Chapter 1: Follow the Wind
Years ago, in the attack of the Kyubi, Minato Namikaze and his wife, Kushina died sealing the beast away in a newborn child. That day, left their child Naruto Namikaze an orphan. But the Uchiha, took him and treated him as one of their own.
He laughed with them, he smiled with them, he trained with them. Now that he is 18, he is a proud shinobi of the leaf. But... there is a darkness in his heart. Just waiting to be released...
"Naruto! Did you watch that!?" Sasuke Uchiha asked his adopted brother that leaned against a tree and watched him throw kunai at a target.
Naruto smiled at the young boy "I did. You are improving a lot Sasuke. I bet Itachi will be impressed once he comes back."
Sasuke blushed and smiled "Now, why don't we go for something to eat? Tomorrow you graduate after all."
They left the Uchiha compound and walked towards Ichiraku's Ramen. Naruto was wearing a blue kimono, with two katanas strapped to his right hip. He is wearing his headband on his forehead and fingerless black gloves.
"Hey Naruto;" Sasuke asked before they arrived "Can you teach me how to use a sword?"
Naruto smiled and ruffled his hair "I already told you, once you graduate, I will teach how some basic katas."
"But tomorrow I graduate! Can't we start-" Naruto poked his fingers on his forehead stopping him.
"Patience is a virtue Sasuke. Especially for a shinobi."
"I'll make sure you will teach me..." Sasuke grumbled and Naruto chuckled.
"Well, if you want to find me, you just need to follow the wind. It is always on my back." Naruto said as they arrived to Ichiraku's. "I have a mission later, but I'll be back to see you tomorrow."
*Next Day*
Itachi was distraught. Unable to see anyone of his family direct to the eye. Sasuke was upset that neither of his brothers were there to congratulate him. But when he saw Itachi, head bowed down, his mother crying and his father frowning even more, he knew something was wrong.
"What happened? Where is Naruto?" He asked entering the house and Fugaku sighed.
"Sasuke sit down." Sasuke nodded and sat next to Itachi that still couldn't look at him.
"What happened?" Sasuke asked again and Fugaku looked at him to the eye.
"Naruto died in his last mission." Fugaku said and Sasuke froze.
"What?..." Sasuke asked after some seconds of silence "What do you mean he is dead?"
"In our last mission..." Itachi started "We met an enemy we never met before. I am not sure... if it was even human. Red skin, white hair, black claws." Itachi explained "Its weapon was red and came out of thin air and had the kanji of hunter on it. Naruto stayed behind to fight it off, but he never came back..."
Itachi ended, before excusing himself and leaving to his room.
"H-He can't be dead..." Sasuke muttered. He looked outside and saw how the wind carried some leaves that flew away into the sky.
*?*
Naruto woke up and jumped to his feet. He immediately went to his swords and got in position. He looked around. Last thing he remembers was to be fighting that... demon before passing out.
He scanned his surroundings, he was in some kind of sewers, he could feel the water covering his feet. He looked around and saw corpses with masks on their faces. He took some steps back before bumping with another corpse. This one lacked a mask.
And had his face.
Naruto gulped and walked away from it, his grip on his weapons increasing "Where am I?"
"In my lair, boy."
Naruto turned around to see the demon that he was fighting before "Where am I!? Answer me!" Naruto demanded and the demon laughed.
"I killed you and took your soul to consume it. Now stay still, the more you move, the more pain you'll feel."
Naruto gritted his teeth and rushed at him at inhuman speed "Futon: Tatsumaki o Araku! (Wind Release: Walking Tornado)"
Wind started to surround Naruto as he was face to face with the demon, he swung his left katana and threw the tornado at the demon that grinned before dissolving.
Naruto turned around and ducked a punch, before he was kicked on the ribs sending him across the room.
Naruto rolled and stood up as the red sword formed in the hand of the demon that laughed before rushing and tried to cut him. Naruto put up his right katana to block, but it was useless.
The katana broke, and the demon cut through his chest, destroying his clothes and falling to his knees as blood poured out.
He glared at the demon that laughed as he stabbed him on the shoulder "It is over, boy."
Blood came out of his mouth and gripping his broken katana, he threw it at the demon's face and it caught the projectile.
With both hands full, Naruto used that opportunity to cut the arm of the demon that was holding the sword. The arm fell to the ground before turning into dust as Naruto grabbed the sword, pulled it out and stood up and with his own weapon, he decapitated the demon.
He watched as the demon turned into dust, all but its mask that flew and attached itself to Naruto's mask. Naruto dropped both swords that stabbed themselves to the ground and tried to force the mask out of his face. He could feel how the mask got under his skin getting inside his face. Once the mask was fully mixed with his skull he passed out.
Once he opened his eyes, he was back in the forest, his right arm burned all the way to his elbow, his kimono jacket destroyed and a scar on his chest. He stood up and looked around and found next to him, both swords stabbed on the floor. He grabbed his normal katana with his left hand and placed it on its sheath.
He looked at the red sword that used to belong to the demon. He could abandon it, but... if he meets another one of these demons... he needs to kill them.
With a new found determination, he grabbed the sword with his right hand and pulled it out. The power that the weapon expels was immense. He focused chakra on it making it into dust. But he now knows, that the sword is part of him.
He watched as the wind carried the dust and followed it. Trusting the wind to guide him to his destiny.
As always.
Next Chapter: The Hunter