A.N. (Laughs Nervously) How's it going everybody. I'm really sorry about the delay with this chapter. My computer is still acting up, and I was put even further behind because I was at JCLC(a summer camp for JROTC) for about a week with absolutely no access to the outside world, let alone a computer. So, please keep your torches and pitchforks safely in your closets, you don't want to lose them!
Spoiler Alert: This chapter contains a few plot points from very recently in the manga. So if you're not up to current, beware, some very mind-blowing plot developments from the Naruto manga will be revealed in this chapter and from now on. You can read the manga at manga (dot) animeA (dot) net. AnimeA isn't a misspelling of anime, remember to type the second A.
By the way everyone, I have an account on youtube, and if you want to check out some of my AMVs, my user name is RakuzaXI. Come on, I need the hits!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
OoOoOoOoOo
Naruto and Tenten sat in the shade of a large tree, watching Lee and Gai continue their training while they caught their breath. "How do they do it?" panted Tenten, her forehead glistening with sweat.
Shaking his head, Naruto answered, "I have no idea, I've been training with Busy-Brow for the past year-and-a-half and I still don't understand how he has so much stamina. I always thought I full of energy." He laughed and leaned back against a tree.
A silence fell between them for a while. After a moment, Tenten glanced over at her teammate, a guy who was normally a chatterbox, and frowned. His head was tilted back against the tree and his face had a somber look to it. Over the past day or so, she had noticed that he had gotten a lot quieter and rarely said anything unless someone talked to him first. "Naruto," she spoke up. When he glanced over at her, she continued, "Can I ask you something?"
Naruto sat up and shrugged, "Yeah, shoot."
"Why have you been so quiet for the past few days? Is something wrong?" The concern in Tenten's voice was clear.
"Oh..." Naruto said, a smile splitting across his face, "I've just been having some trouble sleeping is all. Bad dreams, you know?"
The corners of Tenten's lips turned up in a warm smile. "Okay," she said, "Sorry for prying, you just had me worried is all. After all, you're normally such a chatterbox."
Naruto chuckled, "Thanks? I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not."
OoOoOo
Tenten stood outside of a building with her eyes on the shop sign, smiling to herself. Her thoughts turned back to the previous day with Naruto at the training field. 'Geez,' she thought, 'Naruto's hopeless, I bet he would have just kept using that faulty kunai until the handle broke of in his hand!' She laughed softly, shaking her head, and stepped into the building.
The tinkle of bells filled the shop as the door was pushed open. The owner, a bald, middle-aged man, glanced up from a form on his desk. "Welcome to Razota's First Defense!" He called cheerfully. "How can I help you?"
Tenten approached the counter and smiled at him. "Hello, Mr. Razota, how are you?"
A wide grin split the man's face. "Well, if it isn't little Tenten! I haven't seen you in months! I'm doing fine, my arthritis is acting up a little, but what can I say, that's getting old for ya." He leaned forward and asked, "So, have you finally realized how good my weapons are and decided to buy from me instead of your old man?"
Tenten shook her head. "No, but your weapons are actually why I'm here."
Razota's eyebrows rose, "Oh yeah? What about 'em? Somebody tell ya that they're made by the most talented man in Konoha?" he asked, a smirk still on his face.
She shuffled her feet a little. "I think that some of the used or faulty weapons you buy from your customers may have accidentally been mixed in with your inventory."
Eyebrows drawn in confusion, Razota asked, "Really? What makes you think that?"
"Well..." Tenten began, "I was helping my teammate train, and I noticed that his kunai knives were in poor shape. I told him to buy some new ones and he said he'd bought the ones he was using then a few days before. Apparently he bought them from your shop, Mr. Razota. Naruto was actually supposed to come with me today, but his training with Lee ran ov-"
"Did you say Naruto?" he interrupted, "Uzumaki Naruto?"
Tenten smiled, "Oh, so you know him. Good, now-"
Razota scowled and interrupted her again, "The weapons that I sold to the brat are perfectly sufficient for him."
Tenten looked at him, confused, "What are you talking about." The brunette pulled one of Naruto's kunai from her belt. "See?" she asked, indicating the many chinks on the blade. She took out a second knife, this time one of her own, and struck the two blades together. Holding Naruto's kunai up, she pointed out a fresh dent on the knife's edge. "This blade was made with inferior steel. I think a bad batch of-"
"The kunai I sold to the brat were perfectly acceptable," Razota repeated, "I tested them myself, just like all of my other merchandise. The little monster must have gotten those somewhere else and is lying about it to try and ruin my business."
"Monster? What in the world are you talking about?" Her eyebrows narrowed in anger, "How dare you call Naruto a monster! What's he ever done to you?"
Razota shook his head, "Get out of my store, business hours are over." He stepped out from behind the counter and guided her towards the door.
"Hey, wait a second-" Tenten began, but before she could finish he had shoved her out onto the street and shut the door behind her. She stood outside for a moment, staring at the door, now more confused then ever.
OoOoOo
Kakashi sat inside the Jonin meeting room, idly reading his little orange book. He glanced up briefly as the door opened and a green-garbed man walked in. "How's it going, Gai?"
Gai chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "Kakashi. Just the man I was looking for. So, how did your genin fair in their quest to become great ninja?"
"They failed," Kakashi answered in absolute monotone, turning a page in his book.
The other man blanched, eyes going wide, "What? Another failure? How?" he asked, obviously shocked.
Eyebrows raised, the silver-haired Jonin answered, "None of them could work as a team. Two of them showed some promise, but that Hyuuga kid was in it only for himself. He absolutely refused to accept or offer any help, so of course I failed them." Kakashi turned his attention back to his book. "From the way you're acting, I have to assume that your team passed."
Gai's chest puffed up and he pointed a thumb at himself. "Why of course, Kakashi! Just as I told you, I was blessed with an amazingly talented group of genin! Why, I would venture to say that they are the best team that has ever come out of the academy. I'll bet that within a handful of years, they will all be Jonin and will be recorded in the history books as legends! What do you think of that, Kakashi?"
A moment passed, then Kakashi seemed to snap out of a trance. "I'm sorry, Gai. Did you say something?"
OoOoOo
Lee yawned and sat down at the base of a tree. He looked out at the horizon and watched the deep reds and oranges of the sunset slowly fade, his mind wondering. He and Naruto had been training since the mission their team had had that day was over. Tenten had trained for awhile, but left around three to go do something in town. Naruto had left an hour ago, saying something about having to eat some ramen with Iruka.
Another day of training was finished, and he should be heading home so that he could rest up for the next, but the green-clad genin found himself unwilling to move just yet. He didn't know why, he just didn't feel like moving. Shrugging, he crossed his hands behind his head and shut his eyes. Within a few minutes, he had drifted off to sleep.
OoOoOo
Lee was awakened almost an hour later by harsh breathing. He sat up from his place on the ground, and looked off at the horizon. The sun was now only a glimmer of light, quickly giving way to the awaiting night. Jumping to his feet, Lee followed the sound to a nearby training area. Standing in front of a post, obviously exhausted, was Hyuuga Neji. Sweat coated his brow, and his shoulders rose and fell rapidly with his breathing.
"What do you want?" Neji asked, not even turning to face the other ninja.
The sound of Neji's voice in the silence was like a firecracker, Lee couldn't stop himself from jumping. He had definitely not been expecting the boy to notice him. Quickly recovering from his shock, Lee answered with a big grin on his face. "Nothing, my youthful friend! I was just investigating the noises that I heard. I now realize that it was only the sound of another Leaf ninja expressing his flames of youth!"
Neji grunted then continued pounding the post.
"When we finished our missions for the day, I started training with the same ferocity as you. How many missions have you completed yourself?"
Neji still did not turn towards him.
"What's the highest rank mission you've completed? We just completed our most recent D-rank, recapturing Tora-chan, but I'm sure you know all about that cat, right Neji? You know how hard that little beast is to capture, we sure had a time of it." Lee scratched the back of his head, laughing good-naturly.
Neji snorted with contempt and hit the training post hard enough to make it quiver. "Speak for yourself, Lee. I'm no ninja."
Lee raised one thick eyebrow, confused. "What are you saying, Neji-san. Did you not pass your sensei's exam?
Whirling around, Neji fixed Lee with an intense glare. "Obviously not," he spat, contempt filling his voice.
"How is this possible, were you not the top of our class this year? I thought that surely you would have passed."
Neji glared at Lee for a long moment, as if contemplating whether or not to say something. Then, after taking a long, calming breath, he whispered. "Leave me alone, Lee. I have no inclination to be talking to a cr-" he bit his tongue. "To be talking to you. Go." The Hyuuga turned his back on the green-clothed shinobi.
Lee watched Neji take a few more strikes at the post and then sighed. Turning, he walked away.
OoOoOo
The steady sound of dripping water filled the halls where Naruto suddenly found himself. He looked at the floor and noticed that he was standing ankle deep in water. Eyes shifting rapidly around him, the blonde tried to figure out where he was. For some unknown reason, he began walking down the hallway.
A cold lump of dread settled its way into the pit of his stomach. He didn't know what it was, but he was approaching something...big. He could feel killer intent rolling towards him from the end of the hallway like waves from an ocean. All the same, he could not stop his feet from taking him towards the source of this horrible presence.
Then, as if by magic, a large gate materialized out of thin air several meters in front of him. On the gate was a single piece of paper, stuck to the line where the two doors met one another. On the paper was one word, "seal". Every part of his brain was screaming at him to run, just to get as far away from this evil as he could. But no matter how hard he tried to resist, he could not make his body listen to him.
A deep, cold voice rang out from the darkness behind the cage, "So...this is the brat that I have been kept a prisoner inside of for these long years..." A long chuckle followed that sent shivers up Naruto's spine. "Now, why don't you take that seal off of this gate for me like a good little human, eh mortal?"
Finally managing to regain control of his legs, Naruto took several quick steps back from the giant cage. "Wh- Who are you?"
The thing in the cage laughed again. "My, my. How sad, they never told you a thing, did they. Even after all you've been through, they didn't see fit to tell you why it all happened. What a shame."
"Tell me what? Who are you?" Naruto yelled, advancing a step.
A pair of red eyes appeared behind the bars. "I am the Kyuubi no Kitsune. And I have been sealed inside of you since you were a mere baby."
Naruto's eyes widened and disbelief was written all over his face. "No...that's impossible. You're lying!"
"It's true," the voice began, a grin of glistening white teeth appearing below the eyes, "I was sealed inside of you by the Yondaime himself almost as soon as I had escaped the imprisonment of that red-haired whore!" The Kyuubi paused and then continued, its voice compassionate "I've seen the way they treat you. It really is unfair. After all, it's the Fourth's fault I'm sealed inside of you, not yours. I'll tell you what, how about you rip off that seal, and then we can get revenge on those bastards. What do you say?"
Naruto walked forward to the cell and raised his hand to the seal, gripping it by the corner. There was a short pause, then he let go of the seal at let his hand fall to his side. "No..." he whispered, staring down at his feet.
"What?" the Kyuubi growled, its face inches from the cell bars.
Naruto's head snapped up and he fixed the demon with a hard glare. "I'm not going to let you destroy all of those people. Once I become Hokage, they will look up to me, and respect me!"
A rage-filled roar erupted from the cell. "Let me out of here you insolent mortal!" The Kyuubi cried. A claw shot out from between the bars and sped towards Naruto's body.
OoOoOo
Naruto shot up in bed, eyes wide. His shirt was soaked through with sweat and clung to his body. He swung his feet off of the bed and leaned over, cradling his head in his hands. "Another dream..." he whispered to himself. He had been having them for over two weeks, but they had never gotten as far as this one. Every other time, he would wake up as soon as he saw the cage with the word "seal" written on it.
His eyes shifted over to the clock and he sighed. It was only three-thirty in the morning. 'Same time as yesterday...' he thought dully. Standing up, he stretched his arms over his head and walked over to the fridge. He opened the door and took out a carton of milk. After taking a few gulps, he replaced the carton and closed the door. He looked at the bed thoughtfully for a moment then shook his head, "There's no way in hell I'm getting back to sleep after that," he murmured.
Grabbing a change of clothes from his dresser, Naruto walked into the bathroom. After he had brushed his teeth, he took off his sweat drenched garb, and jumped into the shower. Once he had washed himself, he stepped out and dried himself off, then put on his clothes. Naruto left the bathroom and walked back over to the kitchen area of his apartment. Putting some water on the stove to boil, he took out a cup of ramen and placed it on the counter.
"Why not?" he asked himself suddenly, then reached up into the cabinet. From inside he pulled out the orange ramen bowl he had found on his door-step the other day. He smiled, looking at it, 'Someone gave me a present...'.Setting the bowl down on the counter, Naruto turned back to the stove and picked up the now boiling water. He poured it into the cup of ramen and looked at the clock again. "Four ten..." he muttered to himself then walked back over to his bed.
Bending down, he grabbed his sandals and strapped them on, stealing the occasional glance at the clock. He hooked on his kunai pouch and shuriken holster then walked over to the kitchen area and peeled off the ramen cup's top. After pouring the ramen into his new bowl, he sat down at the kitchen table and started eating.
OoOoOo
Naruto could see a faint trace of light on the horizon when he arrived at the training field that morning. Shrugging off his vest, he hung it on the branch of a nearby tree and walked over to a clear area of the training field. He formed the ram seal and began focusing. When he felt that he had enough chakra, he released the jutsu. In front of him, two copies of himself appeared in a puff of smoke. He growled in irritation as he examined them before letting them vanish. They were perfect copies but...
No matter how hard he tried, he could not seem to make more then two! Everyday for the last three months he had practiced and this was as far as he had gotten. He would never achieve his goal of becoming Hokage at this rate. "Maybe I could get Gai-sensei's help with-"
His phrase was cut off as a voice called out to him from behind, "Hey, Naruto, it's been a while, hasn't it?"
Naruto turned, eyebrows raised. He knew that voice. It took him a second to recognize the man in the dim morning light. "Mizuki-sensei?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
OoOoOo
Gai knocked on the door to the Hokage's office. A moment passed, and then the easily recognizable voice of the Third called, "Enter."
Opening the door, Gai walked into the Hokage's office, a big smile on his face. "Hello, Hokage-sama! How are you this fine morning?"
Sarutobi smiled, "Ah, Gai, what a pleasant surprise. Please, take a seat," he greeted, gesturing to a chair near his desk. Gai nodded and sat down in the offered seat. "Now, may I ask the reason behind this little visit?"
"Well," Gai began, his voice losing all traces of good cheer. "The matter concerns Naruto. I think you can think the reason behind why I'm here."
His face now dead serious, Sarutobi asked, "The Nine-Tailed Fox?"
Gai nodded, "Yes, Hokage-sama." The green-clad Jonin leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "For the passed few days, ever since I came in contact with the boy, I've been feeling the presence of the Kyuubi. Not only that, but it seems to grow a little stronger ever day. Do you know why this may be?"
Sarutobi heaved a great sigh. "Yes, Jiraiya warned me that this might happen." He picked up his pipe and began filling it with tobacco. "The last time I saw him, he told me that as Naruto got older, the seal would continue to weaken. Eventually, it would level off as his body developed a way to suppress the nine-tails' chakra."
"Should we not tell him of what's happening? He's been acting differently for the past few days, I think he knows that something is amiss."
Holding a match to his pipe, Sarutobi inhaled deeply through the stem. He looked grimly at the other man sitting across from him. After a moment of thought, he began, "Yes, I believe that you are right. The boy has grown a lot in the past few years, and I think he is ready to learn of the secret. I give you permission to pass this information onto him, but I beg that you do it with utmost sensitivity. The news will be a big shock to Naruto, and I do not know how well he will take it."
Gai glanced at window briefly then back to the Hokage. "Hokage-sama, I was young when all of this happened, and the older shinobi made sure we didn't get into the battle, so I am unfamiliar with many details of that night. Can you tell me the full story of what happened?"
Sarutobi lurched to his feet and walked slowly over to the window behind his desk, puffing on his pipe. He stared out over the village for over a minute before speaking up. "Well," he began, his voice grave, "To start with, the Kyuubi no Kitsune was not behind the attack on Konoha that night."
Gai's eyebrows raised considerably, "What do you mean, Hokage-sama? I sensed the Kitsune, I know it was there."
"Yes, the Kyuubi was there, but it was under the control of someone else."
Shock filing his voice, Gai asked, "There is someone capable of controlling a Bijuu?"
Nodding, Sarutobi turned to face the eccentric Jonin. "Several hours before the Kyuubi attacked the village, Uzumaki Kushina gave birth to Naruto." The Hokage took a long, shaky breath, "A masked man broke into the building where she gave birth only minutes after the delivery. Somehow, he was able to distract her husband long enough to kidnap her."
"Who was her husband?" Gai asked suddenly, although somewhere in his mind he already knew the answer.
"Namakazi Minato, the Yondaime of Konoha," answered Sarutobi.
Gai stared at him, stunned. He had never known that the Hokage had a wife. He didn't even know if they were allowed to be married.
"It was kept a secret to make sure Kushina and Naruto would be safe," Sarutobi answered, not even needing the other man to voice his question. "After all, Minato was not exactly a well-liked man, especially in Iwagakure.
Slowly nodding his head in understanding, Gai whispered, "Please, go on."
OoOoOo
"What are you doing here, Mizuki-sensei?" asked Naruto, grinning at his former instructor. He had never known the man very well, but he graded papers generously, so Naruto couldn't help but like him at least a little bit.
Mizuki laughed, "Well actually, your sensei sent me to give you an important assignment."
Eyes widening, Naruto started waving his arms frantically. "Really? What kind? I bet its some super cool top-secret mission that he can only trust me with! I knew my day would come!"
A smile appearing on his face, Mizuki explained, "Actually Naruto, this is a specially designed training course to test your aptitude. Should you manage to pass the course, you will be taught a brand new jutsu."
Naruto's eyes lit up and he jumped into the air, "Woohoo! Yosh! This is so cool!"
Taking a step closer to Naruto, Mizuki began to explain the test to the young blonde.
OoOoOo
The trees sped by on either side of Mizuki as he jumped across branches towards the village. This was absolutely perfect. When the fool actually managed to pass the genin exams, Mizuki had feared that his plans would have to be put on hold even longer. It turned out, however, that the Uzumaki was even more gullible then he thought.
To think that idiot actually believes that stealing the ancient scroll of sealing from the Hokage tower is a mission! Naruto would believe anything if you told him it would make him stronger, and that was a good thing for Mizuki. Despite it being years since the incident involving the injured ninja on his squad, he was still under the close watch of the ANBU black ops.
Naruto was the perfect puppet. Stupid, loyal, disposable, and most importantly, he was in and out of the Hokage tower so often, it was very unlikely that anyone would take notice of him. Now all Mizuki had to do was sit back and watch his plan unfold.
OoOoOo
Naruto sped through the forest, a large grin nearly splitting his face in two. "That was so easy!" he exclaimed, glancing over his shoulder again to ensure that he was not being followed. After taking a few more steps, the blonde slowed to a stop in front of an old shack in the middle of a small clearing. "I guess this is the spot he was talking about," the blonde murmured, shrugging the giant scroll from his shoulders.
Sitting down, he unfurled the scroll and spread it across his lap. "Guess I should start with the first one." His eyes scanned over the paper for a moment, then he slapped a palm to his forehead. "Shadow Clone technique? Man, clones are my worst jutsu!"
OoOoOo
Tenten stood under the tree at Team Eleven's meeting spot, looking vaguely worried. Lee was running laps around the grounds, but neither Gai-sensei nor Naruto had shown up on the usual meeting time. "Lee!" she called, getting his attention.
The green-clad genin sprinted over to her and started jogging in place in front of her. "Yes, Tenten-chan?"
"Lee, it's been almost three hours, I'm worried. Something's happened, I know it." Tenten took a step forward and placed her hands on his shoulders, "I want to find Naruto, will you help me?"
Before Lee had a chance to answer, a cloud of smoke erupted in front of the two of them. When the cloud dissipated, the Green Beast of Konoha stood before them. His usual chipper attitude, however, was not present. "Tenten, Lee, the two of you need to stay here and go through training schedule B three times, understood?"
"Where's Naruto?" Tenten asked, her voice now tinged with dread.
Gai look at them for a long moment, then answered, "It is highly possible that Naruto has attempted to become a missing-nin. Early this morning, he broke into the Hokage tower and stole something of great importance from the village."
"What?" Lee cried, "That's impossible, I'm Naruto-kun's best friend, I know him, Gai-sensei! He wouldn't do something like this!"
Tenten stepped forward, "Lee's right, Gai-sensei. We've all been on this team with each other for almost five months now, how could you possibly think Naruto did this? We need to find him!"
"Neither of you are to try and find him, he is considered extremely dangerous. If you go after him, the punishment will be severe," he said, his voice slightly cold, "If you help him," his voice now sounded extremely strained, "Your punishment will be that of a traitor's. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Gai-sensei," Lee murmured, his eyes down-cast. At his sides, his fists were now clenched.
Tenten's entire body shook with anger and her voice was spiteful when she answered, "Yes, sensei."
Gai nodded silently and vanished in another cloud of smoke.
"So Tenten-chan, where do we start looking?" Lee asked, glancing over at her, a small grin on his face.
A grateful smile graced Tenten's lips, "I'm not sure, I would wager the forest. That doesn't really help much though, does it? It's not like we can see through trees."
From the edge of the field, a voice spoke up, "Um...I c-could help you."
Both genin whirled around to face the newcomer. Standing near the tree line was an academy student Tenten vaguely remembered from her time in the academy. She was a Hyuuga, maybe a year younger then them. "I'm sorry, what's you're name? I remember you from the academy."
Her voice still wavering, the girl answered, "Hinata."
OoOoOo
The excited murmuring of Konoha's Chuunin and Jonin population filled the meeting room. By now, all of them had learned the reason behind their summons, and none were thrilled about it. It had been almost four hours since the scroll was taken and they still hadn't received their orders.
Appearing before them in a cloud of smoke, Sarutobi held up his hand for silence. The noise ceased completely. "As I am sure all of you are aware, early this morning the Scroll of Sealing was taken from my tower." The aging Hokage surveyed them for a moment, "Now, I want it and Uzumaki Naruto found. You are not to use deadly force. Am I understood?"
A loud "Yes, Hokage-sama!" exploded from the group of ninja.
Sarutobi nodded, then brought his arm down in a sharp arc. The ninja were gone in an instant.
OoOoOo
Naruto stood panting in the middle of the field, he looked absolutely exhausted, but a large grin adorned his face. "I did it!" he yelled, pumping one fist into the air. He had finally mastered the clone technique. He could make way more than three, he couldn't believe how easy it seemed now. "I don't understand why they don't just teach this in the academy, its way easier than the normal clone technique.
The blonde looked up sharply as the sound of clapping emanated loudly from the tree-tops above him. From his place on one of the branches, Mizuki called down, "Bravo, Naruto. Very impressive."
'Something's off...' Naruto thought. Smiling nervously, he called back, "What's up, Mizuki-sensei? How'd I do? Did I pass?"
Mizuki jumped down from the branch, landing in a crouch. "With flying colors, Naruto." He stood up, pulling a giant shuriken from its holster on his back. "Now," he began, taking a few steps towards Naruto, "Hand over the scroll, and I'll make your death as quick as I possibly can."
Naruto took a step back and found himself caught between Mizuki and the building behind him. "W-wait a second, this wasn't a test! You used me to steal the scroll for you!"
Grinning, Mizuki raised the shuriken over his head and cried, "You catch on quick!" As the words left his mouth, the Chuunin brought the weapon down towards Naruto's head.
OoOoOoOoOo
Well, there's chapter four, I hope ya'll liked it. I'm gonna start on five as soon as I can, but I can't make any speculations on the release date of it. Hehe, my production rate is probably gonna stay about the same, because even though the craziness of summer is over, I now have APUSH to keep me busy T.T
Also, if you're a fan of Avatar the Last Airbender -(Which I don't own, stupid laws...) Then be on the lookout for a new story I'm working on called The Hand Your Dealt. Don't worry devoted readers, A Different Start is still my priority, but I'm trying an Avatar story to keep the creative juices flowing.
Until next time, peace!