Disclaimer: I don't own anything from naruto or any music featured here but I own my characters!!!

Preview of first chapter:
I thought this may be the end so I chanted the words of ante-death over again in my head. All were forgiven all will be condemned and I was somewhat at peace. I awaited the finishing blow.

CLANG

Naruto

I looked up out of curiosity, I wondered if my own fear had prevented me from feeling my death blow. I was slightly regretful that I was scared in facing my death, it was always said "No guilt in life no fear in death". I squinted my eyes as the moonlight had shone quite strongly and the sky was pitch black now. The resounding clang I had heard was from a clash of swords that lay above me. I took my time to look up; I was still trembling from fear at the sudden situation. When I peered up I saw Elder Sarutobi strong in a fighting stance with a sword in his hands. The blade gleamed in the moonlight and seemed luminous in his hands. Then I glared back to the man who I thought my killer. He was older than I thought, with long white hair unkempt and in untraditional soldiers clothing meaning he wasn't one of them. In fact he had the appearance of a hermit and I wondered why he was after me. Was Elder Sarutobi right in saying everyone hated the believers? Their blades were together at mid length Elder Sarutobi striking up and the stranger striking down.

"Well, well, it's good to see you again Sarutobi." The stranger said with a humorous voice and with that he withdrew his sword into his sheath.

"Jariya!" Elder Sarutobi spoke with surprise and familiarity.

I was still paralysed most likely from shock, the strange man I recalled as Jariya leaned down to my face level and snapped his fingers.

"Kid has never seen fighting before, or been this close to death has he?" The man, Jariya said with exasperation at me.

"Leave him alone Jariya, he has seen a lot today." Elder Sarutobi said in my defence.

"Well he won't survive long if he blanks out like that in conflict. When facing death he must be more courageous than this!"

I snapped back completely at these words.

"Who said I wouldn't survive long. Besides fighting is against the law of the Will of Fire!" I exclaimed. Then I realised something. Elder Sarutobi had saved my life using a sword. It was forbidden to carry weapons in the village as fighting and killing were not allowed.

"Why did you try to kill the boy?" Elder Sarutobi asked with exasperation.

"I wasn't actually going to kill the poor boy. Once I realised it wasn't an Otoan soldier I was going to miss. It was only a realisation; I promise I wasn't going to kill him." Jariya said this with humour that implied otherwise, which annoyed me. A mistake? I was to be killed on a whim for some man's mistake. The thought infuriated me.
Sarutobi only retorted at this- he knew Jariya had no clue he was killing an innocent boy and he was just making an excuse.

"You could have killed me! And for what? A mistake. You're careless." I retorted.

"I'm not the one wondering fields at night near a destroyed village, you're a walking target!" He replied with just enough sternness to shut me up.

"Well..." I began quietly,
"Elder Sarutobi, why do you have a sword? Isn't it forbidden to carry one in the village?"

"It is Naruto, I hid this sword in the small temple were staying at. I used to be a shinobi." These words shocked me, however it explained much.

"Jariya, this is Naruto, the last survivor of the Will of Fire besides me."
"Naruto, this is Jariya one of my old students back when I was a shinobi."

I looked at the old man. I knew Elder Sarutobi was old, but now I thought he was ancient and Jariya was old himself.

"Let me introduce myself formerly kid. I'm a famous novelist and a legendary sanin, I used to serve the Namikaze clan and I taught your former fourth village leader, you called him Yodaime. Minato Namikaze, a fine man he was."

I was impressed then by Jariya. He had taught the best of our village leaders! However that meant our village leader was also a shinobi.
Sarutobi read the confusion on my face and ushered us towards the temple to brew some tea and do some more explaining.

We all sat down round the small carved table and sipped our tea silently, each waiting for the other to break the silence. I finally did, being as restless as I was,

"Elder Sarutobi why was the fourth hogake, former leader of our village, a shinobi. I thought killing was forbidden and being a leader..."

"Well Naruto that rule had only recently been enforced. The village hasn't always been the way you've seen it Naruto. It was the Elders choice to shift the rules to preserve the village. However now I see it was not a good idea." Elder Sarutobi spoke with deep regret and profound history seemed to slowly unravel through those words. I was eager to listen and ready to learn.

Sarutobi went through the proper history of the village to me. How early in the world the first shinobi had made way for more shinobi. It was meant to tame the war in the world. However over the years it had fuelled more and grew worse. Then the five shinobi villages were set up to put the shinobi in order. In each village they had made peace at most and the belief of the Will of Fire was created by the First Hogake. It eventually spread but over the years war had started again and when the period of peace came Orochimaru through villainous ways had brought down the villages and became Overlord. He had done this as a revenge for not becoming Hogake after Elder Sarutobi chose the former fourth Hogake instead. Shinobi skills were banned and confined and any use of them was punished by death. The villages had tried to go into hiding but as it seems, failed.

When Elder Sarutobi finished the clarity of his words enlightened me to my next path.

"Elder Sarutobi, teach me how to be a shinobi!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily at my determination and then quietened down to answer me properly.

"I'm too old to teach you Naruto. However..." He began and I anxiously awaited his next suggestion.

"Jariya, why don't you teach the boy?" It was more of a joke than a serious request but Jariya's expression changed accordingly to answer.

"My teaching days are over." He finally answered and continued drinking his tea.

I stood up in frustration and in a demanding voice,

"You must teach me! I must learn the ways of the shinobi and restore the Will of Fire villages! You sit there and talk big but when our land is being governed by such a cruel person what are you doing about it! Especially since he was your team mate..."

Jariya sat quietly at my words, not showing any reaction. Then he gradually brought the tea down from his lips and gently placed it down on its plate. He stared up at me and I was silenced by his eyes.

"Don't think I just left him. But only a fool would chase after a man, even if he is your comrade, to change his mind. When a man wants revenge it's hard for them to back down. It's the endless cycle."

These words did not make much sense to me, but instincts told me not to push it. I sat down and quietly finished my tea.

"Hurry up and get to bed early, we have a long journey ahead of us." Jariya said.

"Does this mean you'll teach me?" I asked with renewed hopes.

"I'll think about it on the way, the important thing is to get you a suitable place to stay, especially you Sarutobi." Jariya stated.

I nodded at these words and stayed as cool as possible. The truth was I was thrilled. I almost thought my life was over but as Elder Sarutobi always said:
'When one path ends a new one appears'
It was the endless cycle of life, taking new paths, no two paths were ever the same and he described them as the golden paths of life.

So as my first golden path ended a new one had appeared and I was sure this one would be filled with more excitement than my last.

Sorry if this was boring at all but finally Naruto will set off on his journey.

Please review!