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Mortal Man
Disclaimer: I do not own any parts of Naruto or its affiliates.
Anyways, if Sharingan!Naruto and eventual Rinnegan!Naruto bother you, then turn away now, just a fair warning.
And I know stories with Sharingan/Rinnegan Naruto tend to wank him to the high heavens, which automatically turns a LOT of people off, so I'm not too particularly bothered by any hate that will potentially be thrown my way, I'm okay with it. This is a story for me, and the story I want to publish, first and foremost, anyone who reads along the way will read.
Some things to go over:
ONE, SINGULAR PARTNER. I have nothing against harems, it just isn't where I want to take this story at all, and would be doing a disservice to how I want to build my characters up. It would be dumb with how my version of Naruto will be, and doesn't do any good for character or plot development. The final pairing for Naruto WILL BE Naruto/Yugito.
I will be the first to admit, I am a shit author, relatively speaking of course, with some of the other much more talented and dedicated authors on this lovely website. However, I am always going to try my hardest to deliver a high-quality chapter for my audience, and this I promise. I will always be open for CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I hope some of you reading this will enjoy my story, and any future stories, for what they are worth.
Also keep in mind this will be a side project, first and foremost, because I have a career and a significant other that will ALWAYS take priority. I will do my best to write and update this story, so do not worry.
I hope you enjoy the first chapter of Mortal Man, the new and improved edition!
Over the frostbitten glow of the dead of night, a lone baby was resting peacefully. Konohagakure lay in ruin, the once mighty village devastated by the force of a raging demon. Standing beside the isolated infant, two figures, one human and one not, peered with a hidden curiosity.
"What do you make of this, Zetsu?" The taller of the two figures, having spoken, glanced worriedly out of the hospital window.
A soft silence amidst the chaos outside slowly spread.
"It has been approximately seven hours since Minato's death. We can leave a clone of mine here and take the child back for procedures." The now named Zetsu spoke calmly.
"No, I meant with… it doesn't matter. We leave in twenty. Sooner, if you sense a nurse approaching. I need to take a quick detour for her."
Zetsu snorted in disgust. "Hurry, Obito. We don't have much time."
"I know, I know. Just… watch the damn baby, okay?" With that sentiment voiced, Obito left, seemingly floating into the chilly air. Zetsu, or at least what looked to be his black side, rolled a single eye.
Zetsu calmly looked over at the wailing baby, the rosy cheeks of the infant hinting at how cold the air around them was. He didn't care much for anything, much less a human child, but he would obey his commands.
For now.
Was Obito's decision justified? Maybe, probably not. Did Namikaze Minato need to die? Also, probably not.
Why were they there? Besides the baby? Who knew at this point?
Their plan was… well, it was downright moronic, yes, but Zetsu was playing his part in all of this, 'faithfully' obeying Obito and his little commands here and there. Acting like the obedient slave that the Uchiha thought he was.
It was laughable, really.
Regardless, Zetsu sighed a great sigh, and seeing that his time here was coming to a rather abrupt ending, he walked a hesitant walk. Picking up the Forlorn, it was certain to him that Obito was off his medications, figuratively speaking.
Now, if that was a good thing or not, he would find out, and judging from past experiences, it was a mixture of both. Oh well, some would say.
Hovering through the broken window, Obito gave a silent but deafening nod towards Zetsu. Returning the gesture, Zetsu handed the baby to his partner, a mutual sentiment shared between them. Sweeping his onyx hair to the side, he was sure that this plan was going to fail. Absolutely confident that it was going to go awry. No doubt that this scheme would fall through.
Why even bother, he thought, if this has no chance in hell of ever working. The casual opening of his fractured emotions that this homecoming had brought him was enough to force him into a premature retirement. Unfortunately, this homecoming trip wasn't meant for him.
Shrugging his shoulders in such a manner that only the closest of both friends and enemies could understand, Obito dissipated at once, returning to his dwelling, leaving a meticulous Zetsu covering up their tracks.
"Obito… why have you disturbed me?"
Looking at the woman solidly, Obito didn't waver in the slightest. "I took the liberty of taking an asset for the Akatsuki. If that is a problem, well, you better get used to this asset, because he is not leaving."
Raising an eyebrow, Konan glanced down at the infant. "I don't see how a child can possibly help us in taking Madara down."
"This baby isn't any baby, it's the offspring of the late Minato Namikaze."
"I still don't see how this helps."
Shivering slightly at the cool air whipping against him, Obito marched over to Konan and stuck out Naruto. Hesitating to accept the proposal, she glanced up, her silent question being quickly answered.
"Just trust me. I need to show you something."
With that, Obito was gone, the shadow that once occupied his feet leaving as well. After a pregnant moment, he had returned, clutching a yellow and orange notebook. Flipping a few pages, he began.
"Studies have shown that after being born, a baby's chakra pathways and nodes develop continuously for about three months, and at the three-month mark, they are finished developing and are fully mature, give or take. The process could take longer or shorter, depending on the amount of chakra a baby is born with."
"This is elementary, Obito. Why are you-"
"Let me finish! While it may be finished developing, a chakra pathway will grow and expand accordingly with the original body, which allows shinobi to expand their chakra reserves indefinitely. And because a chakra pathway is continuously adapting, this can lead to individual chakra identities, and in very, very rare situations, chakra mutations. Now, what do you know about kekkei genkai?"
Konan shifted her stance just a fraction, a momentary sliver of curiosity reaching her eyelids. "Well, kekkei genkai are genetic mutations that affect how chakra forms. While normally happening at birth, the formation of kekkei genkai can take place at any stage of life, naturally or artificially."
"Artificially, key word. The Uchiha? We are naturally blessed with our kekkei genkai, so ingrained in our culture that we pay no attention to how simple, yes effective, of an advantage it gives us."
He pointed at the baby, and pointed at himself.
"Your big plan is to give an orphan the Sharingan?"
Obito frowned, his face scrunching together in thought. When she put it like that…
"Madara was one of the strongest shinobi to exist in this world – in history. As it stands, the three of us stand no chance. This child has the strongest of the tailed-beast inside of him, correct? If we give this kid the Sharingan, on top of training, imagine how strong he'll be when he grows up."
An exasperated sigh was his only reply.
"That sounds, quite frankly, idiotic, and not worth our time or our investments – or resources, for that matter."
And it was absolutely true, in every sense of what she was saying. This was a stupid idea, and one that wasn't even guaranteed to work. The risks of dying were too high, and there were plenty of options to work around that didn't border on near death.
And yet, she still had one question lingering in the recesses of her mind.
"Are you trying to make up for killing your sensei and his wife?"
And there it was.
She couldn't see it, but she certainly felt the tonal shift in the room, the immediate air of tension, the spike in adrenaline that was pouring out from him. And before she could even flinch a muscle, it was reigned in, locked and chained away back in his heart.
"Whatever my reasoning is, it stands to reason that I believe this is the best move for – for us." Obito finished rather lamely.
Sometimes she forgot that the S-Rank in front of her was still only a child, in essence.
Another sigh was given by her. "Do what you must."
Obito nodded, and turned away to walk, but one last thought kept him from moving, so he turned back to face her.
"Can I assume you'll be helping me train him?"
The indignant sputter was her first in years.
Naruto never quite learned what it meant to be a kid.
He was four the first time he was struck for misunderstanding one of his master's lessons.
Things were tough, and he couldn't figure out the difference between a bloodline technique and a clan secret technique, and it was frustrating Obito to no end.
If trying his best to teach wasn't producing many results, especially before having to send Naruto back to Konoha, then maybe a different method of approach would be necessary.
Without thinking – or perhaps, wanting to pretend he didn't do it intentionally – his hand struck out, smacking the boy across the face and sending him tumbling to the ground.
The boy looked up at him, fearfully, tears threatening to spill over, and Obito's eye widened just a fraction, and he clumsily helped the boy up. Dusting Naruto off lightly, he turned away to hide his shame, even if the boy couldn't see it or grasp it.
"We are done for today, go wash yourself and be prepared for taijutsu tomorrow."
It wouldn't be the last time he was struck, either.
Emotions, soon enough, were beaten out of Naruto.
First it was sadness, which would result in punishment. He was okay with that; he didn't like feeling sad in the first place. He much preferred to be happy with himself.
Then it was anger, and after a while, no matter how much Obito taunted or egged him on, he was fine, not showing any outwards emotion, keeping his rage bottled inside and under control. Not lost, just bottled up.
And finally, his happiness, was gone as well.
And Naruto stopped smiling to himself by the age of six.
It was perhaps the biggest thing that worried Obito, bar the obvious hanging over his head.
He was incredibly awkward, and his personality was like a mold, in a weird, uncomfortable way. It was privy to change at any moment. Whoever or whatever the situation called for; Naruto was already there – different.
While he was only a kid, and kids were still forming their own identities, this kid in particular was much too different to different to actually pass as a child.
One moment, Naruto was a polite, obedient child, afraid to let even a peep come from his mouth, and the next he was confidently sparring against his black-haired master, even if for a moment before he struck him on the side of his neck and incapacitated him.
In essence, his personality fluctuated too much for Obito's liking or comfort.
He tried to fit in wherever he went, and that wasn't something that would work if they wanted this blond-haired brat to defeat one of the strongest shinobi in existence.
When Obito would sit down with Naruto and teach him the basics of wind jutsu, and how to apply them in live combat, there was no warmth in those big bulbous blue eyes, no excitement or childlike wonder at the world.
There was only… indifference.
No – that wasn't quite right either.
It was as if Naruto felt he wasn't allowed to be excited anymore, as if he wasn't proper and prim when showing emotion besides reserved, calculating perception of the world around him.
Undoubtedly, this would have to be properly broken before sending the human sacrifice back to Konoha. Sooner or later, someone would figure out the little charade and start asking – or pushing – into the corners of his mind, and all would be forgotten.
Obito beckoned the boy to him, and the boy obeyed without a word.
Obito motioned for the boy to sit, and the boy sat.
"Naruto," the Uchiha said, his eye peering. "how are you feeling today?"
A few moments of silence passed before anything else could happen. The two of them stared at one another, black eye challenging blue eyes in return.
Not once during his training, had Naruto been asked how he was feeling. Or any questions regarding his wellness, besides "can you stand?"
"I am… adequate." Naruto said after a moment, and Obito had to stop himself from cursing under his mask.
No child under the age of 10 talked like that, much less a six – or was it seven? – year old.
"You mean okay." It wasn't a question.
Naruto blinked after a moment.
"Look, boy, we have to change a few things," the Uchiha continued. "you are going to be sent back to Konoha soon."
"Yes."
"You are still very young, as well."
"I know."
Obito bit back an annoyed growl.
"We are going to be reforming your ways of speaking." He continued, gauging Naruto on his reaction, and of course, not much to speak of in that regard.
Idly, he took note of Konan's chakra forming in the background, and paid no attention to it. She already knew of his intentions, and she would be helping.
Naruto pondered his words for a moment, eyes calm. Calculating. At ease, and yet on guard at the same time. It wasn't something he ever really thought about, how he talked and what he said and how he said it – it was something he just did. His two masters never seemed to pay any mind to his vernacular.
"Why?" He finally decided on.
"Children don't speak how you do, and if you want to make friends and blend in, you need to establish a different dialect, a different code."
He wasn't so sure what that meant.
"You are too cold, boy. Starting tomorrow, we are changing how you speak, are we clear?"
Naruto could only nod.
Three months had passed since that day. Naruto, almost age seven, was ready for the Academy. After about two months, he had replaced the Zetsu clone and was starting to get accustomed to how life in Konohagakure was. It was a foreign experience, to say the least.
Along with living alone with no guidance, a man with gray hair would occasionally pop in to check on him, citing the biweekly visits as "Orders from the Hokage himself." The invasions weren't so bad, at least. Along with a stipend being given to him with every second session, Naruto was also given a basket of fruit and vegetables, courtesy of the man in charge himself.
The vegetables were a much-welcomed alternative to the mush that Obito would feed him back at the camp. While he knew the mush provided many, many benefits, to which most he didn't know of, the vegetables were more filling and tastier, and Naruto found himself eternally grateful.
Of course, even though Naruto was not at permanent residence of the camp, his training with Obito was not halted. He would send pieces of paper for him, the paper often times having his training schedule written on it.
He would follow these loyally.
It was unhealthy. His body was something disgusting, something revolting, something dangerous. No child should ever have to deal with the forced acceleration of their body like that. Constant growing pains, shaky breathing at times, and the ever-present dull aching of his very bones and core.
A terrible fate indeed.
The only sound that could drag him out of his repeated daydreaming was the insistent knocking on his door. Like now.
Kakashi walked in once he got confirmation from the resident. Hauling the basket of edibles into the apartment, he whistled at the sight. It was bare, much too bare for anyone half-sane to live in. Of course, with the stipends the boy received, he didn't blame him.
A bookshelf stood in the corner; the wood dyed a deep blue. It was sparsely filled out, with a few books here and there. Otherwise, it was void. Directly under him was a black rug, with two love seats and a simple lamp resting easily on the rug. He interestingly noted the lack of a television set.
A layer of dust was on most of the objects.
"Hey Naruto. How are you doing?"
Taking out a few containers of spices, Naruto glanced over at the older of the two. "I'm okay. Would you like to stay for some spaghetti? It is almost finished."
Kakashi thought about it. And shrugged. It was roughly dusk, and he had no plans, so why not? And besides, he was interested in how his master's son was handling himself. Taking a seat by the window, Kakashi patiently read his novel while Naruto hummed away.
"Need any help?"
"No thank you, sir, I'm – fine."
Kakashi couldn't help but grimace at what Naruto had said, and he of course noted the brief, but noticeable pause before he said fine. It was as if he was questioning his own words.
He shoved that to the back of his mind, and changed his thoughts.
It was honestly amazing that a six-year-old could cook like this. Of course, Naruto had asked for some recipe books for his sixth birthday, and with how accelerated his literacy and worth ethic were, due to help from both Kakashi – and Yugao, who would occasionally fill in for him if he was out on a mission – he couldn't be too surprised.
Naruto was incredibly efficient. He kept to himself, he didn't bother those around him, and he was extremely polite and easy to work with. As if the gods themselves had blessed the Nation with another prodigy, this boy was the perfect candidate for being the next legendary shinobi.
Unfortunately, that didn't come without its drawbacks.
Naruto was socially introverted. Besides himself, Yugao, and Hiruzen, it was a constant struggle just to get Naruto to even communicate with other people. If he didn't know you, it would be a nightmare just for him to even reveal a single detail about himself.
He wasn't a robot like the ROOT operatives, he was just a little awkward at times. Not for lack of effort, however, as Naruto would try his best to fit in whenever given the chance, but he just can't catch onto a flow for conversation like any of his peers.
Sliding a string of noodles onto a plate, Naruto handed his pseudo caretaker the food and fixed his own meal. It was a simple dish, spaghetti with beef and flavored with garlic, but nonetheless, Kakashi enjoyed it for what it was. It wasn't the best meal he had ever ate, but it was delicious for something a six-year-old could make.
"Are you excited for the Academy?"
"Meh. I don't have anyone to play with, nor do I have… parents. It will be a fun way to pass time."
That was the other thing that bugged Kakashi. His vernacular. He wasn't surprised, as mentioned why before, but it was unnatural to hear a child speak in such an advanced way. It pained him in the same way it would pain a mother to see her baby boy become independent.
He decided to change the subject. "Have any idea about what study you want to focus on?"
Naruto gulped some water. "Ninjutsu, preferably." He failed to elaborate on that.
Kakashi, as well, wasn't one to talk more than he felt necessary.
"Well, orientation is next week. To be enrolled into the Academy, you need a p- guardian," Kakashi caught his slip up. "and Lord Third will act as your guardian."
"Why?"
"He is technically your adoptive guardian."
"So, I can serve my village?"
It was an odd way to phrase it – and an odd mentality as well.
Kakashi nodded dumbly.
"I see. Well, I hope to be shinobi one day, just like you, sir."
It was an innocent comment, nothing harmful or hurtful intended, but regardless, it had an undesired result. A quite nasty one.
"Naruto, listen to me, and listen to me well. I am not someone who you want to be. I'm a monster, and I have done some truly awful things in my time. I don't want you to have to go through the same things I went through."
Was what he wanted to say, so damn badly. Instead, Kakashi remained silent, his words choking and dying in his throat, and giving a polite goodbye, he left, leaving Naruto once again, alone.
"I can't do it." The phrase had hardly any feel behind it, but to the trained ear of the jovial Third, it was akin to a nasty cry for help. It pained him to hear a child sound like that. While he wasn't particularly close to Naruto, he at least had sympathy for the boy.
"Relax my boy, everything will be fine." Hiruzen Sarutobi was the third Fire Shadow that Konohagakure had produced, and arguably, the best they have had so far. He was the ninja that Hidden Leaf soldiers modeled themselves after, he was practically a god among mortals.
The two of them, Hiruzen and Naruto, were inside Naruto's apartment. It was the day of the orientation, and they had another hour and a half to kill before they had to get to the Academy.
"Naruto, I'm making your favorite dish, garlic seasoned salmon. You better wash up before I finish."
Naruto paused. "With no onions?" he whispered, as if he was afraid of what he was saying.
Hiruzen suppressed a giggle at the young boy, misunderstanding the emotion. "Yes, my boy, with no onions. Now run along!"
Naruto disappeared into the back woods of his apartment, intent on washing his hands for his grandfather-figure. Unfortunately, not his actual grandfather.
Looking into the mirror of his cave, he whimpered softly. Who even was he, in the eyes of the village? All of his life he thought himself an orphan, but something didn't make sense here. He was hand-picked by his master for training, and while he was grateful, that could be passed off as luck of the draw.
Once you include the Third Hokage into the mix, well… not much coincidence anymore.
Did he have friends? He had the Cat-Masked woman and Kakashi, he presumed.
He couldn't really consider Obito (and Konan, whenever she rarely popped up) friends. They were his teachers, and outside of the help they (and by extension the rest of the Akatsuki, even if the rest of the Akatsuki were unaware of his existence) loaned to him, they couldn't honestly say they cared much for him.
Yeah sure, he was strong, he had been trained since birth and he was approaching what a novice genin would be after graduating, but it wasn't enough to them. They wanted him to be a monster.
A heartless, emotionless monster.
Walking back to the foyer, the aroma of salmon enticed him to hurry up and sit down. Grabbing the plate from the shadow himself, Naruto ate the fish without a second thought.
Hiruzen grinned with a fatherly pride, but it was forced. He couldn't smile, not now. Not with everything going on in the world, much less inside the heart of the Hidden Leaf. Naruto didn't deserve to have a decrepit old man, a teenage girl, and a PTSD-ridden alcoholic as his three caretakers. It just wasn't fair.
And besides, even ignoring the current moment.
The Uchiha were getting… testy, if he were being polite about the situation. In reality, he would say it was far, far more complicated.
His next in line was Shisui Uchiha, a prodigious warrior who could fight with the best of the very best. He was an S-Ranked animal, a demon on the battlefield who slaughtered anyone who dared to cross paths with the colossus from the Uchiha.
Hiruzen knew both Shisui and Itachi Uchiha had unyielding loyalty to the village, and would sacrifice their very souls if it meant protecting the home that they loved. And, while he hoped it wouldn't have to go to those lengths, it also might mean that they would have to commit atrocities unheard of.
Sliding the plate to lay in front of his surrogate grandson, the two of them ate in silence. A million questions were flying through his head, yet he couldn't dare mutter a single of them.
He was too fucking old for this job.
"How is he doing?"
The doctor paused, not quite sure of the answer himself.
"The only permanent damage he will have is the forced removal of his right eye, but other than that, he has sustained chakra exhaustion and shows signs of a concussion. Otherwise, he is fine." Physically fine, that is.
"Well, how did his condition form?"
"Classified, orders from the 'kage himself. I will say it involves the incident the other night. Other than that, I am not legally allowed to say." A half-truth.
"Will he recover soon?"
Silence.
"I don't know."
Naruto walked into his classroom, and the first thing he saw was the sight of one Sasuke Uchiha, which was rather odd, considering just two days ago, the boy was in a coma.
Of course, all the kids were crowding around the boy, saying their apologies, their condolences, how horrible it must be, how their parents all pass on their sympathy, if he ever needs anything, yada yada yada. It was all the same, honestly.
Sasuke's face was puffy, red and swollen, no doubt from the tears that would push him through his day. Before the incident, he was a quiet, but caring, child, and there were a few times Sasuke tried to spark a friendship with Naruto, but sooner or later, he got the message, and so…
They never really talked, besides the occasional greeting, and Naruto wasn't about to change that pattern, so ignoring the sulking child, he took his seat in the top row of the classroom, watching from a far as his classmates conversed and offered their newfound sympathy and worry for the Uchiha.
The Uchiha was alone in this world, even perhaps, more alone than the Uzumaki.
Class had started, and while he attempted to take notes, he couldn't help but be distracted by the young Uchiha, and there were a few times where Sasuke's grieving eyes caught Naruto's curious ones in return, and there was a mutual understanding between them. It was silent, and no words or movements besides their eyes meeting, but the connection was there.
It was crazy, having someone who knew what loneliness felt like. What having a perpetual darkness felt like. What having a living nightmare felt like. What having a personal hell felt like.
He could relate with the other. He could actually relate with another person. The very idea of being able to relate to someone was laughable, absolutely crazy.
And yet, he was comforted by it. Enthralled, some would say.
Maybe he could be a potential ally, and not just a fellow Leaf shinobi?
He could only hope.
Revised 7/25/2020.
Naruto and Sasuke are just not having the best of childhoods, huh? Some would even say, they could form a bond together out of commonalities in their lives.
If I'm being honest, I was not a huge fan of the end of Naruto, and everything going on. Kaguya, the whole descendants storyline, Hashirama blood cells being the equivalent of chakra miracles, all of it felt a little... terrible, to me. So, I'm changing some stuff in this story.
No aliens. Period. Like, not at all. Zero. Nothing. The final antagonist will NOT be Kaguya or any of the aliens, so that means Zetsu will be loyal to Madara. It'll be explained later.
Second, Hashirama cells will NOT be anywhere near as powerful. They'll be good, sure, but not the explanation for literally everything in the world. I was sick of that shit by the time Naruto ended, and I'm sure many people were too.
I'm also not doing the whole "reincarnation" shenanigans. Argue with yourself because I couldn't give less of a shit.
And the Rinnegan will be mixing Senju and Uchiha DNA, LIKE IT WAS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
Also, I'm going to scale back the power levels in this story. No continent breaking fights, no world shattering jutsu, none of that. There will still be powerful shinobi, but not like what we saw at the end.
I know this is going to make a LOT of people exit out, and that's fine, I'm okay with that. I want to write my story how I want it. A lot of stuff will be changed in this.
Have a great day!