Author's Note: Hello! It's nice to meet you all. This is the first installment on this fanfiction, and I hope you guys enjoy it! Please feel free to review, and to leave your thoughts on how you think I could improve on my writing. Flames, as always, will be ignored.
Disclaimer: I do not, by any means, own or claim to own the Naruto franchise. That right belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I am simply a guy who wishes to improve his writing. With that, enjoy the chapter!
Chapter 1: Provocation
Deafening silence filled the gap that the thunderous roars of battle had left in the fabric of reality. Bodies littered the land below like makeshift grave markers, crimson puddles spreading under the corpses of dead shinobi. More deaths, more souls to look after. These were the thoughts that were running through the mind of the Shinigami. The being of death looked down upon the once beautiful village of Konohagakure. The once-great village now looked like a horde of elephants had rampaged through it. Houses were torn apart, and the great wooden gates were desecrated, large claw marks gouging into the once smooth wood. The cries of the mourning floated out to touch his ears, the cries of the people who had realized that their loved ones had succumbed to his sweet embrace. The dark sky did nothing to help the mood, casting a shade over the world, covering each individual in their blanket. Even though people mourned together, grief would always isolate each and their own, leaving them to drown in their own overflowing emotions.
He shouldn't have been moved to several thousands of mere mortals grieving for their lost ones. He shouldn't have. He was the God of Death, wasn't he? He had seen infinite deaths, more than even he, a deity could remember. An emotion triggered in his black heart, sending waves of something throughout his bony body. Was it, pity? He turned and looked behind him to where the bodies of two adults lay beside a newborn baby. The ground looked like a warzone, and residual chakra lingered everywhere from the battle that had taken place here. The Kyuubi, intent on killing its container, had desperately tried to reach out to kill the child, yet the newborn's parents had saved it's life, choosing instead to sacrifice their life to save the life of the son. Naruto, if he had heard correctly. The now-jinchuriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
Thinking for a moment, turning over the possibilities in his head, he made a decision. One that would change this child's future forever. Hearing shouts from the nearby forests, and he knew that his time was almost up. He had to act quickly if he wanted to do what he intended. Deep within, he knew that this was perhaps a foolish idea, yet he was interested in what the child would do with the power of Death, the power to control the lifespans of others. He held out one pale hand, letting his power shape a bloodred spider lily, and in it, he placed some of his chakra. One of the purest symbols of death, and the gift that he would bestow upon this boy. He floated closer to the slumbering newborn boy and touched the whisker marks that signified him as the jinchuriki of the strongest Biju, of the Nine-Tailed Fox.
He placed the lily on the boy's heart, letting his power meld with the young toddler's chakra. Usually, any mortal that came into direct contact with his power will be disintegrated, reduced to nothing by the power of the chakra of death. However, he was depending on the Kyuubi to heal the boy, strengthening his chakra network in the process. The boy started whimpering, his skin paling as death chakra slowly ate away at all his chakra, before relaxing as the Kyuubi began healing the young newborn. The Death God straightened up, satisfied. I look forward to what you will accomplish with my power, even if it is diluted with the Kyuubi's chakra as well. Entertain me well, child of humanity. With that, the god disappeared into the night, his ethereal form fading away, leaving the two bodies of Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki along with their son, Naruto Uzumaki in the devastated clearing.
Ever since the Kyuubi attack a few years ago, Konoha had since been rebuilt. Life inside the walls of the Leaf Village had now returned to normal, for the most part. The Kyuubi had killed off many of the shinobi that were defending their home, and now their military forces were greatly reduced, putting them in an awkward position. The Uchiha Massacre didn't help things either. The majority of the clan had been slaughtered overnight by the Uchiha prodigy, Uchiha Itachi. He had only left his little brother, Uchiha Sasuke alive for reasons unknown. The boy would surely be traumatized after that experience. Sarutobi, the Third Hokage of Konoha, sighed. His old age was catching up to him.
"-ey! Hey! Old man! Are you there?" A loud cheerful voice broke through the murky clouds that made up his mind. Sarutobi looked up to see a short blonde boy wearing an obnoxious orange jumpsuit that would surely make any respectable ninja want to die. He wore goggles on his forehead, and he possessed three whiskers on each cheek, making him look like a fox of some sort. The most notable thing about the boy was the bright red spider lily that could be seen hanging on his lapel. This was Naruto, the Kyuubi Jinchuriki. Sarutobi still had no idea where Naruto had gotten that lily from. He had asked the boy, yet the boy didn't seem to know either, only stating that he felt a strange connection to the bloodred flower. He always kept that lily on his lapel, no matter the outfit he was wearing.
"Oh, yes, hello Naruto. Is there anything I can do for you?" Sarutobi replied, giving the young boy a warm smile. The secretary poked her head into the office, a sheepish look on her wrinkled face.
"Sorry about that Hokage-sama. I tried to stop him..."
"No need to apologize, Beni-san. I was expecting him today anyway." Sarutobi waved the woman off, the door closing behind her. Sarutobi turned his attention back to the energetic jinchuriki. Today was Naruto's birthday, and Sarutobi was to take him out to his favorite ramen stand, Ichiraku Ramen for dinner. It was already like an annual tradition at this point. He stood up, smoothing out his Hokage robes.
"So, Naruto, let's get going then!" To his surprise, the boy shook his head vigorously. A sheepish look crossed the boy's whiskered face as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Uhm, Oji-san, I kinda have a question for you. Before we get to the ramen, of course!" Sarutobi was now curious.
"Ask away, Naruto. I'll do my best to answer you." Sarutobi said, ruffling the young boy's hair. Naruto pouted but pointed at the flower that occupied his lapel. Sarutobi's eyebrows rose a slight margin. He took a drag of his pipe.
"Oji-san, is this flower special? I mean, people look at me differently anyway, but when I wear this flower around, they look at me in this way that I can't describe. Something different from usual. I was wondering if it had a special meaning or something similar to that." Sarutobi studied the young boy's face. It was unnaturally serious, unlike his usual careless grinning self.
The old Hokage sighed quietly, going unnoticed by the young goggle-wearing boy. The red spider lily did, in fact, have a special meaning, but one that was all too unpleasant. It represented death, and is it was often called "Hell's Flower". Naruto's burden was heavy enough already, with the hatred of most of the villagers coming down on his back due to the Nine-Tails sealed within him. He didn't want to possibly harm the boy's already low opinion of himself anymore, but at the same time, he didn't want to lie to the young jinchuriki. It's for his own good. Sarutobi decided after a moment's silence.
"Well, Naruto, that flower does in fact, have a special meaning to it. It's called the red spider flower and as for what it represents, peace, love, and innocence." He knew that he was abusing the boy's trust at the moment, but if that could preserve Naruto's child-like innocence, all the better. He was sure that Naruto would come to understand his reasoning if he ever came to find out the truth.
"Wow..." Naruto mumbled, fingering the thin petals of the flower. "That's pretty cool, huh..." He turned to the elderly Hokage, a big grin on his whiskered visage. "Can we get ramen now? Please?" Sarutobi laughed, placing a hand on the boy's back and guided him out of the office.
"Of course, Naruto. I'll get you as much as you want." Naruto let out a yelp of excitement and darted out the door, Sarutobi following behind. He mentally made a note to prepare a funeral for his wallet. Naruto's love for ramen matched his mother's, possibly surpassing it if such a thing was even possible. The first time that Naruto had asked the elderly Hokage to go get ramen, Sarutobi had agreed, thinking that such a small child couldn't each much. Naruto had proved his wrong that day. So, so wrong. To his horror, he witnessed the young jinchuriki down at least 7 bowls of ramen, and down with that ramen, the contents of his wallet followed.
As the pair strolled down the streets of Konoha, Sarutobi was greeted with bows and respectful greetings from civilians that passed him. However, once they saw Naruto, their smiles dropped and their eyes started glimmering with hatred. They couldn't do anything with the Hokage there, yet they could still shoot Naruto spiteful looks. Naruto kept his head down, refusing to meet anyone's eyes. Sarutobi sighed in sorrow. Where had the Will of Fire gone? The teachings of the First Hokage had all but faded away in this miserable village. The Will of Fire, once a blazing inferno, had been reduced to a mere spark.
Next year, Naruto would be enrolled in the ninja academy. Naruto was very enthusiastic about being a Shinobi. Just thinking about his infectious smile made a smile cross over Sarutobi's wrinkled face. Enrolling him into the ninja program was also a good excuse to put a stop to Danzo's plans. The elderly war hawk had approached Sarutobi with the support of the civilian council to "train" Naruto. Which he knew, was to induct Naruto into his ROOT program. Luckily, he was able to garner the support of the Shinobi council and he was able to overturn their pleas repetitively.
A delicious aroma floated through the air, catching Naruto's senses immediately. His once dejected visage flipped into a wide smile and he dashed towards a little establishment at the end of the road. There was no one else at the little ramen stand beside Naruto and himself, leaving them a good amount of privacy. The moon was nearly up by now, its silvery light shining down on the odd pair. The light coming from the kitchen gave off a nice ambient feeling compared to the shadows outside. As Sarutobi approached the stand, he saw that Naruto was already conversing with Teuchi, the man that ran the stand.
He slipped into an empty seat beside Naruto's and Teuchi bowed.
"Welcome, Hokage-sama." He greeted, before straightening up.
"Is there anything I get you two?" He asked. Once Sarutobi saw the hungry look in Naruto's eyes, he quickly made a silent prayer for his wallet. That night, Teuchi went to sleep, satisfied with his earnings for the day. Sarutobi wept silent tears for his wallet, and Naruto's stomach was bloated.
"Mm, that hit the spot alright," Naruto mumbled as he walked down the road to his apartment, rubbing his stomach. Sarutobi could only weep in earnest, mourning for his wallet. The moon shone down on the pair, making his Hokage robes shine.
"Hey, old man?" Naruto said quietly. Sarutobi turned to the young child. Naruto wore a sad expression on his face, yet his eyes were full of happiness. Seeing so much sadness, yet so much joy in a child's face almost made Sarutobi's eyes water.
"Yes, Naruto?" Sarutobi whispered, not trusting his voice to stay stable.
"I...I just wanted to thank you for today. For being there for me." Naruto blurted. "I really appreciate all you've done for me. The apartment, the money, everything!" Sarutobi felt his eyes water and he made no attempt to stop them.
He bent down and pulled the small child into a large hug. Pity surged through his heart and tore at his emotions, weathering at them until the walls around them were torn down.
"No. No, thank you, Naruto. Don't thank me. I should be thanking you instead." Sarutobi didn't even try to stop the cracking of his voice this time. Naruto looked up into the old man's eyes, and his eyes widened.
"Oji-san, why are you crying? Did I do something wrong? And what do you mean by I shouldn't thank you?" Naruto whispered, wrapping his arms around the old man. The small child patted the elderly Hokage on the back. Sarutobi took this moment to gather himself.
"No, you didn't do anything wrong Naruto. Let's get you back to your apartment, Naruto. It's getting late after all." The elderly man said, wiping the tears that were threatening to fall from his eyelids. Naruto was curious, yet he understood the man. Despite his age, he knew that it wasn't his place to ask. Instead, he nodded and they both continued walking.
Naruto lay in his ratty bed, staring up at the dirty ceiling. He lived here, in this dilapidated apartment. One fit for a demon. A monster. No one else lived in the building, all other residents had moved out once they had heard that the demon was moving in. No one had made a move to make any renovations to the broken down apartment either, leaving it to rot. Naruto did his best to keep his room tidy, yet the few clothes that he owned were strewn over the floor, and the occasional instant ramen cup could be found scattered around the mostly empty room. He sighed.
Why was he treated like this? It was a common reoccurring thought that ran through his head. He had seen other children his age, laughing happily with their friends and family, and living in nice large homes. Why couldn't he laugh with others like that? Why was he alone? Every time he visited the nearby park, he would hope that someone would be there, someone that he could make friends with, someone that could understand him. But no one appeared. No one at all.
He turned on his side to look out of the window of his apartment, re-adjusting his blankets as he did so. Filling his head with negative emotions were of no use. They would only hamper him. Today was his birthday, was it not? His mood brightened as he realized that he'd be entering the ninja academy next year. Becoming a Shinobi was always his dream. No, even further than a Shinobi. He'd become the Hokage, and make everyone in the village acknowledge him. He wouldn't be lonely anymore.
He couldn't become the Hokage if he was always down, could he? With this new revelation in mind, he resolved to meet each sunrise with a wide smile, to never break under pressure, and to work the hardest he could to attain his dream.
Suddenly, his door came crashing down with a massive thud. Shocked, Naruto rolled out of his bed and hit the ground, groaning. Luckily, the bed wasn't too high off the ground, so he didn't fall too hard. Rubbing his head, he stood up only to be pinned to the wall by strong muscled arms.
He struggled to breathe as his air supply was cut off. Luckily, he was dropped to the ground, his lungs working overtime as he inhaled air. Blinking the tears out of his eyes, he regained his bearings. Three men stood in front of him, bearing a strong scent of what Naruto recognized as alcohol.
"Hey, demon. We're here to beat on you a bit, so lay still for us ok?" One of the men slurred out, grasping an empty sake bottle. Naruto's eyes widened. Panting, he pressed himself against the wall in fear, sweat coating his palms. The men laughed and moved in, bashing on the young child with their sake bottles and laying blows to Naruto's stomach. Naruto caved in amongst the beating, curling himself into a ball as glass shards embedded themselves into his body and large fists impacted onto his back.
Why? Why? Why did this happen to him? What had he done to deserve this cruel treatment? All the cold looks, all the glares, the harsh words, they tore at his mind, yet he still kept on pushing under his cheerful facade. He endured it all, in the hopes that one day, he'd become the Hokage, and they would respect him.
He howled and cried in pain, twisting his body in hopes that the men would stop. Alas, it did nothing but encourage them more. They howled in delight as they unleashed their sick, twisted fury onto the child's body. One of the men crouched down and slammed his fist into the back of Naruto's head, knocking him out. Another pulled out a gleaming knife and smiled wickedly. There was no end to the cruelties of mankind, were there? Even to their own kind, wanton cruelty was shown. The spider lily that hung on the lapel of the unconscious boy grew a little darker.