Will of the Oath Breaker, Chapter One: An adventure begins
A young boy was running down the street to make it to class on time, and, unbeknownst to most passersby, something important just happened. It is not the case here, that this important thing was a grand spectacle. As with most important events in any person's life, it was an everyday decision that people rarely even think about.
The boy, who was called Naruto, decided that roof-hopping was the fastest way to get to school.
Naruto scaled the wall of the nearest building and swung himself onto the roof, and began his hopping spree. The school was in sight, and Naruto sighed in relief that he wasn't going to miss his first day at the Ninja Academy. But now distracted, the youth tumbled onto the street.
Naruto landed on a fruit cart, which understandably angered the owner. However, the look of pure disgust Naruto got when the owner saw his yellow mop of hair and whisker marks was mostly unrelated to his lost profit. The angry rant that followed, drew a crowd to the scene. No one was quite sure when the curious bystanders became an angry mob, but it may have been after someone commented on Naruto's attendance at the Academy. Or perhaps it started after Naruto tried to run away, and someone thought he was attacking. But either way, an angry mob against an emaciated seven year old without proper training was unlikely to end well. Naruto, went into shock after the first few of his ribs were broken by all the kicking to his small frame. Which, all things considered was a good thing especially when a pair of Chūnin arrived on the scene, who, judging by the fire jutsu they cast, were not there to help Naruto.
Naruto awoke, confused, in a large stone-lined hallway. The lights seemed a little dim, and there appeared to be a leak somewhere. Naruto felt oddly at home here, but there was also a sense of unease about the place. Naruto wondered if the mob threw him into the sewers, thinking he had died, before noticing a dim light at the end of the hallway. He ran down the hallway, trying to get to the light, passing doors that were too many and too grand for the sewers, he thought absently as he went by. Approaching where he thought the light had come from, he reached the grandest door of all.
He felt as though he was entering a territory not his own.
Considering its size, opening the door was surprisingly easy, and Naruto found himself briefly reconsidering going through the door. It was almost as if the simple act of opening this door was of more importance than it seemed. But being a child, Naruto barely paused to consider the consequences.
The room was massive in size, Naruto thought it must be what a palace was like, but completely bare. At the back of the room was a cage. He couldn't explain it, but it made him nervous. Naruto approached the cage, dreading what lay beyond, but curious enough to go on. The cage appeared to hold nothing but shadow, though Naruto knew that something lurked within. Naruto was shocked to see the form of a large beast emerge from the dark. The beast gazed upon Naruto with curious milky ember eyes. They appeared to consider Naruto for a time before narrowing, as the beast snarled. Naruto's steps faltered as he approached the cage.
"Yes, come closer kid," a voice boomed. Naruto felt the vibrations of the beast's growl run through his body. Suddenly, the beast's claws swiped at Naruto. Only the bars on the cage saved him. Everything in Naruto's body was telling him to run, to get away from that thing, but he couldn't move away from the cage. "I'd like to eat you, but this damn seal..."
"What" He couldn't seem to find his voice.
"What am I? My host doesn't know about me? What kind of village is your Hokage running?" The word Hokage was spat, like it left a bad taste in the beast's mouth.
Naruto scrunched up his face, confused. "How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"Because I am the Nine-tailed Demon Fox sealed within you."
The slow water drip in the hallway seemed to echo more loudly than it had a moment ago. Naruto was flabbergasted. He had heard the stories; the monster that Yondaime gave his life to defeat, that had killed so many villagers. And if the stories were wrong if the beast was the fox, alive and sealed within him? All of a sudden, the looks, the hate, the eyes of the villagers made sense.
"Yes, it has been my presence that has caused you such hardship."
Naruto thought about what the Nine-tails had told him. So he didn't just have bad luck?
"What if I trained you, so that you could actually defend yourself against the villagers?"
"What do you want? Nothing comes free." Naruto had learned that lesson painfully. The demon fox smirked; this kid passed his first test. His eyes burst into flames, and what was once milky had become blood scarlet.
"Let's take advantage of the fact that time moves differently here, while you are in a coma, and begin your training."
The Nine-tails never wondered whether he should tell Naruto the whole truth. He wasn't ready for the responsibility of his fate yet.
...To be continued