Protector's pride
SUMMARY: Naruto Uzumaki fought to save his precious people from harm. But he took things seriously very late. This is what happens when the death of one of his precious persons instigate the change in him earlier. This will be an au but will follow cannon pretty closely pairings undecided as of yet.
I don't own the series. This story may have some similarities with other stories with same theme but occurrence of that is purely coincidental.
Listen to so far away by avenged while reading this chapter it will set the mood perfectly.
Chapter one: the birth of a shinobi
The night was a time when Naruto Uzumaki always let his mask drop. For most of the days it was in his apartment where no one else would look for him.
But today he had no intention to go home. Three days had passed but he still couldn't get over it.
Every where he looked it reminded him of Iruka sensei, his forehead was covered by the forehead protector bearing leaf emblem. Hokage had deemed him eligible for the genin rank for his performance in real combat situation. In any other day he would yelled in joy but this was no other day. The guilt of losing a person who called him 'little brother' who saw him Naruto Uzumaki the clown of Konoha not the nine tailed monster weighed over his soul.
He stood in front of a large stone kunai. Almost half of the large monument was filled with names. These names were to remind the future who the real heroes were. Naruto couldn't bring himself to the funeral for his beloved sensei. Hokage told him only five people were there including him all of them who worked with him.
He had gone to see his 'big brother's' grave and was glad to see he was resting just beside his parent's graves. 'At least you get to be with your family now Iruka sensei.' Naruto thought solemnly.
He knelt down and placed the bouquet of white carnations he had bought from a shop under his henge. He slowly touched the headstone tracing the lines written about the fallen warrior.
"A warrior, a friend and a teacher may the will of fire burn brightly to show you your heaven."
Naruto read the inscription under his breath. And for the first time in his life Naruto Uzumaki jailor of the mighty nine tailed fox prayed to god not for his own sake but for his deceased friend.
And thus with a melancholy mood he stood in front of a stone obelisk that would have a different visitor for all day.
"I cannot let it happen anymore, I will not let happen anymore. I will save all of them who I hold close with my own life. I will do anything cross any limit to protect my friends, I promise this to you Iruka nee san." Tears buried deep within for years once again started falling as he heard footsteps behind him.
Sarutobi Hiruzen was cursing his predecessor and strangely successor to hell and back for leaving him in this mess. He failed to protect Minato's legacy and the person who did it in his stead lied in eternal peace. But his face soon broke into a small smile as he heard the end part of Naruto's promise.
With a fond shake of his head the wizened leader of the hidden leaf thought of the same unyielding determination of another blond haired blue eyed person. He walked to stand beside the teen who was now looking him in the eye.
"You know Naruto Kun the goal you just set is even harder than your dream. It will be a long uphill battle" Hiruzen chuckled as he laid his hand on the head of his pseudo grandson. Naruto looked at him tears now stopped eyes filled with more determination than ever.
"You don't understand gramps, everywhere I see it reminds me of Iruka nee, I don't care what you say but it was my fault. I was too weak but I won't be weak." Naruto yelled this time his flashing anger bubbling up from within him. But he stopped when he saw the proud smile that adorned hokage's face.
"I see maybe I can help you there, but are you completely serious about your goal." Naruto nodded at the question. And another smile lit up on hokage's face taking some of the lines with it to never return.
He let out a laugh, the kind of one that no one has seen him laughing for over a decade. After a while he asked Naruto again, "and how do you propose to do so." Full well prepared for the guilty look that passed onto the teen's face the old leader titled 'professor' saw a smaller scroll with six jutsus held before him.
His experienced eye recognized them to be from the forbidden scroll. "Ah these ones" He spoke to himself "it has been many years since any of these were used." Then focusing again on the squirming blonde standing before him Sarutobi could help but snicker.
"While I admit these are strong and good techniques to have, all of them are far beyond your level." He told the boy kindly, "however I could give you the help you require." Naruto's face once again lit up in joy but he kept his mouth shut as he could see that Hiruzen wasn't finished yet.
"Now come with me and I will see what I can give to you." The hokage tightened his hold and with a puff of smoke both of them vanished from there.
HOKAGE TOWER
In side hokage's office the two travelers had different reactions while Sarutobi simply went sit at his chair Naruto sunk in the first chair he got. Smiling at the scene before him the old leader of leaf felt himself lighter than he felt in days. The simple fact that his pseudo grandson was going to overcome the grief gave him a strange feel of contentment.
"So Naruto Kun what kind of scroll would you like?" the question broke Naruto out of the funk body flicker caused. Was it a scene from a week ago the blonde would have asked for a ninjutsu scroll but a lot has changed in one week. Naruto had matured more in one night than last three years together; he now was trying figure out his mistakes rather than simply pretend they don't exist.
"Iruka sensei always told me that I have more body strength than average but my style is horrendous so I guess I should first work on that area. What do you think old man?" Naruto answered his eyes scrunched in concentration but his customary smile absent. 'He has almost stopped smiling I guess some things can never be healed' the thoughts ran through the old kage's mind as he channeled chakra to a specific portion of the table with a puff a scroll appeared there.
"Here Naruto Kun this scroll has detailed information about a very special taijutsu style. Take it as your graduation present." Naruto picked up the scroll, it looked old very old and was bit damaged at places. He was pondering on what to do next when Sarutobi spoke again. "You know Naruto kun like you I have also seen my sensei die. Do you know how I became hokage?"
Just as Hiruzen expected the boy's curiosity picked up at once. Not letting his face betray any of the pain he still felt about the incident Sarutobi began recounting the incident that still managed to fill his nights with nightmares.
"Several blasts could be hard from afar as Tobirama sensei led us across the forest; we were seven in number counting sensei. My team and I were originally from shodaime's squad but after sensei passed away Tobirama sensei took us in. we had gone to aid a border encampment from what we heard was kumo's border forces but the information was faulty we had ran across the entire elite kin gin squad. Two chunins and four genins were no match for the elite of kumo. Sensei tried to lead us back to Konoha all the while trying to rescue as many of the wounded as he could that was fiercest fight I had ever seen sensei get into."
Flashback
"Water style: water vortex jutsu" cried Tobirama Senju the second hokage of leaf village. The condensed water stream hit two of kumo's warriors while rest managed to dodge it. The two that got hit died instantly their entire rib cage was crushed from the water pressure. Still this was bad even with the loss of seven the kin gin forces still had twenty shinobi strong while he was getting tired. Tobirama jumped from the tree branch he was in as twelve lightning tendril hit the tree before wrapping it in a lightning net. He started to form hand seals in a fast pace as a cleaving sword strike forced him to dodge but still continuing the hand seals. As he finished he slammed his hand on the ground, "water style: hidden water death trap."
For a moment nothing visual happened and three of the attacking forces got cocky they jumped on the ground lunging at the visibly tired opponent their large cleaver like blade wrapped in blue thunder. But as soon as they came within ten feet of Tobirama water from the air condensed around him wrapping them in a cocoon of water and the greatest water user in history watched in grim satisfaction as the attackers choked to death right before his eyes. Their hands clawing their throat trying desperately to breathe as slowly but surely they fell to their deaths.
"Sensei we are ready to move." The yell from his female student Koharu allowed him to create a shadow clone and quickly move away the trap would ensure that the rest of ten shinobis don't follow them but the trap would be able help when Kinkaku and Ginkaku enter the fray.
They ran for five more hours until they had to drop down from the trees as a powerful lightning blast turned the tree they were about land into cinders. Tobirama cursed inwardly as he understood who caused the attack the fiercest tag team of Kumogakure had joined the hunt.
Turning towards his students he announced, "We need a decoy if we are to make it out of this forest alive." Silence ruled the forest as every one of them thinking deeply about the situation when Hiruzen spoke out, "I will do it, I am the strongest of the six and Danzo can take care of them for me."
Tobirama Senju brother to Hashriama Senju never been prouder in his life, he had long since decided who the decoy would be but he wanted to see who would be the newest hokage of leaf. "I will be the decoy" he spoke in a clear voice "I entrust my village to you six Saru I name you the Sandaime Hokage of Leaf. Remember when tree leaves dance, one shall find flames. The fire's shadow will illuminate the village and once again the tree leaves shall bud new."
Flashback end
As Hiruzen finished recounting his tale the atmosphere had changed in the room the fire he saw earlier in Naruto's eyes returned greater than ever, while he himself felt a tear slid down his sunken cheeks.
"I will leave now gramps, I will see you later." Naruto said before he left the room. He had a lot to think about.
Author's Note: here is the first chapter of Protector's pride. The chapter may be a bit short I personally am too lazy to write huge chapters like with 5k+ but the word count will increase in time. Please read and review if there is some grammatical error please be considerate and r&r.
