A/N: Hey everyone, Onikai here. I'm sorry I've not been active in forever, I'll be surprised if I get any hits on this story quickly. The Army took up most of my time the last three years and it kinda took the love of doing anything I liked to do from me really, like it sapped most of my motivation. That's not to say that I didn't love it, it was definitely an experience I would do over again. It just sapped me mentally. But anyways, this is my foray into getting back into fanfiction. I've had this idea swimming in my head for a week or so and here we are. I do have somewhat of a plan on where this is going to go, but I would like input from you readers.
Sum: Hiruzen, disheartened by the abuse he has seen Naruto suffer, has remembered who he is in terms of a shinobi. Deciding to protect Naruto by way of law and naming him the Godaime, the Sandaime takes Naruto as an apprentice and enlisting the help of his best friend turned rival, Naruto will experience the light and darkness of the shinobi world. This is Of Gods and Devils.
Prologue
Sarutobi Hiruzen, Sandaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato, watched through his crystal ball as his grandson in but blood was walking around the village, a megawatt grin on his face. The boy in question, Uzumaki-Namikaze Naruto, not that he knew that of course, was the Sandaime Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko and the son of the Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato, the Kiroi Senko and Uzumaki Kushina, the Chishio no Habanero, two of the strongest, if not the strongest of their generation. Hiruzen knew that their son would be a force to be reckoned with, but if only he was trained properly. With him being a jinchuuriki, there was no likelihood of that happening. He wanted to help the boy, but his hands were tied with trying to keep the council and his rival, Shimura Danzo from getting their claws into the boy.
He watched as the child ignored the glares that were thrown his way, but he could feel the pain rolling off him. He knew the neglect was taking it's toll on the six year old and was pulling his hair out on what to do. In his internal musing, he missed something. Being the time of day it was and that Naruto was on his way to Ichiraku Ramen for dinner, the crowds were larger than usual from other people on their nightly outings. A few being out with friends had all ready started their nightly activities of getting drunk off of their asses, especially considering it was a Friday night. He growled at what he was witnessing and his killing intent exploded, covering half the village.
"ANBU!" he yelled.
Immediately, a four man ANBU cell, three team members, all wearing white cloaks and a captain, wearing a black cloak appeared, kneeling, one fist across their chest and the other pressed to the floor.
"Hai Hokage-sama," the captain, a silver haired teen named Hatake Kakashi, the last surviving student of the Yondaime and nicknamed Sharigan no Kakashi, due to being given a Sharigan eye from his dying teammate Uchiha Obito.
"We're leaving," he said as he stood up, placing his hat on his head. "Follow and do not get left behind."
The team nodded as they stood and the Sandaime disappeared, not in a shunshin, but with pure speed, his window bursting open from him running through it. The Sandaime ignored the glass shards that exploded around him, his speed carrying him through the village. After seeing what he had seen in the crystal ball, nothing would stop him from aiding his surrogate grandson, consequences be damned.
-With Naruto – ten minutes ago
Naruto was walking through the village, a megawatt grin plastered on his face. He knew that it was part of a mask he was developing to hide his depression, anger and fear. He didn't know why he was hated, but he knew it was big as he'd heard the whispers. He'd been called demon child, Kyuubi brat and other terms. He'd been beaten more times than he could remember whether it was starting at the orphanage with the caretakers, passerby or other kids due to their parent's influence.
But he wouldn't dwell on that now as he was on his way to Ichiraku Ramen to have arguable, the best Ramen in the Elemental Nations. The little shop was run by a Ramen chef named Ichiraku Teuchi and his daughter Ayame. They were a part of a small handful of people that were nice to him. Naruto hoped that would change soon as he was starting at the Northern Shinobi Academy in a week's time.
What he didn't expect was that that plan might be cut short as he was harshly kicked in the side, directly into an alley where he was roughly grabbed and thrown into the back wall. He cried out in pain as his shoulder and head impacted the wall and a pop and crack was heard. Naruto fell to the ground, clutching his bleeding head as his vision swam and he laid on the ground for a moment, not noticing the people crowding around him.
Naruto was yanked up harshly and slammed into the wall. As his back impacted, his arms were pulled harshly and kunai were stabbed into the hands, fire chakra aiding in making it through the flesh and brick, liquidizing the material and then hardening instantly once the chakra application stopped. His shoes were roughly yanked off, his socks too and his feet placed together before a kunai was rammed through them with the same process.
Naruto cried out louder, tears streaming from his eyes. Slowly, his vision came back from the head trauma as the cut on his head healed. There was still blood matting his hair and leaking into his eyes, but he could clearly see the group of people staring at him with their eyes blazing red, three tomoe spinning in them.
He could see more people standing in the crowd, all yelling hateful things towards him. The boy was confused, the pain unbearable and wondering why this was happening, a question he voiced.
"Why are you doing this to me?" he said. "I didn't do anything."
The man in front of him, an Uchiha by what he'd heard from around the village, the eyes being a dead giveaway just sneered as he looked at him. "You didn't do anything demon? Tell that to the numerous dead that littered the streets of this great village years ago! Tell that to my son, who was playing at the park with his friends and other Uchiha boys and girls as you trampled him underfoot. Tell that to my sister who died of a heart attack the moment your killing intent was felt across the village. I will be getting revenge for them and I'll have my payment in blood."
With that, the Uchiha cracked his knuckles and let loose, a fist impacting the boy's face, a sharp crack resounding through the alley as he broke the boys jaw and a few teeth came loose. Naruto grunted with the blow and the looked up, defiance in his eyes. He didn't know why they were doing this, but he decided then and there he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of hearing him in pain anymore.
The rest of the mob grew dissatisfied at this and immediately joined in, beating the boy with weapons they brought from home or found in the alley, a few going as far as using bottles and pipes, making sure to inflict as much pain as possible on the boy they felt was their villages greatest mistake.
A second shinobi in the crowd, a genin from the Inuzuka clan, a clan that specialized in combination attacks with their nindog partners, ran at the boy, clawing his face. He then proceeded to rip the boys clothes off, even his underwear and stepped back, before he stabbed the boy in his chest with one of his claws and wrote the kanji for Kyuubi on his right pec. He whistled sharply and his dog came running up, growling at the boy who smelled like foxes.
The dog proceeded to jump up, using dynamic marking to piss on the boys wounds, but before he could land again, the dog was impaled in the wall with a kunai in its throat, the kunai imbedding itself to the hilt in the dog and wall.
The Inuzuka growled, spinning, his features quickly turning feral as he looked around.
"Who the hell killed Yomaru!" he yelled.
The mob looked around, some in confusion, the shinobi reaching for kunai and taking a formation around the boy, making sure they could keep their hostage and inflict further torture on him. But the shinobi sprang into action when a kunai with a flash bang attachment landed between them and Naruto and went off. As the shinobi sprang for the entrance of the alleyway, an Earth wall sprang up, blocking their escape.
The mob began screaming, all running around and trying to get away from whoever was stopping them from enacting justice. But they all froze when killing intent swept over them like a mist. They all stopped and faced the blocked off entrance, looking at the ANBU standing there. Then, the ANBU's KI was swept away in a tidal wave of rage. The mob turned in the opposite direction and the civilians began cowering in fear as they looked at their Sandaime Hokage, his hands behind his back, his robe open, showing his battle armor beneath it and smoke billowing from his pipe. His nostrils flared as his anger was felt.
He calmly took his pipe from his mouth and held it out, an Itachi masked ANBU appearing next to him in a flash of speed and taking it from his Kage.
"You know," he began softly. "I'd ask what you're doing attacking a child of this village, regardless of his status. But now, I honestly need to wonder why you shinobi are attacking a fellow shinobi."
"Hokage-sama, you can't be seri-" one Uchiha stated.
The Hokage fixed him with a glare, silencing him immediately. "I am speaking, Jonin Uchiha. He became a shinobi the moment the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi into him. Attack a junior officer of the Shinobi Corps of Konohagakure is an even worse crime than insubordination. Normally, I'd have you all arrested."
The civilians breathed a sigh of relief as they thought their endearable Sandaime would let them go.
It was then that a councilwoman spoke. "Thank you Hokage-sama, we won't forget this."
The Sandaime raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't finished Mebuki. I said normally, I'd have you arrested. You, still will be. The rest, however…"
It was then that the Sandaime vanished in a burst of speed and the carnage began. Civilians began dying left and right. One of the Uchiha glared at the Itachi masked ANBU.
"Are you not going to help us!" he cried. "We're your clansmen."
The ANBU stood there silently, giving away nothing, his hand resting on the hilt of the ninjato sheathed on his back, waiting for someone to make a move against the boy. They would pay dearly; they would pay in blood.
The shinobi resisted, or at least attempted to. But the superior skill of the Sandaime quickly left them too in a pool of their own blood. The only one still standing was Mebuki, who tried to run away from the carnage, but she was held in place with ninja wire that was nailed to the ground. She was covered in blood and her eyes were wide, never having seen such carnage before.
"Inoshishi," Hiruzen said, turning to look at his soldiers. He was pleased to note they'd all ready gotten Naruto down from his makeshift crucifix and had transported him to the hospital, Itachi staying there to watch him. "Arrest Haruno Mebuki for inciting a riot and conspiracy to undermine the security of the village. Hebi, summon the council. I don't care what they're doing. They have five minutes to make it to that chamber. Make sure Danzo gets the alert as well. I would speak with him before the meeting. Tell him I'll be in Naruto's room. Inu, let's go."
The ANBU nodded to carry out their assigned tasks, vanishing in a burst of speed.
Inu and the Hokage disappeared, leaves signifying their departure.
-With Naruto-
The boy was asleep in his bed, his wounds having since been treated, but the scars from the crucifixion and from the Inuzuka refused to heal completely, pink marks marring his tanned skin where they laid. Itachi jumped to his feet, kunai in one hand, tanto in the other and Sharingan appearing in his eye as he noticed chakra build up at the door. He quickly kneeled when he noticed the Sandaime and Inu walking in the room, the Hokage's personal doctor following him.
"Rise, Itachi," Hiruzen said. "No need for that now. How is he?"
"Multiple lacerations, scars and even a concussion from earlier blows. His shoulder was dislocated. While the worst of the injuries are surely the concussion and the scars, I fear for his mental health and sanity should the abuse continue."
Hiruzen sighed as he lit his pipe with a small application of Katon chakra and began to think. This incident had lit a fire in his eyes that the ANBU hadn't seen in a long while. At the sight of it, both kneeled, reaffirming their oaths to the village and above all, to him. Hebi and Inoshishi appeared, both doing the same.
"Report."
"Council has been assembled Sandaime-sama," the purple haired ANBU stated. "Danzo-sama waits for you in your office."
The Sandaime nodded. "He will meet me on the way to the chamber. I will meet with the Council now. Things are going to change. I expect your squads help when they do Kakashi. For now, you all stay with Naruto. Do not let anyone save myself in this room or those who accompany me. "
The Inu masked ANBU nodded, noting the seriousness of the situation with the mention of his given name. "Understood, sir."
The Sandaime placed his hat on his head as he began walking out the door. "I won't fail this time, Minato. The Council will learn their place."
With that, he closed the door behind him, the ANBU squad taking up position in the corners of the room before melting into the shadows.
Chapter's End
Well guys, this is my foray back into fanfiction. I hope this was a satisfying start. Read and Review, leave feedback, give me points you all would like to see. I've not decided on a pairing at this time, so the situation is up in the air for now. Maybe I'll decide by Wave. Ja ne.