"Talking"
"Thinking"
CH1: Childhood Arc Part 1
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Fire Shadow, a man well into his mid-life was sitting in the chair of his reinstated position as leader of the Village Hidden in the Leaves. He was clad in the traditional robes of the village leader, made from light fabrics but handing off him with the weight of chain mail. These robes felt so much heavier than even that now, with every passing second seeming to add new links of weight to them.
He had served his time as leader not so long ago, his position was in the hands of a new, better, younger, fitter and brighter leader only a few hours ago. The village had a new face to look upon to guide them into a better future, god knew this village needed it after everything it has endured throughout the years. A new idol to inspire hope and that is what they had with the Fourth Fire Shadow, but not anymore.
That bright fire was prematurely choked out this very night.
Hiruzen felt a strong breeze push past him, stealing him from his thoughts. He looked over to where the breeze came from and looked out to the west of the village through the huge, gaping, jagged hole in the side of the Hokage building. Through it, he looked into the night of the village, out to all the destruction left from the attack.
The sight made him sigh, the noise horse and heavy as he fell back into his seat. The chair was new and not the one he previously used, unlike the desk that had been here since the village was founded barely even 90 years ago.
So much had happened in such little time, his wife had left to go and deliver a baby, a very special baby. Then a few hours later, in the black of night it arrived, the Kyubbi, the Nine-Tailed Fox, the absolute embodiment of power and destruction. He had thought the fourth had it under control, that it couldn't get out not while he was there to contain it.
Seemed he was wrong, very wrong.
Hiruzen learned not an hour ago that ANBU found the midwives that were assigned to deliver the very special child, all of them dead, including his wife. Hearing that had immediately made the new widow want some privacy. Though in fact, he wasn't alone, it was funny really that the last baby his wife would help deliver would find it's way into his care.
He turned his gaze down to the child. Wrapped in white fabric, little chubby cheeks lined with a pair of evenly spaced out whisker marks, short tuffs of spiky blonde hair growing from its head along with closed eyes that hid big blue eyes from the world. He was certainly cute, so pure, so innocent which only made one fact harder to face.
A burden had been placed on this young child. The Nine-Tails was a fearsome creature, a force of nature and something unkillable for the fact after death it will eventually return. Knowing this the fourth made a choice and decided that it needed to be resealed away, if not it would have meant they end of the village. The process of sealing cost the Fourth his life, hence why Hiruzen was now leader yet again.
And of where the beast was now, it was in Hiruzen's arms, imprisoned within this little boy, inside a seal that the Fourth gave his life to craft.
Hiruzen looked at the time, the clock on the wall having barely scraped past destruction. He was due for a council meeting in a few minutes to decide the villages next actions against the after math of this enormous post-crisis. Hiruzen closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath, trying to dust off the Hokage inside him that was so eager to have gone into rest shortly after his passing of the mantel.
After a minute of doing this he stood up, the child began to stir "shhh, shhh little Naruto no need to wake up now" his words seemed to have worked magic because the now named Naruto did cease squirming. Hiruzen smiled in satisfaction.
The Third left his office for the council room.
Before the meeting he had an announcement to make and he wondered how it would go.
Awful! Absolutely awful! He silently cursed the Fourth for leaving him with such a request! Everyone was soaked in too much grief and heart break to deal with such news like this, but it was his last request so he had to fulfil it.
Next was the meeting, he wondered how that would go.
Surprisingly well! A little extra explanation here and there and people were willing to accept how things were with the boy and they could all move onto what had to be done with the village. Everyone didn't seem very up to the task of reinforcing the village but after a word on how this world will take advantage of any chip in their armor and the clarification that there where many in ours people seemed ready to get to work and push aside their grief for the time being. Hiruzen could only thank them for this.
After the meet concluded Hiruzen began making his exit, during the meetings plans had been arranged to have little Naruto sent off to an orphanage. One where the boy could have a normal childhood and choose weather or not he even wanted to become a Shinobi. Hiruzen had one in mind, a home run by an old retired Jonin who is aware of people in Naruto's shoes. The Third knew that she wouldn't treat him any different from the other children in her care.
As Hiruzen was making his way to the exit he stopped at sensing a familiar stare "what is it Danzo?"
From shadows that didn't exist stepped out a man of similar age to the Hokage, his face half covered in bandages, one arm cradled in a fabric arm sling, a cane in the other and an X scar on his chin. His face was unreadable, his thoughts hidden but his aura though gave away that whatever they were they couldn't be pleasant. Danzo looked at Hiruzen, then to the baby in his arms and pointed at with his cane "we wouldn't have a new container right now if it wasn't for the Uchiha".
Hiruzen said nothing to this.
But Danzo had plenty "Hiruzen you and me both know that the Kyubbi appearing in the middle of the village can only me one thing, another one of them has done it! Another one has figured out how to control the Kyubbi, just like Madara!"
Hiruzen fully turned to face his equal in age, a disapproving frown on his face "there is no proof to suggest that the Uchiha had anything to do with this attack!"
Danzo's grip on his cane tightened, the sound of wood being pressed could be heard "what more proof do we need, it was clearly summoned into the village, there is only one power that could subjugate it enough so that it could be summoned like a pet! Don't be a fool Hiruzen, if we don't do something it could happen again, we must deal with the-"
"Enough!" said the Third, cutting Danzo short, everything about him brimmed with irritation and annoyance even if the facts were there. But right now, he was tired and he needed time to think this all over, even if he didn't want to believe it for the safety of the village he may have to suspect that maybe the Uchiha did have something to do with this. But he will not do it with bias like Danzo would!
Danzo frowned at Hiruzen cutting him off like that.
Hiruzen breathed a sigh "we will discuss this tomorrow, Danzo, but not tonight, okay?"
The way the man looked at him with that one closed eye told Hiruzen that it was not! But he nodded anyway "very well, Hiruzen" and with that Danzo turned around and walked off "but we mustn't idle about for too long, or who knows what the Uchiha may pull next"
Hiruzen groaned at Danzo's paranoia, if you listened to it for too long it becomes infections. Hiruzen feared that it may already be doing that to him, given the fact that he was willing to discuss it with Danzo tomorrow.
Hiruzen began his trek back home to his clan compound uninterrupted for the most part, most people off taking care of whatever they needed to do in order to start getting back on their feet.
His clan compound, for the most part, escaped damage, the left half of the house was collapsed but the rest was fine. Hiruzen made his way up the stairs to his bedroom; sadly just his alone now and set up a crib pulled from storage. Before setting Naruto to rest, he decided he needed a nappy so removed his bundle wrapping.
It was there it could be seen, The Seal! The only thing between the village and the unlimited wrath of the Kyubbi
It looked like nothing but a fancy drawing on the belly of the little baby but to the eyes of Hiruzen the thing might as well have been all the worlds hardest puzzles, mixed with locks which needed keys that where insides the other safes in order to unlock, hidden behind a wall, that was surrounded by a cannel that you could only pass if you knew how to mix three dead languages together to make a single sentence. So yeah it was a piece of work, a master piece in the old man's option.
Its design just looked like some fancy drawing, a spiral in the center of the boy's belly encircled by scribbles, some lines going out in narrow lines. Though Hiruzen did find something wasn't their before in the original description of this seal. Nine magatamas laying perfectly spaced out between the spiral and the circling scribbles. Hiruzen wished that he could ask the Fourth about this, maybe he found away to improve on the initial design.
Hiruzen finished placing a nappy on Naruto and wrapped him back up and placed him in his crib, he was sure Naruto would be safe here, his room was lined with security seals all over. So Hiruzen left the baby to rest and now he could go and grief with his daughter over the death of his wife before work tomorrow; he would later send word to his son.
After Hiruzen left Naruto began to stir and was about to start crying out, but stopped when his young body felt a warm soothing sensation wash over him. Naruto's young body began to glow with a warm silver coloured aura that shrouded him from the neck down, this aura began to gain more motion like it was coming to life. The silver continued to change till it looked to take the form of what's seemed like a blanket made of chakra that flickered and moved smoothly like flames.
The young baby Naruto's attention was taken by the sound of a voice "Shhh calm down young child you are not alone I am here for you and will continue to be here for as long as I am needed, you and I will meet when it's time" spoke the voice which just seemed to sooth Naruto back off to sleep.
A shadowed figure stood on the surface of the shallow ankle-deep water facing the mammoth tall gate, a slip of paper stuck to it saying 'Seal' in Kanji. Peering into the cage the massive sleeping form of the Yang half of the Nine-Tails could be seen, currently in hibernation after being ripped into two separate entities.
Turning away from the caged fox the figure began looking around his new home and sighed "it may not be luxurious but it's better that just floating about for all eternity" with that humoured thought done the figure clapped his hands together and gave them a little rub "well let's see what I can do with this place" he spoke with a calm happy tone looking forward to doing some redecorating.
7 and half years later
It was a bright sunny day in Konoha, all visible damage from that night over 7 years ago has long since been repaired,but the scars on the peoples hearts had yet to fully fade.
Walking down the road with a smile on his face was a young 7 years old boy who possessed the most vivid mop of spiky blonde hair you would ever see, along with a pair of bright ocean blues eyes this boy also had three odd whisker marks marking each of his cheeks. The young boy was wearing a white top with a stylized fire mark on the front and a pair of green shorts and blue shinobi sandals, this boy was non other than Naruto Uzumaki and today was another sad day for the boy despite the smile that was being shown.
Naruto was a boy with very few friends, he could count all his friends on one hand, their was the old Hokage, the old Matron who ran the orphanage he was living at, the Ichiraku family and Shikamaru Nara but even then they very rarely talked; manly because Shikamaru was often a sleep even when outside. The reason Naruto had next to no one he could call a friend was because all the parents of Konoha told their children to stay away from him, that then resulted in those children telling all the other children the samething, including the other orphans, sadly it worked and they did and Naruto became isolated and ostracized. With Naruto being seen this way he become prone to getting picked on and bullied, mostly name-calling and the rare attempt at beating him up.
The adults wanted nothing to do with him, anytime they would catch sight of him they would either ignore him completely or glare at him intensely. He would also often hear people whispering about him calling him 'that boy or thing' he often heard people referring to him as 'Demon brat or Monster child' he didn't know why they called him all those names. He tried asking the old man but he always told him that the people didn't understand him or he would change the conversation or even distract him with raman or sweets.
The worst time Naruto had with the villagers was when he sneaked out of the Orphanage one night and a drunk man tried to attack him. Naruto ran away from the man but he chased him and cornered him in an alleyway, Naruto only 5 and terrified by what was to him at the time a giant was scared and curled up in the corner of the ally and closed his eye hoping the man wouldn't see him. The strange thing about that night was that Naruto became enveloped in a gentle warm feeling that would come to him any time he was feeling really negative, only the strange thing is on that night it came stronger than ever before. After the feeling faded the 5 year old found the man that was chasing him walking away from him as if he was under some sort of trance, he didn't react to anything around him he just walked of like some mindless drone following a command. That was a very scary and all round weird night for the young boy and when he went of to bed the warm feeling stayed with him all night soothing him to sleep, making him feel total safe.
This warm feeling had been with Naruto for as long as he could remember so it was not strange to him that it just popped up at any fixed or random time. He would remember anytime he felt down it would appear and comfort him when no one else would, anytime he felt angry or hateful it would appear and calm him down, any time he would become depressed it would appear as if it was telling him to cheer up. The warm sensation made Naruto feel like he had someone watching over him, looking out for him and was picking him up when he fell down. He couldn't explain it but the feeling felt like it was more than just a feeling it felt almost alive. Naruto never told anyone about it, he didn't want anyone looking at him more strangely than they already did.
Naruto was excited to start the Ninja Academy in half a year, he was asked by the Hokage if he wanted to become one and Naruto enthusiastically replied that he did. Naruto liked the Ninja of Konoha they where nicer to him than most of the villagers and he had seem them doing all sorts of cool stuff that him himself wanted to do.
Currently Naruto was on his way to his favourite place to get food, well the only place he could really get any food outside the Orphanage since most shops overcharged him or didn't sell to him at all. In no time Naruto arrived at a little raman stand called Ichiraku Raman, the people who run the place where some of the few villagers who did not hate Naruto for his status as a Jinnjurikue,one of the reasons being was that Teuchi knew Narutos father and mother and in no time worked out who Narutos parents; the main clue not being his appearance but the speed in which he devoured any bowl of raman in his reach reminded the man of Kushina way too much. Teuchi has said nothing to Naruto about his parents because the Hokage had order the raman chef to not say a word to anyone about Naruto's heritage out precaution that the information could leak out to Minatos and Kushinas enemies.
Arriving Naruto quickly pulled himself up onto one of the stools and saw the chef and his daughter at work cooking what was to him the most magical and heavenly food even to bless a bowl in the ninja world. Pulling himself out of his brief raman induced trance and wiping away the small trail of saliva that drooled out of his mouth Naruto called out to the pair "hey old man, hey Ayame guess whos back hehe" said Naruto flashing a big bright grin at the pair.
Ayame smiled at the sight of the small shocking blonde haired boy happy to see his grinning face "oh Naruto and what can I get my" "our" corrected Ayame's father, the teen rolled her eyes before picking up her question "and what can I get our favourite customer today?" she finished with a sweet smile.
Naruto lifted up his little hand to Ayame with his palm facing outwards and his hand showing three of his finger "three big bowls of miso raman! with extra pork!" ordered Naruto already drooling like a waterfall just talking about it.
The young waitress laughed at the sight of the overly exited boy and went of to give the order to her father before coming back to her favourite little blonde"so Naruto I heard your gonna learn how to be a ninja" recalled Ayame out loud, leaning onto the counter with her head resting on her left palm.
Naruto nodded fast and rapidly making his hair bounce around "yep yep and yep! am going be the best ninja ever and am gonna learn all sorts of cool jutsu's, how to jump around all over the place like all those other ninjas do.." 'which will allow me to finally reach all those stupidly high places and will better improve my pranking prowess, it's been getting a bit boring lately with my limited access to high places' "and when I do become the best am gonna take that hat from the old man" proclaimed Naruto in the most exited and confident tone you could ever hear.
Techi looked over to Naruto putting a hand on his chef hat in an almost protective manner "now Naruto you aren't talking about my hat are you?" questioned the raman chef in mock fear.
Ayame laugh at her father while Naruto raised a confused eyebrow "what? No I mean the other old mans" said Naruto who's words made Teuchi let loose a dramatic sigh of relief.
Ayame turned back to Naruto and started rubbed his spiky blonde head which he tried to squirm out off "I wish you luck in becoming a ninja Naruto" said Ayame warmly and looking at him kindly.
Naruto stopped squirming and gave a Ayame a big smile"nahh I don't need luck because am gonna be the best and the best don't need luck!" exclaimed Naruto putting his fist to his chest before speaking again but this time almost as a whisper"but ahh thanks anyway" whispered out Naruto just loud enough for Ayame to hear.
The young teen smiled at the Naruto "anytime" she said before walking off to go take care of some other things around the kitchen.
Shortly after Ayame left Naruto's raman had arrived and the massacre that ensue upon those bowls the moment they where placed in front of that vacuum could not be described in words; naruto had sometimes nearly taken Teuchi's hand of in the past...with chop sticks no less by how very violently he went for the helpless bowls of raman. After Naruto was done...eating?...no...ummm oh yes! destroying the three poor souls of raman he paid his for his victims and left the stand to go head back to the orphanage.
The sun was beginning to set in Konoha their by bathing everything in a the glow of the orange light, Naruto was taking the path to the orphanage that went by the local lake that was reflecting the suns orange rays. Naruto liked this time of day because orange was simply his favourite colour and that's why he liked being out this time of day, in his mind orange was the best colour ever and their was nothing anyone could say or do to make him think otherwise.
As Naruto was walking he looked over to the lake and saw a boat dock and sitting on that boat dock he saw a black haired boy who looked around his age sitting their looking incredible depressed if his facial expression was anything to go by. The boy seemed to sense he was being watched and turned around and made eye contact with Naruto, they held this stare for a bit before giving each other annoyed looks and turning away.
Naruto was ready to keep walking on but stopped when he started hearing what sounded like a faint voice in the back of his head telling him to go back, Naruto was never really was one to be told what to do by anyone but for some reason he felt like he should listen to this voice, the voice sounded almost familiar to him. This voice like the warm feeling that would cover him made him feel secure, he felt he could easily trust it with no fear of being betrayed or misguided.
Naruto turned his head to look at the boy and saw more clear than ever the look on the boy's face it reminded him of his own, the look of someone lonely, he may be seven but he has seen that face enough to recognize it. Naruto turned around and began walking down the path to the lakes dock and quickly found himself sitting next to the boy who looked at him confused on what he was doing. Naruto tuned to the black eyed kid and flashed him a big grin before reaching out a hand to him "hi am Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki!" chirped out the blonde introducing himself.
The boy looked between Naruto's face and his hand before hesitantly reaching out his own and placing it into Narutos and giving it a shake "um Sasuke Uchiha" introduced the black haired quietly with an almost dead tone.
"oh Uchiha I think I have that name before, aren't you the guys with those funny eyes, like those people I see around with those weird white pupil less eyes?" asked Naruto curiously.
Sasuke glared at Naruto which confused the blonde as on why "no our eyes are not like the Hyugas, they are way better" stated the young Uchiha boy pridefully.
Naruto face took a questioning expression "better? Why can they do stuff or something?" Sasuke nodded "really?" asked Naruto growing more interested, again Sasuke nodded smirking a little "like what? is it something cool like if you look into someone's eyes you can read their mind or oh oh um or you can like shoot lasers from your eyes! No wait I bet it something like being able to see the secret behind ramans awesomeness.." and so Naruto went on to guess on what these eyes could do for a few minutes not giving the Uchiha any room to give a vocal respond. Sasuke just watched on with a comical dead panned expression just choosing to shake his head in no at every failed guess 'though it would be cool if the Sharingan could shoot lasers' imagined Sasuke briefly with his fully matured Sharingan shooting laser beams at Itachi who was dogging them helplessly, Sasuke smirked at the thought.
Naruto eventually ran out of guesses after the twenty-ninth which was the crazes 'yeah I mean what kind sense would it make for eyes to have the power to make a giant armoured warrior whose made up of energy and could be control just by using your mind' thought Naruto shaking his head at how ridiculous the thought was.
Sametime in a random location
A handsome man with long black hair tied in a pony tail wearing a black and red cloud patterned cloak sneezed suddenly which caused him to loose his footing on a branch he had landed on which caused him to trip and fall to the ground below in an ungraceful fashion, and land face first and spread out on the ground.
The man's fish faced companion at the time was laughing uncontrollably at the sight along with his sword? which was also somehow laughing.
Sametime afterlife
A bunch of deceased black haired and black eyed people sneezed at the same time and all seemed surprised by that since it was the first time they all sneezed since they got here.
Back with Naruto
"so what is so cool about your eyes then?" asked Naruto finally giving up on the guessing game.
Sasuke looked at Naruto thinking up what to say but he didn't know what to say "well I don't know myself I haven't awoken my eyes yet" answered Sasuke honestly, a little embarrassed that he didn't know much about his clans own dojutsu.
Naruto raised a confused eyebrow "awaken? don't you just have them when your summoned by the baby contract?" asked Naruto.
Sasuke shook his head "no you see the Sharingan which is what it's called, has to have a trigger of sorts to awaken, for my clans people the most common way of doing it is apparently a life or death situation which give a high emotional response to the brain which release the special chakra that awaken the eyes, well that's what my br- I mean this one guy told me" explained Sasuke avoiding the mention of his brother.
Naruto acted like he didn't seem to notice this and just decided to leave it alone feeling like it must be something too sensitive to mention "well that does sound annoying, hey how come I don't see any of you guys around the village much anymore?" asked Naruto. The whiskered blonde had not heard of the Uchiha massacre since no one really talked to him so he was pretty much out of the loop of local new and Intel.
Sasuke tensed at the question gaining a very disheartened expression at the mention of his clan. Sasuke looked at the boy and could see he didn't know what happened, it stunned him that their where still people who hadn't heard of what happened to his clan. The young Uchiha took a breath to calm his nerves "gone" he said simple and turning to look down at the water below looking at his own empty expression.
Naruto was confused and was about to ask further but stopped when he saw the sorrowful look on the boys face which made it click with Naruto what he meant, Naruto may be young but he also knew what that look meant.
Sasuke just kept looking of into space becoming spaced out with his mind beginning to bring back up the memories, but all that was halted when he felt a weight on his left shoulder and turned to see it was Narutos hand, Sasuke looked at Naruto and saw he was giving him a light smile of comfort. This little gesture of comfort was some of the first he had gotten in a long time, people where either to afraid to try or he had fan girls calling him cool because of his behaviour these days making him seem disinterested in others or anything. The trauma of that night had made Sasuke become isolated from others not wanting to get attached to anyone out of fear that Itachi would try and kill them so that it would help stoke the fire of hate already lighting up inside of him, but this blonde boy was making him feel different about that fear.
Sasuke was brought out of his musing boy Naruto's voice "hey have you ever tried skipping stones?" asked Naruto to which Sasuke shook his head in no "good! neither have I so we will be on an even playing field then, come on lets see who can skip their stones the furthest!" cheered Naruto who surprised Sasuke by grabbing him by the wrist and starting to pull him along to look for an area by the lake that has some stones to skip.
So Naruto and Sasuke then went on to compete to see who could skip stones the best, it was a constant neck and neck battle between them, they started off sinking the first stones but by the end they now had their stones doing at least a few smooth bounces on the waters surface. Sasuke couldn't help but have a small smile on his face it had been along time since he had any form of fun and he found skipping stones like this was helping in taking his mind of that night, for the fist time in a long time his mind was becoming a bit more clearer.
Naruto was happy that he actually got to play with someone his own age, and that he might have just made a friend. Though Naruto not having the best history of making friends felt he needed to confirm his hope "hey" called out Naruto getting the young Uchihas attention "can we.." began Naruto sounding nervous "maybe you know be friends?" asked Naruto sounding very hopefully.
Sasuke stared at Naruto thinking over the boys request of friendship, Sasuke was nervous about having a friend he didn't know the next time Itachi might try to kill anyone who becomes close to Sasuke. But Naruto just seemed like someone who he didn't have to worry about that happening to, he seemed like he had this shadow behind him that would jump out and defend him if someone tried anything against him. This shadow didn't scare Sasuke in fact it felt like it was welcoming him with open arms, it was nice, comforting even, but it was strange to feel like someone's own shadow was somehow befriending you just as much as the person itself.
Sasuke saw that Naruto was still waiting patiently for his answer and could see he was growing more nervous "yes" he said simple and surprisingly easily for him it didn't feel scary or difficult "I would like to be your friend" he said further finding it felt good to call himself Naruto's friend.
Naruto eyes became hugely wide when he heard the Uchiha say he would like to be Naruto's friend, it made the blue eyed boy gain a huge beaming smile which was practically blinding to look at "really you mean it!?" he asked with voice filled with excitement, to which Sasuke nodded with an Uchiha smirk forming on his mouth "that's great we are going to be the best of friend I tell you! oh are you gonna be going to the ninja academy too?" he asked wondering if his new best friend was gonna become a ninja like him.
Sasuke was glad to hear his new friend was also going to be going to the ninja academy too it would give them something in common "yeah I am, I hope we'll be in the same class" commented Sasuke.
Naruto nodded in agreement "me too, we could train together though I don't know any ninja moves yet but I will learn" he said sheepishly scratching the back of his head, he new that his friend must have learned some ninja stuff from his clan before they become 'gone' as Sasuke put it.
Sasuke was not surprised by this his mother told him that not everyone in the village knows ninja stuff because not all of them have family members who become Shinobi "that's alright, I only know one or two things myself, though I can breath a fireball" revealed Sasuke with a proud smirk on his face at the mention of that achievement.
Naruto became amazed that his friend could do something that sounded so "cool, really? can you show me please, please, pleasssssse!" begged Naruto really wanting to see it, is was like one of thing every little boy wanted to do but didn't know they wanted until now.
Sasuke looked around deciding not to do it here, he was always told by his family that he should keep his skills away from any prying eye, information was half the battle so they said "no not tonight I'll show you another time" he said with a tone that told Naruto he would no be budging. Sasuke turned to look at Naruto who now looked disappointed "so um when do you want to hang out again?" asked Sasuke.
Narutos mood picked back up quick at the question "um do you want to meet tomorrow, here, at whatever time your comfortable with" asked Naruto.
Sasuke thought up a time that suited him"how about 8 or something?" told the young Uchiha who got and ok nod from the Blonde Uzumaki. Sasuke looked up to the darkening sky "well it's getting really late I better go home"he said before beginning to walk off, waving to Naruto coolly as he did so.
Naruto waved back as well just more enthusiastically exited for tomorrow "okay see you then best buddy!" cheered out the blonde before running of back to the orphanage exited to tell the Matron about him making a new friend. On his way back to the Orphanage Naruto noticed people giving him dirty looks and whispering about him as usual, but tonight it was not effecting him because he was in way too much a good mood for it to be doing anything.
Making it to the orphanage Naruto opened the door and headed of to find the Matron of the orphanage, he fond her in the living room of the house, sitting on a rocking chair and feeding a baby that looked about a month or two old with bottled milk. "oh hello Naruto good to have you back safe and sound, but could you please possible explain why you have been out till this late hour?" asked the elderly woman with a calm tone of voice, never looking up from the baby. It freak Naruto out on how she could tell who you where without even needing to look at you.
The elderly woman before Naruto was Noriyo Sato the Matron of the orphanage and a long since retired Jonin of Konoha. She was around during the time of Konoha's creation and had the pleasure of meeting the first two Hokages and was at a couple of points in time praised for her skill by them. She had fought and lived through all the Shinobi wars but sadly lost her husband to the second, her very on child fought in the third war and died in it as well. After the third war she decided to make use of her time and become the Matron of the Orphanage in Konoha. Helping Raise these children has helped her just as much as she has been helping take care of them.
Naruto hopped to the woman still wearing a very happy look on his whiskered face "well Miss Sato you won't believe it I made a friend today!" cheered Naruto happily, his face shinning with so much joy that it couldn't help but make the Matron smile when she saw it.
"oh is that so, please tell me about your new friend?" asked the elder woman who was not showing it, but she was greatly exited to hear that the boy might have made a friend. She has watched as Naruto became an outcast and was upset to see him treated so unfairly by the villagers for something out of his control, making their children stay away from him out of lingering fear and unhealed grief. She knew the people in the village where still scarred by the Kyubbi event but she had hoped they would not but so afraid or as angry to the point that they would make this poor boy suffer for it 'but I guess damage to the heart can never truly disappear no matter how much time passes, it can only numb or get smaller' thought the Matron.
Naruto hopped onto one of cushion chairs before beginning "well his name is Sasuke Uchiha, he is from one of those clans you know the ones with funny eyes I think he called it the Sharingan, well I saw him sitting all alone I went up to him and we started talking and hit it off" recalled Naruto keeping it quick but sounding vigorous all the way through.
The Matron was surprised to here it was Sasuke who Naruto befriended, she knew of the boy it was hard not too, lost all his family, his clan and all to his loving big brother in one single night and afterwards began to isolate himself from others, and here she was hearing her little Naruto had befriended him she was amazed. "Really Naruto I must say am impressed I heard that this boy was...not a very social person" commented the Matron in a still manner.
Naruto nodded in agreement "I figured he doesn't seem like the type who likes to go around starting conver-eh " "conversations my dear" helped the Matron giving a light laugh at Narutos struggle "eh right yeah that word" finished Naruto a little embarrassed at getting stuck on a big word, even if he was still 7. Naruto's face took a more sad look as he recalled something else"but I think something bad happened to Sasuke's clan" mentioned Naruto, Noriyos quickly understood where this was going"he told me they where gone, do you know what that means?" asked Naruto.
Noriyo was thinking on how best to tell Naruto in a way he would best understand "well Naruto Sasuke is also an orphan like you now" said the Matron putting it as kindly as possible in order to spare his young mind of any terrible or overly depressing details. She didn't want to to tell Naruto all the details, like all the death and gruesome scenes that where left after that night and especially the part of it being Sasuke's brother who turned the young Uchiha into an orphan, if he wanted to talk about it he would tell Naruto himself.
Naruto gaze met the floor "oh so that's how it is, I can't imagine what it must feel like to I have lost so much, but do you really mean it like all his clan is gone?no one else left? Is it just him now?" asked Naruto who got a confirming nod. Naruto felt bad for Sasuke but thought what Sasuke most likely needed right now wasn't someone pitying him or feeling sorry for him all the time. He felt if he was in Sasuke place he wouldn't want to be always looked at and pity all the time, treated like some weak fragile creature all the time it would make him feel more low being seen that way.
Naruto decided he wanted to go to bed he was feeling tired from the day. As he was about to exit the door he stopped when he heard the Matron say "and Naruto am glad you have made a friend, having friends is something greatly important, it helps build character when you have made yourself some true bonds to value, even if those bonds break one day you will always have the memories of the good times spent together too value in you heart and mind" preached the old Matron wisely with a loving tone.
Naruto stared at the Matron who was still feeding the baby in her arms, trying to fully comprehend what she meant but his young mind was able to only grasp so much.
"Don't worry lad you will get it one day just remember my words okay" ensured Noriyo lifting her head to looked at the young blonde who just nodded and left to go to bed his mind still trying to process not just the elderly lady's words but everything else he had learned today.
Naruto went up the stairs and headed to his individual room, their was not much inside just a single person bed by a window, some draws to keep his clothes, a fox plushy which he can't help but like but everyone else seems to hate and colouring books that he coloured mostly orange just for the sake of orange it self. Naruto went to his draws and pulled out some striped pajama's and a night cap and quickly changed into them discarding his day cloths to the floor in an uncaring manner and climbed under the dark orange sheets of his quilt. Before drifting of to sleep Naruto grabbed his fox plushy and snuggled up to it signing contently he liked its orange fur finding it soft and awesome.
As Naruto laid there in his bed he began to feel the familiar warm sensation envelop him, but their was something different this time it. The feeling felt like it was tugging him gentle and felt like it was smoothly pulling him in, into what? he didn't know but he didn't fight it, why should? It's never harmed him or threatened him it's only ever helped him and made him feel better because of it.
When the tugging stopped Naruto began to feel wet? Opening his blue eyes the young blonde looked around and and found his surrounding had drastically changed "where the hell am I!?" exclaimed Naruto beginning to freak out, something about this was saying that this wasn't a dream. Naruto looked to have found himself in some sort of deep under grown sewer system of some sort with the walls lined with huge metal pipes some having steam spraying out of them.
"~come this way~" whispered a voice through the darkness of the tunnel.
Naruto jump at the sound of voice, but settled down when he realized it sounded familiar and had any fear or worry inside of beginning to be replaced by a sheer curiosity of what the source of the familiar voice was.
"~this way, follow the line Naruto~" called out the voice again, and true to it's word before Naruto appearing out of thin air was a silver glowing line just floating in the air swaying gentle and continuing on into the shadows of the tunnel. Naruto reached out and touched the line and gasped when the he felt that same warm comforting feeling coming from it, it felt like everything was coming together. Suddenly the silver string tied itself around Narutos wrist and began tugging him along down the dark tunnel.
Naruto was briefly surprised by this but just decided to let it happen and not put up a fight. After a couple of minutes Naruto began to see a light at the end of the tunnel and had to cover his eyes from the glare of the light when he exited it. When Naruto uncovered his eyes he was shocked by what he saw, it was not more sewer systems like the young boy was assuming, watch was before him was more like a garden. But their was more The Garden looked to becoming out of a endless still surface of water that looked to go on forever and was crystal clear, their was a sky it was coloured soft black not exactly like a night sky but lighter in shade, everything was lit up by what looked to be floating balls of light just hovering and floating everywhere with no real pattern or flight path.
Naruto looked down and gaped when he found he was actually walking on the waters surface, he was knocked out of his amazement of himself when the silver line tug on him again. As the boy was being guided across the water Naruto reach out with his free hand and poked one of the floating light balls that came into his reach and laughed when it popped like a mini firework.
Soon Naruto found his bare yet dry feet upon grass and when he did the string faded away into nothing. Naruto looked himself over only now noticing that he was completely dry not a drop of water on him "weird" he said to himself.
"well if you think that's weird than you my boy are going to find the very world you live in to be full blown crazy" came an amused male voice.
Naruto's head immediately snapped up his eyes darting around seeking out the source of that familiar voice, after a few second Naruto found his eyes landing on a silhouetted figure sitting under the shade of a tall tree. As Naruto stared at the figure he found his gaze met when the figure opened his eyes. He found his blue orbs met with a pair crimson red ones possessing three small spinning tomoe markings on the red iris surface "hello Naruto it's nice to finally meet you" spoke the figure warmly to the young jinchuuriki despite his intimidating position in the shadows.
Host and tenant number one finally meet and he possesses the Sharingan?
End of Chapter
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