[So… been a while since I threw together a chapter for any of my stories. Doubt any of my old readers even care anymore. To those who have been waiting, I apologize for my absence and my lack of updates; been battling major mental health and motivational issues… amongst other personal things. I doubt I'll be updating my other fics for a while, if ever; I've simply spent too long away and forgot where I was going to take them. On a more positive note; with luck, this fic might spark that old creative flame once more. To those who actually bothered to read this AN; well done. You get a cookie]
Summery: The world and lore of this world can be shaped; decided and warped by the simple act of a butterfly's wingbeat… unpredictable, untamable, uncontrollable; this world is but a series of random events and tragedies deciding the actions and reactions of itself… some reactions are minor; some can change the very fate and prophecies of the gods… one death. One stray wind… one prophecy cut short. The world would change forever; if only though the eyes… of one pure spirit.
[Clearing, 3 miles west of Konoha, 12 AKI (After kyuubi incident]
Naruto N. Uzumaki was not what his teachers would call a good student. He often spent his time on pranks; napping, eating a salty noodle dish from his favorite food stall in his village and on the odd occasion; one might even see him spending time with an old man in white robes… but he never trained, not in the way that was demanded of him. he never learnt; be it through the neglect of his teachers or his own upon his education. He never studied, he never bothered more than what was needed of him… no one knew why exactly. Perhaps the child had a learning disability undiagnosed, perhaps it was as simple as a lazy attitude and… perhaps it stemmed deeper into a resent of education due to his neglective tutors. Either way, the boy was as some would call him... dumb as a sack of rocks drifting down Kiri coast. So when his tutor came to him and offered him a chance at redemption; a chance to escape the loop of education and failure, the little idiot jumped at the chance and obediently did something that any other learn'ed shinobi would have known to be a trap and a mistake… he stole the forbidden scroll of seals.
In another life, another world, he would have mastered this scroll for it's jutsu. He would have taken the key to his growth, the most used jutsu in his arsenal and put it to use all throughout his life…. That is not; what would occur this night.
-
As the boy, blond in orange clothing, settled down in the trees of the clearing his tutor had told him to go to, his grin was that of elation and glee… in his hands he held the key to his passing and the only chance he had left at passing with his friends- if one could come to call them that after the way they treated him throughout his life. Soft grass flattened under blue sandals as he landed in the clearing, stepping over to a rotting wooden shed long reclaimed by nature and settling against it with scroll in arms; its sealed lip already blowing in the wind as the boy's elongated index nail slipped under its edge and pried it loose. His eyes focused heavily; maybe for one of the few… 7 or 8 times he had ever chosen to focus so heavily upon anything that wasn't tubes of carbohydrates floating in a miso broth.
But… Here is where the difference for the boy lay. In other occurrences, the boy had snuck in and simply taken the scroll without much hassle. Tonight; it had taken him 25 minutes past his optimal time frame to sneak in thanks to a change in the guards. A chaotic, unpredictable event that had set him back by a whole fifteen thousand seconds. As before, it would take an hour for any Konoha chunin or jounin to find him; an understandable effect really. But there was one person who knew exactly where he was, why he was here… and what was about to happen.
Before the boy could read further into the scroll to find out what this shadow clone jutsu was or what it did; he was alerted to the presence of another by the sound of leafs crunching and grass being disturbed. He looked up to find his beloved sensei; mizuki, in full combat gear and more. "Probably just got back from an awesome mission". The boy grinned, and stood… and watched as his sensei came closer, none the wiser to their intent. "well done naruto! You have performed exactly as I have expected. For all of your shortcomings, stealth was always something you excelled at… too bad you never got graded on it".
There was a heartbeat of hesitation in naruto's steps towards his sensei on that comment… surely they graded the original intent for ninjas did they not? His sensei's words broke his thought process once more, an easy thing to do really. "Bring the scroll over here, and we'll get you your reward". There was a… tone in the man's words. But the boy seemingly could not pick it up… as he stepped closer, holding out the scroll; his teeth shining in the moonlight… eyes closed as always with his stupid grin. He never saw the man's features change to a sadistic smirk. He did feel however, sharp steel going through his hand.
Naruto screamed into the air with shock and pain, his eyes wide and frantic as he pulled at the kunai in his hand; only for another pained yell to come from the blond as his other hand joined it's brother on the ground; pinned to it by black steel. Blue eyes looked to their attacker in shock and betrayal as mizuki let out a laugh dripping with sarcasm. "oh poor poor naruto… poor poor demon. So stupidly brilliant, so brilliantly stupid; so..fucking… easy. You are and always have been a total and utter dipshit haven't you."
"m-mizuki-sensei!? What the hell is thi-" a boot impacted the boy's jaw, cracking it's right side and shattering a few teeth. "Shut. Up. Fox.". naruto's eyes, brimming with tears from the pain, could not look away as the sensei crouched down next to his unprotected student, holding down their leg with ease to prevent any wild kicks. "you know what.. because you did such a good job. Maybe I will let you in on why this is happening. Let me explain, boy". The boy thrashed, he flailed… he could not move. The kunai cut deeper into his flesh, drawing pained sobs from him as his teacher drew a third and began running it down his cheek, slicing through the marks on his skin and continued to speak, ignorant.. or simply taking pleasure in the screams of this lad.
"12 years ago… this disgusting, corrupt, vile cesspool of a village was attacked by a demon known as the Nine tailed fox. We, the witnesses, were bound by oath to tell the same story again and again. The fox and lord fourth fought to the bitter end; one destroying the other at the cost of his life. A neat little tale, all wrapped up in a pretty little bow… but we knew the truth. Thanks to a rogue anbu, the secret was spread like wildfire through our little village… the fox… the beast that killed so many. The walking disaster… was sealed away in a blond youth no older than the night itself… a blond youth… named… naruto… Uzumaki"
Each word was followed by a cut. Each and every single sentence, driven in by the screams of the boy as another kunai after another was pushed into his flesh. The boy sobbed, but no one would hear them… as blades pierced his hands. Slices off fingertips. Pushed into his organs, pinned his legs to the ground, severed parts of him that would never heal… and when he thought it would end, he looked up to see the chunin take off the four bladed weapon upon his back, staring down at the boy with hatred and satisfaction.
"That night. Boy. You were born. You, were sealed into an innocent young child and consumed his soul.. you are, the Kyuubi no yoko. You are the one, who killed everyone I hold dear. Everyone who lost someone that night.. is because.. of.. you. And I'm done, serving a senile old man who would protect the killer of his own wife and successor… Goodbye Kyuubi. I hope that the boy who you've possessed finds peace in the next life… naruto. I'm Sorry".
The boy's final scream was silenced as solid steel bisected his head from his neck. Mizuki… even sighed as he shed tears for the poor boy who had been price for the kyuubi all these years. "With the fox gone.. perhaps you may find love with your real parents; if you end up in the same place as them". Leaving the weapons behind; tainted with demon blood as he claimed, mizuki fastened the scroll around his shoulder and leapt into the trees… leaving behind the horrified expression of Naruto Uzumaki's still functioning mind and the body of the blond to rot; as a spiraling seal shone through the boy's blood soaked clothes… and began to unravel. Releasing a cry of pain and rage from boy… and beast alike.
[Unknown amount of time later]
Naruto wiped his eyes as he 'woke up' from the nightmare he had experienced the night before, a sigh heavy on his lips with a small smile. "only a dream.." he reached down to pull the covers from his body, yawning as he stood up from his place in his….bedroom? the room was as white as snow; speckled with browns and reds… fresh red. Medical instruments scattered across the room made him pause… did he get hurt trying to get the scroll? he shrugged, smiling as his JiJi came in with a… "hey old man!". The hokage looked in his direction, and sighed. Tears…tears stained his cheeks. Naruto faltered in his steps towards the man. "did..did I really upset him that much..?". shaking his head, he ran towards his guardian and smiled, opening his arms to wrap them around him in glee.
Only to fall right through the man.
He blinked… standing up slowly, noting finally his state of undress. And how his skin…glowed slightly. Yet seethrough? Turning, his eyes fell on the old man and his shout of annoyance was silenced by the sight on the table… what he previously thought was his bed.
Blond hair matted with blood. Blue eyes that held no life or shine to them. A shattered jaw still lined with fragments of teeth. An entire table of broken, destroyed and stained weapons.. and stitching at the neck where a mangled and mauled body lay. "n..no no no! it was a dream; a..a nightmare! JIJI! LOOK AT ME! PLEASE, IT'S NARUTO!".
But the old man did not look. He stared at the boy and placed his hat over the body's eyes… a choked sob coming from his aged lungs. "I'm sorry my boy… I should have done so much more for you". naruto… he couldn't even say stumbled. There was no weight to his movements. If they were even movements anymore. He stood next to his grandfather figure and stared…stared at the truth of the matter. His eyes caught the sight of something…orange in the corner. But they remained focused on the body in front of him, his eyes stricken with pain at what he saw… as the doctor came over and covered the body completely; he sighed, giving the old man a look to which he received a nod and picked up a single recording device, and as naruto listened and watched with denial in his heart.
"Doctor Shin Ezume… Recording time of death, 0900 hours, 20th of June… paitient's name… Naruto Uzumaki".
…his world shattered.. the orange In his sight was clear now. Nine swaying tails, a look of…sadness? In crimson eyes. And a sigh of a voice far too deep to belong to something so small.
"We need to talk… Spectre"
[So there we go. The first chapter to "Ghost". Bit on the nose but hey; it works. I understand my grammar or spelling might not be the best so please do go easy on me. Please review fairly and tell me what you enjoyed!]