Full Summary: When he was born, his father left, leaving his mother to suffer raising him by herself. With low money, and a house only big enough to live in, they managed to last fifteen long hard years. But when a shinobi from a distant land tells Naruto of a huge shinobi tournament, hosted by the man who left him and his mother, Naruto is left with only one option. Filled with anger, filled with hatred, and filled with the temptation to seek his old man, Naruto enters the tournament. Though he would have to get past numerous amounts of highly skilled ninjas, Naruto would go as far as his last breath would take him to just get revenge on for his mother.

Let the tournament… begin.

Couple Pairing: Naruto/Sakura, and some others that I have to think about.
Anime Crossover: Naruto and Shaman King, my two favorite anime!!

Rating: Rated "T" for mild language, and violence.
Shippuuden: This is not Shippuuden.

A Shinobi's Creed
By: x HoRo HoRo

…Chapter Two…
"The message of his life"

What he wanted, what he needed, what was left for him to even have; a creed, a creed for his own self as a hidden shinobi. His only friend betrayed him for a single sword, and his life, stated in jeopardy of going into juvenile hall with one more offense. All this ran through Naruto's head as he leaned against the wooden porch railing, feeling the wind burst onto his face, and seeing as the night had only gotten later.

"Another morfiend attack." A woman behind him said.

Naruto lowered his head and sighed, morfiends, just another magical creature that stalked upon the world. They had a mere image of a human, but everytime Naruto would lay eye upon them on TV, they looked so beautiful, especially the females. The wings that would appear from their backs to give them flight made them magical. But every news they had about them, it was always negative, always hurting people… "Not now, okaa-san." Naruto replied vaguely.

"Well, alright, dinners ready." She said, and left Naruto's area.

Naruto stretched his back, and made his way towards the kitchen table. He saw his mother already eating before him, and didn't bother to speak with her at the moment. He sat down, and started to think before he ate.

His dinner was warm and silent. At times, Naruto would stare at his mother as she would stare back with a blank but sorrow pair of eyes. The midst in the air would seem to suffocate Naruto whenever he'd try to make a sound to start a conversation, but everything didn't come out the way he wanted it to… nothing ever came out at all.

For what seemed like hours, but only mere minutes, the table stood quite, until finally, his mom broke out. Her voice was filled with frustration, not quite hate, but not quite the calm type as well.

"What were you thinking Naruto!" She snapped.

"I wasn't thinking about anything!" Naruto shot back.

"Sneaking into a museum in the middle of the night?" Naruto slammed back on his chair, silently he thought, and more and more, she couldn't think of anything. "You were lucky that they didn't find anything in your pockets."

"Just stop talking about it already!" Naruto said, trying to find a way to plead his case, but nothing ever came up.

"Naruto, one more offense of any kind and you'll be going to juvenile hall!" Before she could attempt another word, Naruto had already left the table and stood at the front door. "Where are you going?"

"Taking a walk, what else?" Naruto said, slamming the door behind him as left.

The night was cold as he entered the outside world. As it always had been cold during the night, it felt uneasy and… odd for the first time, as if something magical had happened. The air smelt of drawn blood, but was it his own, or was it something more, he didn't know, not yet atleast.

His mind was full of things that he wanted to get rid of, and to get away from, but when he tried, they just kept on coming back for more. He wanted to express anger by training his shinobi skills, or fighting against another one like him, though it would be hard. In a world full of humans, being a shinobi was like being a murderer; they were not accepted in the world. If police or any human eye witnesses were to see a shinobi in action, it would be immediate punishment by the government. Prison, jail time, community service, even death would be sentenced.

But Naruto didn't understand why, wasn't a shinobi, and human alike? Yet they treat it as if they were a different race. Morfiends are different than a human, and they create so much damage, and slaughter too many people, why aren't they treated as harsh? But Naruto shook it off, a morfiend, to him, was nothing; he didn't care for them no matter what they did. If they wanted to rob a bank, he'd let them, if they wanted to kill his enemies… he'd think about it.

As he turned back, his house was out of view. He must have walked miles because his legs had hurt more than ever. Even though the timing was short, he was sure of the distance. He sat on a wooden bench next to the rocky shore of a lake. The water glimmered with the moonlight that shimmered upon it.

A thought crossed his mind, and he wondered where Sasuke was. With Chijiyorie, the double edged katana, he probably wouldn't be in town, or even near it.

A swift wind blew to the side of Naruto's face, and he followed it, making him turn his head towards its direction. There he saw a shadow, a man, a mysterious man. Naruto squinted taking a good look before it vanished into a large field of forest on the other side of the lake.

"What the-" Naruto quickly focused a small amount of chakra onto his feet and started sprinted across the lake as if the water were solid ground. Every step he took onto the water was like a rock dropping in its place, making a ring of waves crossing one another. "Oi!" Naruto shouted.

As he crossed the river onto real solid ground one again, he jogged his way into the dark forest. The night had only made the forest even darker than it was already, but the moon shined a path for him, and he took it. Once he reached a large opening with trees surrounding the area, Naruto immediately halted to a stop, staring around.

"Uzumaki Naruto-kun." A low bored voice hollered towards him from behind.

Naruto quickly turned with a whirl of wind blowing after him and took a steady stance. "Who wants to know?"

As the man entered into the moons light, his identity was quite clear; he had white spiked-to the back- hair, and a black facemask. He wore a headband with a medal plate, a symbol inscripted in the middle of it; half the headband slouched down, covering his left eye. His green vest was heavily equipped with several kunais and shurikens, as if he wanted to attack soon.

"Me." The man replied, walking closer to Naruto.

"And who would me be?" Naruto snapped back, watching as he moved towards his, and cautiously moving back himself.

"My name is Hatake Kakashi." The man replied.

"Great!" Naruto exaggerated. "And you would be…"

"A shinobi; the same as you." He replied again, this time, his voice got even louder.

Naruto took a long moment to think to himself, and thought about what he would plan to do if Kakashi had attacked, but continued the conversation, but getting irritated. "Cut the crap, what do you want?" He shouted.

"I think the question is… what do you want? You are the one who followed me… right?"

The answers he gave were more like riddles to Naruto's head, even though they clearly weren't. Before he had time to restrain himself and think, he was already halfway from Kakashi and the point to where he stood, holding a kunai he had dug out of his pocket, ready to strike… no, he had already struck.

He swung his arm with the kunai and felt a hit, but has he saw, it was only his arm being knocked back. Before he could attempt another attack, Kakashi had already tangled Naruto's arms, forcing him to drop the kunai, and pushed his foot onto his head, forcing him to stand, immobilized.

"Hold it there boy; I'm not here to fight." Kakashi said. Slowly, he released Naruto and pushed him back a few feet. "I am simply a messenger here to give you an invitation."

"What kind of invitation?" Naruto asked, he picked up his kunai and held it tightly in his grip. Ready if he ever wanted to attempt another strike.

"An invitation for you and all other shinobi like you to join a shinobi tournament. First place prize wins five-hundred-million yen."

The amount of money froze Naruto like ice; five-hundred-million yen? It was a fortune; it was way more than enough for him and his mother to live on. As well, Naruto couldn't believe what he heard, a free submission to a shinobi tournament, and first place win that much money.

"Answer me these three questions first… how do I know this isn't a trick, how did you know my name, and who's hosting this tournament?"

A small laugh erupted out of Kakashi and he sighed. "Naruto, Naruto, that question can easily be answered with one sentence…"

"Then tell me!" Naruto demanded.

"The man hosting the tournament… is none other than, your father, Mintao Namekaze-sama."

The words struck Naruto's head dully, it was firm and yet it hurt so much. Did he just hear that name at random? It didn't matter, rage started to build in his veins, in his breath, and in his muscles. He wanted to unleash anger immediately.

"Nani?"

"My invitation… do you accept?" Kakashi asked, knowing the state Naruto was in as if he'd been watching Naruto, and feeling his pain throughout his entire life. "The tournament isn't a fun zone. Blood, hatred, and even death may rest upon your future. I cannot assure your safety one hundred percent."

Naruto's thoughts had been blocked, and his mind was in its own world right now. He was hesitant to ask another question or even to answer. Did he really want to enter? Knowing his own skills, he was good, but against the whole world, he wasn't sure of. But there was only one thing his mind and soul wanted, and it ventured across a small distant part of his memory. Slowly, Naruto closed his eyes and began to make low humming noises, those that he remembered as a baby.

"I'll take that as a yes…"

.:Naruto:.

"Nani!" The high squelching roar of Naruto's mom soared through the room. Her temper rose to a maximum level as she exploded on him. "No!"

"Nani!" Naruto exhorted himself. "No!?"

"You heard me, Naruto, I said no." She continued.

"Demo, Okaa-san, the tournament!" Naruto pleaded. "It's my dream!" He wasn't sure whether it was true or not, but he had nothing else to say, nothing else that would probably convince her to let him go.

"No! Besides, you dream was to go out with that girl a few blocks down. You exceeded that last year, but lasted for only two days."

The words, like back at the forest, struck Naruto hard in the head. He was embarrassed, especially in front of a messenger, who sat calmly on his couch, sipping a cup of tea as he watched the argument between he and his mother.

"What?" Naruto shouted at a tamper as he saw a sly boring face of Kakashi staring at him. "I moved to fast- why on earth do I even need permission?"

Kakashi sighed as he took another sip of his tea and stood up. "Its rules, no shinobi can enter without the permission from his or her guardian… unless they didn't have any then they'd be free to go."

"Kakashi-san, where is this tournament being held anyways?" Naruto's mother asked, awaiting an answer with a short engine running within her- as if it hadn't exploded already. She tapped her foot ferociously and crossed her arms, staring from Naruto, back to the mysterious shinobi.

Kakashi slowly nodded his head. "Gomen, but I can't give out this information, only the shinobi participants are allowed to know." He turned to Naruto, who made a face from him and back to his mother. His expression was of course dull, part clueless, but also part wanting to enter.

"Okaa-san!"

"That's enough Naruto, bringing a stranger into the house is one thing, but talking about a nonsense life and death tournament? No."

Kakashi felt deep sorrow as he was called a stranger, but he didn't show his feeling and emotion in any way. Instead, he took another calm sip of his tea and shrugged his shoulders. Whatever… He thought.

She turned back to Kakashi and slightly bowed. "Gomen, Kakashi-san, five hundred million yen is an awful lot, but it's a no. Naruto may not enter the tournament you've invited him to."

Anger whelmed up in Naruto as he heard his mothers reply. He squeezed his fists as hard as he can; too hard that he seemed to have felt un uneasy muscle strain within his palm. He wanted to fight, he wanted to win, and he wanted to be in it. He was sure that this was the opportunity that wanted. This was his destiny, he thought, even though he never believed in destiny, he'd tell himself anything just to have one more shot at a good life.

Just as Naruto heard the door of his mothers room close loudly, he couldn't help but to give one final shout to persuade her into letting him go.

"Otto-san is hosting the tournament!" He shouted, loud enough to make the tea inside the cup Kakashi held dribble into bubbly bits.

Long hard minutes past as no one took a step. The room was silent, as if time had froze, no one made a single sound. But Naruto's kept his ears loosened, and soon, from the same room his mother walked into, he heard sounds of sorrow, and whimpering sighs. At that moment, he knew, he knew that his fate had taken a sudden turn, and now he had just gotten past the first step into his goal.

"By the way, Naruto-kun," Kakashi said, getting his attention away from his mother. "You were the last person I had to deliver the invitation to, so…"

Naruto slowly shook his head from one said, held for a few seconds and turned to the other. "So… what?"

"Mind if I stay here for the night? I'll sleep on the couch." Kakashi said with a satisfying voice.

Naruto fell back on a wooden chair and stared aimlessly. The question was just so sudden; Naruto didn't even know what to say at the moment.

"You really are a lame shinobi now that I think of it." Naruto said, adding a little laugh to it.

"Well." Kakashi started. "Let me ask you this; what's worst? Being a lame shinobi or getting beat by a lame shinobi?"

Naruto stopped the laughing humor in his thoughts and enraged at the messenger. "Omae!" Naruto charged with full speed but Kakashi held him back with a hand easily as Naruto attempted to swing a fist, Kakashi used his own palm to block it.

"Hey, you really are short tempered now are ya?" Kakashi joked. He pushed Naruto back, hard enough for him to fall hard on the ground. "Get some sleep, looks like you're in. We'll leave early in the morning."

Naruto got up, rubbing his soreness and made his way across the hall to his room. Thinking about what he was about to endure, he would go to sleep happy, and yet, ready for something more, something different, and something he had been waiting for his entire life; a chance at family.

.:Naruto:.

Kakashi opened his eyes at the sound of a closing door. He thought about ignoring whoever had just exited or entered through a door, and almost closed his eyes, but forced them up as he sat up straight on the couch. He moaned as his eyes carried him off back to sleep, but an uncomfortable feeling left him awake, and strolled over towards the front door.

He opened it, letting in a soft light wind breeze that suddenly had the magic to wake him up. In font of him, he saw Naruto's mother, standing on a small deck of the house, watching the sky as if she'd seen something magical in the air.

Kakashi slowly made his way towards her and attempted to say something, but a hand was raised, and the area just got quieter.

"You'll watch over my son… won't you, Kakashi-san?" The Naruto's mother asked.

Kakashi stood by her side, and stared up as she did too. "I, as one of the fifteen messengers are not just normal humans, we too are shinobi's." He paused, letting the words sink in as he thought of more to say. "When the tournament begins, tomorrow, we fifteen messengers will act like guardians, protecting every contestant as we can from death."

For once, a smile had crossed her face as she heard those words loud and clear.

"But, we are nothing but pawns." Kakashi added. "If they decided to fight to the death, we cannot stop them."

"But please watch Naruto for me…"

"Uzumaki-san, I understand he is your son, but you can't keep on worrying about him like th-"

"I'm not worried about him." Naruto's mother interrupted.

Kakashi tilted his head to the side, confused and muffled by what she had said. "Nandate?"

"I'm worried that… that he might end up killing someone."

"Ha!" Kakashi retorted. "I'm glad you believe that Naruto-kun is strong, but there are thousands of shinobi's; don't take them so lightly."

"That is true, but Naruto's different."

"How exactly?" Kakashi asked, interested in how and why she thought her son was so different from all the rest.

"Before his father left, Minato-kun transferred something into Naruto." A long pause roamed the air as Kakashi kept his ears wide open. "A spirit… he called it Spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox, otherwise known as The Kyuubi."

"Kyuubi?" Kakashi repeated.

Naruto's mother nodded. "Hai…"

"What does it do?" Kakashi asked.

"For every tail that's triggered, he gains an enormous amount of chakra… I've only seen him in a one-tailed state, but it was scary, he wasn't the same boy I knew when it happened."

"What triggers it?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "All I know is anger, sorrow, and frustration. Also, knowing how low tempered Naruto is, I'm worried for someone else's life more than his own."

Kakashi laid a hand on her shoulder, calming her down from the fear of Naruto. He didn't quite understand what she meant, or what the spirit within Naruto was, but he knew that someday during the tournament, he would soon find out. He wasn't sure how strong it would be, even based on what Naruto's mother described, but sure it wouldn't be as bad… atleast that's what he thought.

He has seen a lot of shinobi's throughout his entire life, and surely, he couldn't think of anyone or anything that would be as strong as him, or the host of the tournament, Minato, but things were sure to be different someday, and today might have been the day.

"Don't worry; I will do everything in my power." Kakashi said in a low toning voice. "But does he know about it? Does he know that he has it?"

A tear dropped from the crystal eyes as she whimpered onto Kakashi's shoulder. Sobbing as she did hours ago after hearing the name of her father hosting something. But she knew what would have to happen, and she was willing to let go the last piece of her life just to have it happen.

"No."

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Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this. I've really debated on this chapter if I should make this a long 15 page chapter, or two seperate chapters because I was thinking about adding alot of things, so I decided to do none of them! I ended up taking out some things I felt were not needed and shorten the chapter up a bit.

I don't really accept burning flames but I will accept something like- "You mispelled something." or "aww this was boring..." I guess... But please review! I know you'd like them, and I do too!

Again, thank you, and stay tuned please. I'm sorry if this took a while to update, remember, this is christmas week!

Story Notes
Five hundred million yen is the same as 4,383,000 dollars.
And also, I know that the Nine Tailed Kyuubi is really a demon, not quite a spirit, but bear with me!