Hey, everyone. It's been a while since I wrote anything and I figured I should make my comeback! I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, and I like the idea of a time-traveling central character retaining their memories in order to save the future. Seen it a couple of times in different stories, but I figured I should give it a shot myself. Anyway, hope you guys like it. The main pairing will be Naruto and Ino, and there may be sub pairings as well, however, this is still very much a Naruto-based story, so they will likely be the central focus.
Second Chances
Chapter One
Uzumaki Naruto is fighting for his life after having the nine tails ripped from his seal. They had just become friends, and now he was forcibly taken from him. Naruto is suffering the effects of the removal, having Sakura desperately attempt to revive him, however, no amount of healing jutsu or CPR would be enough to bring him back. Without the nine tails being returned there is simply nothing anyone can do. He is fated to die. However, this is not the way Kami wanted things to unfold. The boy sacrificed everything to protect the ones he loved and the entire world. She would not let that sacrifice be in vain.
Suddenly a heavenly figure descends to earth in front of Naruto's body, however, his spirit is standing there just before her. Their spirit forms are invisible to the living mortals behind them and she smiles. Her hair is long and white, but pure white instead of silver from age. Her eyes are also pure white and her skin is flawless and on the paler side. She simply smiles at him and extends a robed hand to him. This obviously confuses our hero and he furrows his brow, his eyes squinting in his typical way. "Who… who are you? And how am I over there if I'm standing here?", he asks in utter confusion. Naruto isn't stupid, however, he isn't exactly what one might call smart either. This situation was clearly beyond his grasp, and not many would be able to deduce the situation themselves.
The woman chuckles softly, and her hair flows behind her in the breeze. Her hand still reaching out to him, she states, "I am Kami. I have watched you for a long time now, Naruto-san. I have admired your bravery and sacrifice for those who cared little for you. All this time you put your life on the line for the likes of people who would rather you die than to acknowledge that you are a person and not the nine tails himself. They hated you and yet you still fought for them. You desperately sought their approval and the simple acknowledgment that you were alive in a way that didn't involve being beaten. That is why I am here. As you know, Kyuubi was removed from your body, and any jinchuuriki would surely die should that happen. I cannot allow this to happen. You are my champion and I can do little else than step in, and give you another chance."
Naruto cocks his head to the side but cautiously takes her hand. He can't place his finger on why, but he trusts this woman. He can see deep into her eyes and there is no malice or deceit among the pools of pure white. Once he grasps her hand, she continues, "I cannot interfere with your death, as this would be a natural one. However, I can revert you back three years to when you graduated from the academy and maintain your memories as a way to prepare yourself properly for what is to come. Do your best not to interfere with too many significant events throughout your history, but I trust you will make the right decisions. I will also soften Kurama's heart so he will be receptive to your message when you arrive in your younger body and work with you more readily. Be honest with him and speak clearly about all that will come to pass and he will agree to help you in the same way he was helping you moments before he was ripped from you." She giggles at his facial expression changing from confusion to realization and then to determination.
"This is a one-time deal, Naruto-san, so be sure to make the most of it. I cannot bring myself to hate any of life's creatures, however, please abstain from pursuing Sakura-san. She clearly will never value you as you do her, and despite all that Sasuke-san has done to prove he isn't worthy, she still blindly loves him. Such a person is not worthy of your affection, and so you must choose another. There are many who may be swayed, and I'm sure you have had personal feelings for at least one other woman. Whoever you choose will be key to helping you overcome this war in the future, so choose wisely. And please tell no one other than Kurama about our deal. I offer him redemption and you a second chance at life, but should others learn of this they will surely want the same, and this one chance took all of the time since creation was formed to build up. I cannot give this chance to anyone in the future for at least another ten thousand years, as that is how long it took to gather this much power. I believe in you, Naruto-san, just as your parents did," she says plainly with a gentle smile on her face.
"I understand, Kami-sama. Thank you for believing in me. I won't let you down!," he shouts, his usual confident grin creeping back onto his face as he gives her a thumbs up with his other hand. Suddenly a bright light blocks all of Naruto's vision and it continues to intensify until it suddenly becomes darkness. As dark as if his eyes were closed all around him.
"Goodbye, Naruto-san. I will not see you again until your time truly comes. Prove me right about you and save the world. You are the Child of Prophecy," Kami says and suddenly his eyes open to a blinding light.
He first has to adjust his eyes back to normal after Kami's light show, but he then sees a familiar ceiling. He's awoken back in his apartment, in his bed. "I guess today is the day, then. I won't let you down Kami-sama. Tou-san, kaa-chan, you believed in me too. That's all I need to get stronger than ever and truly defeat Madara when the time comes!", he says, his hand clutched tightly into a fist. His memories are fully intact from his previous attempt at the next three years, however, they are being slowly overwritten by the new ones he is making as time progresses in this new life. He quickly gets up and gets ready to go to the academy for his last day: graduation day. He puts on a simple black tank top with the Uzumaki symbol on his back, and a pair of black shorts and black sandals. His goggles were left at home and his hair falls into his face, spilling over his forehead and into his eyes. This change made him look several years older without any actual physical change to his body.
He jumps along the rooftops towards the academy knowing full well what to expect and that he should be able to ace the exam with his knowledge of shadow clones, but suddenly he is reminded of a key part of this second chance. He summons himself to his mind-scape and there he sees Kurama for the first time in this life. Face to face with giant, menacing red eyes and a full grin of sharp fangs, but all else covered by shadows. "Ne, Kurama-sama, we need to talk," Naruto says plainly, but showing the respect he never gave the fox in his first life.
The shadows recede to reveal a monstrously huge red fox, with nine flowing tails swaying behind him, but his expression has changed. The grin fades and his eyes widen slightly out of confusion. "Where did you learn that name, brat? No one has known my true name since the old man sage split us from the ten tails!" he angrily shouts at the boy, who doesn't budge an inch. He isn't scared of Kurama anymore, nor does he hate him for how his life panned out. Kurama didn't ask for this life, much the same as Naruto never asked to be the jinchuuriki. He understands Kurama a bit better now after bonding with him in his past attempt at life. Kurama was being controlled and summoned by Madara and later Obito as if he were simply a tool to be used by shinobi. Kurama however was once young and innocent, but people will always fear that which they don't understand. He began to be feared and hated as he grew and later he was used as an attack dog by Uchiha Madara and it further cemented the idea that tailed beasts were nothing more than tools to grow power for one's self or village.
"You didn't attack the village of your own will when I was a baby, did you? You were being controlled by an Uchiha. Same as when Madara used you as a mere shield and battering ram against Shodai Hokage-sama. I know you aren't evil, Kurama-sama. You can cut the tough guy act," he starts, noticing Kurama's expression changing as he speaks. The surprise on his face is more than enough of a crack in his doubt and self-protecting anger and hatred for Naruto to see glimmers of hope shining through. "I need to explain something to you, Kurama-sama, and it's very important you hear me. There is a threat to both us, and the rest of the world. Uchiha Madara has been pulling the strings of a secret organization called Akatsuki. They're rounding up all the tailed beasts and sealing them in the Gedo statue in order to resurrect Madara fully and for him to put the world in his infinite tsukuyomi. I know, because I'm actually from the future. Kami-sama sent me back in time to the day I graduated from the academy in order to befriend you as early as possible and perfect our link so we can stop Madara. I understand it's a lot to take in, but I'm sure you understand the gravity of the situation," Naruto states in a calm tone, but with serious eyes that show he means what he says.
Kurama sits back on his butt not unlike a dog, and brings a hand up to scratch his chin fur. His brow is furrowed and his eyes peering hard at Naruto to determine if this is some kind of prank or joke. "Kami-sama, you say? That does sound like some of the meddling she would pull. How do I believe you, though? Everything you've stated comes far in the future, so what can you say to make me trust what you claim is true?" Kurama doesn't sound angry as he speaks, however curious and perplexed.
Naruto thinks for a moment and suddenly looks up at the fox. "Well, I don't have the key my father left me to unseal you, but I remember it vividly. I could recreate it and prove to you that I am from the future. Or I could tell you that Mizuki-sensei is going to tell me there's a backup exam since I can't do regular clones and he'll have me steal a scroll of forbidden jutsu from the Hokage tower. He will then wait for me in the forest and attempt to kill me and defect to another village to sell the jutsu. Iruka-sensei will be there to stop him, but I'll already have learned the shadow clone jutsu," he states plainly and then forms the familiar cross hand-seal and about thirty Naruto's appear with a poof of smoke. "After that, Iruka-sensei will give me a headband and I'll be placed on Team seven with Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura, and Kakashi-sensei. You can just wait about a week to see everything I've told you so far is true, or you could take me at my word. It's your choice, Kurama-sama," Naruto states calmly and Kurama sighs deeply. He closes his eyes and shakes his head.
"That won't be necessary, kit. I've been watching and you've never learned that technique. I would know if you had, so that means you must be telling the truth. As for the key to unlocking the seal. You remember how to write it?", he asks, opening his eyes once more. Naruto nods simply and gives a simple smile. "Very well, if you release the seal I will remain within you and we will become the strongest team the shinobi world has ever seen. It will take time to properly form the link, however. And your body must be strong enough to handle it. You will have to train harder than you ever have. No more pranks and running around talking to that pink-haired witch. She is of no use to you, as I'm sure you've found in your future. Am I correct?," he asks, no malice in his voice but pure observation and slight concern in his voice. Naruto sheepishly nods and rubs the back of his head, her abuse towards him fresh on his mind.
"Hai, I know. She loves Sasuke with this obsessive kind of infatuation and she won't ever get over it. Even when he leaves the village and becomes an international criminal, attacking the Kage and jinchuuriki alike, she's still obsessed with him. Those Uchiha are almost all bad news it seems. The sharingan seems to corrupt them if history is used as an indication. I've given up on her even before I was sent back in time. She is abusive towards me, even when I help her. And she has no true regards for me even as a friend or teammate. I may reevaluate my love choices. I know Hyuuga Hinata likes me, but she's far too timid and shy for me to pursue her. I highly doubt our personalities would mesh. But love is one of the furthest things from my mind at present. I have to focus on perfecting our link and changing the future. I can bear being alone for a while longer," he says with a sadness the fox had never felt before.
"There are other women who would appreciate you, I'm sure. You are the kind of guy who girls eventually realize is everything they wanted. From what I've observed of human relationships and courtship, you are a good kid, even now. And this change from the screaming delinquent is a welcome one. I'm sure you'll be having to fight the ladies off with a stick shortly enough. This wardrobe change is a good idea as well. The orange looked good on you, however shinobi are meant to be stealthy and those clothes were quite loud," Kurama laughs slightly with a warm smile.
"Yeah, yeah I know. I'm not sure what possessed me to wear such horrible clothes for so long, but I've snapped out of it. And I'm tired of being loud, misunderstood, and acting dumb for the sake of trying to make friends. This time around I won't care that deeply when Sasuke leaves and I'll train even harder. This time around my life is going to be very different. I need more than just shadow clones and the rasengan in order to succeed. I need to learn wind-style jutsu that I can incorporate into my fighting style. Do you know any wind style jutsu that could be helpful?", he asks innocently and Kurama nods. "Alright, after I pass my genin exam we'll get started with releasing the seal and elemental jutsu. I can use my shadow clones to speed up the process. I wish I'd known about that when I first learned that jutsu, but I just saw it as my own personal army," he says with an embarrassed look on his face.
Naruto then exits his mind-scape and lands just in front of the academy gate. He stops just in front of Yamanaka Ino, nearly landing on her, but narrowly missing and kicking up a small dust cloud. "Watch where you're going Naruto!," yells an angry Ino. Chouji and Shikamaru are behind her with amused grins on their faces. Of course, Chouji's trademark bag of chips in hand and several in his mouth as he watches the scene unfold.
"Oh, sorry Ino. I was lost in thought. Are you alright?," he asks, looking her over with concern. He notices some dirt that he kicked up on her skirt. He frowns and forms a simple seal, a gentle gust of wind blowing from his lips as the dirt flies off, leaving her clothes in pristine condition without blowing her skirt everywhere. "I'm sorry again, Ino. Here, you can go ahead of me so you can beat Sakura to sit beside Sasuke if you'd like? I'm sure she's not far behind you," he says calmly, stepping aside for her to pass.
She looks at him as if he grew another head or horns or something and he just smiles. It's not his usual grin, but a simple, warm smile. "Is that your plan, Naruto? Get me and Sasuke together in order to get Sakura all to yourself?" she asks, thoroughly confused about why he's being so nice to her.
"No, I've given up on her. She's far too obsessed with Sasuke, and it's all because he's the last Uchiha. She doesn't even know him. I've decided there are better options out there," he says with a slight smirk, making direct eye contact with her. She blushes slightly and shakes her head, pushing forward into the academy only to find Sakura already sitting beside Sasuke. Naruto follows behind her and sits with Shikamaru and Chouji, his hands behind his head as he half listens to Iruka. He's already been through all of this several times, due to failing the exam twice before in his previous life.
"Not gonna focus on girls, huh? You seem to have already forgotten your own words, kit," Kurama teases in the back of his mind, and in his head, Naruto smirks and laughs.
"I wasn't intending on that to happen, but I figured she could be a much better choice than Sakura. Sure she has a hot temper and she's in the Sasuke fan club for now, but she gets over him after he betrays the village. Plus, she's pretty cute, ne? I think we'd go together pretty well," he laughs and returns to the real world where Iruka is calling students down one by one to perform in their exam.
Soon enough it's Naruto's turn, and he decides it's best to just pass the exam with no funny business or giving Mizuki any way to try to trick him. He performs the transformation, substitution, and shadow clone jutsu. The final act getting surprised reactions from the whole class, but mostly because he couldn't do a clone technique even the day before. Iruka is confused about where he'd learned the technique but determined to question him later. He hands Naruto his headband and he goes back to his seat.
"When did you learn how to make a clone? Yesterday your attempts looked dead every time you tried," Shika questions him in a whispered tone.
"I snuck into the Hokage tower last night and learned the shadow clone jutsu from a scroll of forbidden jutsu in his office. It was created by Nidaime-sama. Don't worry, Shika, I returned the scroll and no one even knew I was there," he answers, sort of lying, but sort of telling the truth at the same time.
Meanwhile, Ino, who had resigned to sit behind Sasuke, kept stealing glances at Naruto, wondering why he seemed so different. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was definitely something going on. She tried to reassure herself that she didn't care that much, but couldn't bring herself to stop glancing over at him when he wasn't looking. She had easily passed her exam, no surprise to anyone in the room. She wasn't the strongest in their class by any means, but she had never had an issue with the requirements of the exam. Even the taijutsu portion was something she was confident she could manage. Naruto's performance, however, shook her. She had laughed at him even the day before for failing to be able to make one single clone that didn't look long dead. But something had changed. The boy was more confident than cocky now, and he performed better than most in their class in every aspect.
"Alright, everyone. Listen up. All those who passed the exam, congratulations. You are to come back tomorrow to be assigned to your genin teams. Each of you will be placed on a team with two of your classmates and a jounin sensei who will train you and oversee your missions. They are highly skilled and should be respected even more than myself. Follow their orders, train hard, and bond with your teammates and you should all do very well. Alright, class dismissed," Iruka says, and everyone gets up and begins to leave the classroom to tell their parents the good news. Iruka notices Naruto standing and beginning to walk out, but he stops him. "Naruto, could I talk to you for a moment?," he asks and Naruto stops, turning his head over his shoulder and smiling at his teacher.
"Of course, Iruka-sensei," he says plainly, then turns back to his friends. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. Hopefully, we all get placed on good teams," he says with a smile and raises his fist toward them. They bring their fists up and bump his, saying their goodbyes. Naruto then turns and walks up to Iruka.
"First things first, congratulations on passing your exam. I know how you failed the last two times you attempted, and I'm very proud of your progress," he says with a smile on his face, placing his hand on Naruto's head like an older brother. "However, I wish to know where you learned that jutsu. I never taught you that and it's a forbidden jutsu. How did you come to learn it, and in the course of one night on top of that?," the older man questions and Naruto's brain is working overtime to come up with an answer.
"Kyuubi taught it to me. He said he was ashamed of being sealed in a kid who couldn't even pass the genin exam. He taught me that jutsu so I could pass. I was really scared at first, but he's actually not that bad a guy," he says, a complete lie except for his analysis of Kurama's character.
"You... you spoke with Kyuubi?" he asks with a dumbfounded expression. He examines Naruto and notices the wardrobe changes and the change in how he's acting also, but decides to further observe before asking about these things. It would only raise Naruto's suspicion if he was questioned, and he could easily begin acting like his noisy, obnoxious self again, but surely it would be a fake personality he would be putting on and Iruka would get no answers.
"Hai, I didn't know he was in my stomach, but he spoke to me in the seal and explained everything to me. He told me why everyone hates me and is scared of me. Are… are you scared of me too, Iruka-sensei?" he asks with childlike innocence and slight fear added to his voice. He knows Iruka doesn't feel that way about him, but he has to act like a scared kid who just discovered a terrible secret about himself, almost as if he believes he is the monster everyone believes him to be.
Iruka gasps for a moment and a sweat drop rolls down the side of his face. "No, Naruto. I know you're Uzumaki Naruto, and not Kyuubi. The villagers are afraid of what they don't understand. They have no idea how seals work and that you are in control, not the fox. That's why they're scared of you. I, however, know the real you. I don't hate you, and I'm not afraid of you either. You're like the younger brother I never got to have, Naruto-kun," he says with a beaming smile, his eyes closed almost as if he was giving his impression of Naruto's trademark grin.
"Thank you, Iruka-sensei. Not many people like me or think of me as anything other than a nuisance or delinquent. I'm glad you believe in me," he replies with a big smile and he gives his teacher a thumbs up. "I'll see you tomorrow, sensei. I have to go train so Sasuke doesn't leave me behind. You remember our taijutsu fight before. We're more or less unspoken rivals, and I'd die before I let him pass me," he says while running out the door and he heads to the training grounds, feeling someone tailing him the whole way.
Kinda short, but setting the scene and moving the plot too far along doesn't seem right in the first chapter. I will try to post the next chapter soon if I get good reviews or people seem to like it. If not, I may post another chapter, but it's unlikely. Anyway, hope you enjoyed my first chapter of this new story. I enjoyed getting back to writing, and I may start another story alongside this one once a few chapters are published.