beaten up person in jail, and a person now sleeping, and a request was now being asked.
"Are you sure?" asked the Sandamie quietly, pondering the request as he gazed at the faces of the Hokages, looking at the Yondamie, in particular.
"Positive Hokage-Sama, he has potential, and you have seen it. I can reverse the damage done to him, and make him a Shinobi anyone would respect." replied Takashi with his Bird Mask, now in place.
"Alright. This decision is now final. Uzumaki Naruto, will be recruited and drafted into Anbu."
