Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. The following is a fan-made fictional piece of writing authored by PromistDream based on Kishimoto's Naruto. No monetary profit is gained from the writing of the following fiction.
When the Moon Sets
Chapter 1: The Uzumaki Legacy
Something was wrong…
Growling in irritation, Uchiha Madara's eyes popped open as he shot up into a sitting position. His eyebrows drew together in confused annoyance. He was lying on the ground of an obscure forest.
Where am I?
The Uchiha's eyes narrowed in thought. His mind was fuzzy, filled with fleeting images of what seemed like a fierce battle between hundreds of ninja. He was chakra depleted and he could not remember how he got there. What he could remember seemed wrong – like a distant memory. And his left eye felt different in a way that he could not describe.
Itching to move to a more secure location and figure out what the hell happened, he moved to stand up but paused in shock, staring at the unfamiliar armor and weapons he now carried.
His annoyance quickly became a silent and angry frustration. He was wearing dirty, tattered armor and a mask he could not remember donning. Though judging from the sheer amount of blood he was soaked in, not all of it was his. Meaning that I was in a battle that I, for some reason, cannot remember. But does a battle explain my lack of chakra? Only when he was in dire straits did he use so much of his chakra.
Calming himself (though internally a part of him continued to curse in irritation), Madara stood and glanced at his surroundings – he was encircled by acer trees.
I'm in or near Hi no Kuni, though more likely closer to the border of Yu no Kuni…
Madara started in surprise and slight alarm when a powerful chakra suddenly brushed up against his senses. He focused on it, discerning that the cold chakra was headed swiftly towards his current location. He had maybe less than a minute before the owner of said chakra would be upon him.
The Uchiha ignored the eerie familiarity of the chakra and instead turned his attention on escape – in his current chakra-depleted state, he knew he could not hold his own in a matched fight. Madara formed the handseals and focused what little chakra he had left to –
He froze as he noticed a small figure to his left. Deciding that he could spare a few seconds (it could not be a coincidence that this boy was only a few meters from his unknown location), he stepped closer.
Just at the base of a tree lay an unconscious black-haired child, around nine if Madara had to guess, wearing armor sized for an adult body hanging in layers around his small frame. Like Madara's own armor, the boy's was also coated in blood and dirt. And sewn into the back of his over-sized clothing was the Uchiha Clan crest.
As the powerful chakra (along with several lesser chakras that Madara could now sense) moved ever closer, he made the decision to take the boy with him. If the boy did turn out to be an Uchiha, then he had the potential to become a powerful pawn. If not, then Madara would kill him.
Madara picked the child up, careful of the excess layers of clothing, and slung the unknown boy over his shoulder. Then, rapidly forming the necessary handseals, Madara and the boy were gone in a swirling vortex.
Seconds later, five figures landed noiselessly in the empty clearing. Four others remained silently hidden in the canopy provided by the trees, watching carefully for any threats to their leader.
"This is where you felt the surge?" An aging but strong man asked as he surveyed the area.
Uzumaki Osamu, Kage of Uzushiogakure.
"Hai, Osamu-sama," a female voice answered.
Satomi Ruka, tokubetsu jounin of Uzushiogakure and sensor nin.
The tall man nodded his head and bent down to critically study the array of dirt beneath their feet. Following his lead, the team around him began their own searches, treading carefully as not to disturb any potential clues.
Noticing an odd swirl of debris centered in one location, Osamu ordered softly, "Ruka, search the surrounding trees for any sign of disturbance."
Ruka paused her current search and bowed, muttering, "Hai, Osamu-sama," before taking to scrutinize the trees.
"Osamu-sama!" a man called in astonishment.
Takeshi Ken, jounin of Uzushiogakure and personal guard of the Uzukage.
Osamu turned to look at the man. Ken was cautiously clearing away a bush to reveal a small boy. The boy had bright blonde hair and was dressed in clothes much to large for a child. Peculiarly, though the clothing was riddled with tears, dirt, blood, and burns, the boy himself held no such marks.
"Yasuo," Osamu called in a commanding voice as he moved closer to Ken and the boy.
Hideko Yasuo, medical jounin of Uzushiogakure.
Yasuo nodded in understanding. The man approached the boy, Ken stepping back, and knelt down, pressing two digits against the boy's neck.
As Osamu observed, the remaining of his convoy fell in behind him, curious as to who had been discovered.
"He's still alive," Yasuo stated calmly, pulling his hand back. The green glow of chakra surrounded the medic's hand and he let it hover over the boy's chest. Several beats of silence passed before the man nodded to himself and released the hold on his chakra.
"Though he is suffering from chakra depletion, he has no internal or external injuries. He is currently unconscious as a likely result of chakra depletion but I expect that he will recover within a week," the medic spoke, standing up.
"What should we do Osamu-sama?" Uzumaki Akio queried, glancing at the boy and then his leader.
Uzumaki Akio, seals master and personal advisor to the Uzukage.
Osamu turned his head and discreetly studied his nephew. Though dark bags drooped heavily beneath the man's eyes, Akio's gaze was as steady as always. Four days ago, the man's daughter had fallen into a coma after unknown complications with her Jinchuriki seal. Since hearing the news, the middle-aged man had hardly slept, insisting that he travel with his Kage when Konoha had requested Uzushio for assistance with his great-niece's seal.
After a few quiet moments, he answered, "We take him to the nearest town and leave him at the hospital."
Turning away, Osamu nodded at Yasuo, who moved to pick the boy up. But as the boy was lifted, an object fell from his layers of clothing, falling with a soft clink against the ground.
A headband.
Curious, Osamu picked it up. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw what was engraved on its surface: a swirling leaf.
"He has a Konoha headband," Osamu said slowly as he pocketed the item.
The eyes of the men and woman around him widened in surprise and, though now very curious and suspicious, they remained respectfully tacit.
Osamu glanced at the boy in thought. Finally, he looked up. "We will take him with us to Konohagakure instead. Yasuo, examine the boy again for any additional information. Ken, Ruka, continue searching the area. We will depart in half an hour. We still have three days of travel before we reach Konohagakure."
A chorus of "Hai, Osamu-sama," sounded in the clearing as the group proceeded to obey their leader.
"Odd coincidence, isn't it, Osamu-sama," Uzumaki Akio stated as he approached him, "that we should find this boy on our journey to Konoha."
"Odd indeed," The tall man agreed sagely as he stared hard at the boy.
Hi no Kuni – The Land of Fire
Yu no Kuni – The Land of Hot Springs
Uzushiogakure – The Hidden Whirlpool Village