In another world, full of strife and war, there exists a Child Of Prophecy…
There exists a world full of beauty, mired in blood. Where children fight their father's war, its an accursed place with people too proud to change it. Clans, Daimyos, Shoguns, and Kage have come, and went by the sword. There is only a state of static war, with very brief respites of so-called peace.
A child sat on a swing, overlooking other children as they played. He stared longingly at them, but he knew better than to walk over to them. The jeers would come, and he would be forced to walk away. Silently, without much movement, he propelled himself off the swing and over the tall stone wall surrounding the academy. His belly yearned to be filled, but he had to be careful. One of the villagers noticed, turning their nose up as he walked past. One old woman was throwing salt across her door, chanting a prayer.
The locals tended to quickly be out of the child's path. A few stood, crossing their arms, talking jeers amongst each other. It was not exactly them talking about him that made the boy grimace. It was always they way they had looked at him. Mouths can speak a line of jeers, but an eye full of hatred glaring at you tended to sink deeper than mere scorn. In his soul, at least in part to The Hidden Leaf Village, he felt like an outside. He had seen foreigners come, and go, with less suspicion thrown their way.
It was as if the people expected him to start coming into their houses, cut their family's throats, be done with them!
A monstrous assumption, and not everyone went to that extreme. However, the term "Bad Seed" got thrown around a lot, and that bothered him. For a village that idolized the notion that the next generation of children were nothing more than seeds, growing into trees. It was as if they deemed him broken from the start. As if his seed was tarnished, infected with blight, which threatened the entire future forest like kuru vines strangling younger trees.
Ignoring them the best he could, he made it to his destination, Ichiraku. Ichiraku was a fine dining stall, specializing in his favorite meal. Sitting on a seat, he looked at the old man preparing the dish. He turned around, facing the young child, smiling. However, just past his shoulder the child noticed in the back of the stall was a broken window with a brick laying under it. A young woman was sweeping the glass up.
"Ah, Naruto, escaped the madhouse a little earlier than expected?" The Old Man asked the boy, Naruto, who smiled a little.
He replies with a grin, "Yep, snuck right on outta there, they didn't notice a thing, dattebayo."
"Father," The young woman got attention of the old man, "They're getting to the point of throwing salt in with the bricks."
"Damned fools…" The old man growled.
"Old man Teuchi, is something wrong?" Naruto inquired, the child looking nervous.
The old man sighs, but then smiles, "Just extra salt for the ramen!"
"Oh really, that's cool…" the boy replied as he looked down at his reflection. "Old man, are people doing those bad things because of me?"
"Who told you that?" Teuchi asked, getting a pot ready for pouring.
The boy shook his head rapidly, "Nobody told me, I just saw…you know, the broken window."
"Tch, just another ignorant piece of crap, kid you know they can't be bothered to have any confidence to say something straight to us." Teuchi grumbled to Naruto, adjusting his apron.
Naruto bit his lip, and then says, "I'd like to pay for my bowl this time."
"What, Naruto, you don't have too…that's your rent money." The girl argued with the boy, who proceeded to lay a couple of copper notes down.
The young child smiled, a broken smile, but a smile, nonetheless. He reached over, grabbing the bowl placed at the counter. The old man looked at him, unsure to do with the boy's money, but then sighed and took it. The man went into the back, touching his daughter's shoulder along the way, she could tell that fer father was very hurt. Not by the boy, but by the actions of callous strangers. Naruto looked at her, smiling, noodles already in his mouth.
"Still the best ramen, ever!" Naruto shouted with a full mouth.
She could only give a chuckle in response.
A hero rose from a village, this Village Hidden in The Leaf, and in the last war finally brought everyone together. The victory was short lived, for the Gods were cruel, and soon tragedy would strike this man. It would come an auspicious October night nine years ago. His legacy, his sole heir, and the heir to his wife's heritage, left roam the world alone. Feeling not one ounce of true belonging, not a shred of general respect, save from very few people. They mock this child, throwing salt upon their doorways, to make sure that this supposed evil spirit would not enter their house. If they could only realize the shame, they bring upon their family, for such actions…
Naruto walked down his street, looking on as the sun was still high in the sky. He went to his door, seeing a couple of local kids at it. They were painting his door! He rushed over to one of them, dragging him away by his hair, tossing him aside. The other kid attempted to punch him, but the blonde child was a student in the Shinobi Academy. He may not have been the best Taijutsu. Compared to two little punks, however, he might as well be the ace!
When the bigger kid attempted the punch, throwing his full weight in with it. Naruto simply brought forearm up, deflecting it, and then throwing a jab straight into the kid's nose. It was broken, if the crunch did not indicate so, then the blood leaking from both nostrils was a definitive proof. The small kid he had thrown by his hair, attempted to jump on his back. Not needing to think, Naruto simply reached back and grabbed the boy midflight by his arm. He slammed him down, hard, make the boy's shoulder come out of place with a very audible pop. Crying out in pain, the young boy tossed and turned on the ground.
The boy with the broken nose got his wits about him. He glared, grabbing the bucket of paint. Naruto sighed, dropping into a boxing stance, he waited for the next move. The older boy did not waste too much time, he slung the bucket with black paint at Naruto, who ducked under it. The boy with the dislocated shoulder gurgled as black paint splashed over him. However, ducking under the strike, Naruto then launched his upwards, smashing into the bottom of the older boy's chin. His eyes rolling back, he stepped back, falling flat on his back. Naruto shook his knuckle, and then walked over to his door. He looked at his door, noting that in Kanji the word, "Loser," was written.
He frowned, looking over to them, "Really that is the best you came up with? Worth the broken nose, and dislocated arm, no, probably not."
Unlocking his door, he opened it, slamming it behind him. These two kids were braver than most, most villager children did not dare to try their luck with a Shinobi in training. They found out why, because if Naruto wanted too, he could have just broken them a little more. He grabbed trash from around his apartment and stuffed into garbage bags. He heard the dreaded knock, rolling his eyes, he glared at his front door while marching over to it.
Opening it back up, he saw a full-grown man standing there with pure hatred in his eyes. He went to scream at the blonde, only to get the door slammed right in his face. Naruto heard the man yelp in pain, obviously his nose as well had been just a shy hair too close to the door. Expletives filled air, insults, threats, and the occasional punch at the door. Sitting at his table, Naruto just closed his eyes and sighed.
"Wish he'd go away, such a loud annoying asshole," Naruto thought angrily as he stared at his window.
"Perhaps…you should make him go away…" A voice filled his head, making his eyes snap open.
He got up from his chair, searching around his room, scanning over the area with his eyes. The blonde entered the bedroom, opening the closet. Chalking it up as just a moment, he took a deep breath, looking himself in the mirror. His thin frame overclothed with his orange tracksuit. Rolling his eyes, he grabbed at the goggles he had been wearing, tossing them onto the bed. He took his tracksuit off, grabbing a black t-shirt, and a pair of blue sweats. He put them on, and stretched, but then stopped as he heard more banging on his door.
Growling, he walked over to his door, slamming it back open.
"WHAT?!" He screams as he thought he would see the man standing there, instead he saw a Shinobi named Iruka.
Iruka was man, built lean, with tanned skin. He had scar across his nose, but his face was curled into a slight scowl, by the looks of it seemed that the people from earlier had gone away. Iruka didn't even ask permission, he simply walked into the apartment complex. Brushing past Naruto, who grunted but decided to bite his tongue. He closed his door, watching as Iruka looked around the apartment.
"So, I noticed that you cut class at recess," Iruka stated with an insulting degree honeyed poison. "How many times does that make it, three times this week?"
"Four," Naruto admitted and leaned against his door. "Come to drag me back into a place that doesn't want me?"
Iruka growls, turning towards the boy, "You're not special, Uzumaki Naruto. You don't just get to decide when to leave, I should drag back right now."
"However, you're not because…?" Naruto hanged in air, eyeing him.
Iruka sighs, and then smiled a little, "Because it's your birthday."
"Bingo," the young boy yelled out, "But seriously, Iruka-sensei…I want to thank you with coming by, and…huh?!"
Iruka suddenly exploded into smoke, revealing red paper tags. Naruto stood there, looking at them, and then looked down as he opened the door. A local bully, a Genin, who had just graduated was laughing his head off. He pointed at Naruto, his friends around him, a closer look made Naruto think of the younger kid he had just dislocated the arm too. The two looked very similar, but Naruto more or less just slammed his door for the last time that day and yelled out in frustration.
"I am sick of this stupid village!" He screamed as he slammed his bedroom door.
He laid in bed, just looking at himself in the mirror. His eyes watering up, and finally he just let it out. Sobbing into a pillow, he found no comfort, and the more sunk into his mind he found just anger. His anger boiled, and he slowly closed his eyes, focusing on what he'd do about getting revenge on the prankster. He grabbed his bedsheet and bit his lip until it bled, and his eyes snap open. What he saw in the mirror made him jump up!
His eyes were glowing red, but not just red, they were misshaped! His irises were crimson, almost blood, red. His pupils, the most twisted of all, were foxlike. He looked at his usually thin whiskers, noting that they were thicker, but for some strange reason his anger was still there. It was as if a fire burning in his heart, and he had just given it the necessary fuel to stay ignited. Growled, feeling his canine teeth grow a little bit. He felt his face, it felt scorching hot, and red chakra poured around him.
"Wha-what is this?" Naruto observed as he looked himself in the mirror.
"A small token, a gift, of my powers…" The voice came back again, making Naruto jump.
"Hey, what the hell, where are you?!" Naruto yelled out, looking around his apartment.
He noticed something, he could sense the area around him. People marked with a purple haze. Their haze sickened him slightly. He could feel it, the bitterness and hatred rolling off this haze, and he rubbed his eyes. Getting adjusted, he looked upon himself again in the dream. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, and opened them. They still remained red, foxlike, and he backed away from the mirror.
"Oh, my Gods," Naruto breathes out as he looked at himself, "I really am…a monster…"
"You don't even know the definition of monster, brat. Also, stop screaming every time I choose to speak to you. It messes with the mental link connection I'm trying to establish." The voice talked to him, and it then chuckled. "I know this chakra you have, very interesting…"
Naruto was breathing hard, looking at himself in the mirror, "Oh for crap's sake I've done lost my mind! I'm going to wake up, and it's just going to be a nightmare."
He pinched himself, wincing at the pain, and then thought. He thought of something and ran over to the utensil drawer in his kitchen. Breathing hard, he got a small knife out, and sunk deep into his hand. Strangely, where he should've felt blistering, searing, red hot pain…he only felt a tiny pinch. He looked, watching as the knife pushed itself from his hand, clattering to the ground. The small hole sealing up with a hiss, and it forced him to sit back against the counter. Sliding down, he looked at his now, freshly, healed hand. Not a single evident mark, scar, or blemish where he'd stabbed himself!
"Really, that's not even worthy of me ordaining. However, I have to admit, if this had been some low-level illusion, you'd broken it. I'm surprised, honestly, that you'd be on the quick thinking about something like this." The Voice said, and then it growled when he noticed Naruto going for a second attempt. "You do that again, and I'll the damn hole in your body, brat!"
"O-Okay," Naruto acknowledged shakingly, putting the knife down. "W-who are you?"
"I go by many names, brat, but you can call me by oh so gracious title. I am The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox!" The Voice thundered in his head, making him shutter a little.
Naruto's lip quivered, and he looked at his kitchen, "That's not possible. The Fourth Hokage killed you, and he did at the cost of his life! You're just some asshole playing tricks on me, shut up and get out of my head!"
The voice cackles, "I would love to get out of you, except that means you die. Do you wish to die, to be forgotten, remembered only as Uzumaki Naruto, the boy who quit!"
"H-how do you know my name?" Naruto inquired, still shaken, but much more softly.
"I've been in you since you were born," The Voice claiming to be the nine tails answered. "I would do well to know the name of my jailer."
The child sat there, and then sighed in thought, "I'm definitely dreaming. When I go to sleep tonight, and tomorrow when I wake up it'll just be one hell of a twisted nightmare."
"Keep telling yourself it's a nightmare, but who knows…I could be a figment of your fracturing sanity." The Voice stated inside of his head, and then it cackled. "Are you a man of your word, Uzumaki Naruto?"
"I guess I can be," Naruto replied while thinking on it. "I mean…I don't know what you want from me, so I can't promise you anything."
The Voice laughed, a hearty laugh, and replies with positive tone. "Honesty, that'll get you far, but what if I offered you…knowledge?"
"Oh okay, now I know I'm dreaming. This is a nightmare because I watched that one stupid horror movie, one with some sort of genie that goes around killing people who makes a wish," Naruto laughed, breathing a sigh relief. "Okay, Nine Tails…I want knowledge of all Jutsu in existence!"
"KEEP YOUR VOICE DOWN, YOU MORON!" The Voice screamed into Naruto's making him quake from under it.
Naruto's nose bled, he watched it dripped onto the floor, "For a nightmare…this sure hurts."
"For right now, let's say you're in a dream. I'm a figment of a nightmare you're having," The Voice spoke to him, calm once more. "Then, I guess what I'm going to offer you is something you dreamed of for a very long time."
"Okay…" Naruto thought hard for a moment, "Is it infinite ramen?"
"No," The Voice drawled as it growled. "What if I gave you the information necessary to track down your mother?"
The child's eyes shot wide open, and he froze for a moment, "Is he serious…?"
"As a sharp as a kunai made in hell," The Voice answered him, "All you need to do for me is call on me when you learn the truth."
"What makes you think I won't just walk away?" Naruto inquired, standing up.
The Voice laughed, "Because, Uzumaki Naruto, why would you walk away from an opportunity like this?"
Naruto stood there for a minute, now nine years old, he breathed hard. He then took a deep breath and calmed down. He felt the power start to leave him. He felt normal, no ignition of anger, no spark of rage. It all felt neutral, for once, but he still looked at his hand. He didn't wake up, if he was ever asleep, in his bed. Finally, he gave up stalling, and then ran back to his room for his tracksuit.
"I don't know if you're still there, but you've got a deal. I'm not going to pass this up, but I swear to you, if you're just someone playing a joke on me…I'll hurt you bad." Naruto voiced out loud, softly as he packed a few pouches while attaching them to his track suit.
He heard that now all too familiar cackle, and The Voice simply replies, "Now listen to me, and listen closely."
The Voice, as Naruto came to know it, told him about a far wooden shack in the deepest parts of the woods past The Hokage Monument. It whispered to him to look for a woman's name, Kushina, in anything he found at that shack. Naruto didn't waste time, and his ran as fast as his little body could carry him. The climb past of The Hokage Monument was perilous, but he managed it. The many beasts of these northern woods were hunting tonight, but so was he! On this day, nine years after the death of the greatest hero in Hidden Leaf history, perhaps it would time for his legacy to learn his birthright!
Because all secrets eventually come to the forefront, no matter how deep you bury them!
Naruto leapt from a tree, landing into a deeply wooded area. He stood there, and noted the air felt weird. It was supercharged almost, as if lightning was coursing through the very air he breathed. That energy felt very familiar, but yet it was not the exact same. A piece of it was missing, something that made it whole. Walking forward, he had a kunai in his hand, just in case this was someone casting an illusion with a darker motive. He stopped, noting a carving in a broken tree.
He walks over the carved broken tree, with one piece of the carving remaining intact. It read as only a name, but even then, still partially broken. He saw K.U.S.H.I in the bark and figured that he was close. His heart began to thump, and the deeper he got into the woods, the more he felt drawn to something. He passed a shrine, stopping, and saw that it was well maintained. He knew those types of shrines, they were common in the Shinobi Grave Yard. He gripped his knife tighter, walking toward it.
He didn't need to move any vines, no brush, the area had recently been cleared. Bending down, he saw the picture of a redhaired woman, who was nursing a very pregnant belly. There was evidence of another picture being there as well, but it was missing. Reaching out to the woman, Naruto lightly brushed his fingers on the picture. He felt a connection to her, his heart raising its tempo. Slowly, he found himself sitting down, and just stared at it. The woman was very beautiful, with long red hair. She had blue eyes, but they weren't as bright as his azures. He looked up, and down, heart racing. Slowly, reaching back out, he took the photograph out.
'Kushina Uzumaki.
Nine Months later, one month to go, I can't wait to see you my darling son, Naruto.'
He nearly dropped the picture, putting it back on the shrine. He was breathing hard, but the voice…no it couldn't be true! He got up, thinking of just walking away, forgetting about this, and just chalking it up to him finally snapping. Maybe he could go see Old Man Hokage, and maybe he could just talk to him. He may not get much time with him, The Hokage always had the answer to everything. The wisest person in the village, the person who knew all, and saw all. He'd just tell Naruto that he was having a fantastic imagination, chide him for disturbing a grave site!
However, even with this in mind, the larger part of him told him to get up! To walk forward and be guided by what he felt! In doing so, he left the picture, just for right now. The howling of nearby wolves nearly sent him scurrying for the trees, but for some reason, even predators didn't venture here. Getting into deeper parts of the woods, he came across a marker stone, something used to mark location. He looked at it, and up, squinting his eyes. About one hundred yards from the shrine, from where he walked, he noticed the particular shape trees were making around something.
Walking over to it, he saw the outline of a shack. He reached for the broken door, and then heard a cackle.
"I should warn you, as something of a consolation, you're going to have every right feeling as angry as you've ever had." The Voice stated before Naruto grabbed the door to push it open. "You open that door, brat, and your whole world may come crashing down around you."
Naruto hesitated, breathing harder, sweat rolling down his face.
"I'll be silent after this, but just so you know, you could walk away. The old saying…Better the devil you know, could you accept reality after this? If not, perhaps I have an alternative means in mind to make you strong enough to forge a new reality. The choice, the option, is yours child." The Voice said calmly, with a hint of glee.
Naruto stood there still, and he couldn't bring himself to do it! The wooden shack, the door, it was all right in front of him! Why couldn't he move forward, why couldn't he just step?! All he had to do was place one foot in front of the other, and just push with a little bit of body weight! That woman's picture back there, there wasn't a doubt in his mind who she was to him! All he had to do was take the next step forward, all he had to do was walk! Breathing in deeply, his heart raising further and further, he made his decision.
Ba-thump…ba-thump…ba-thump…
He slowly took a step forward and exhaling that deep breath.
Ba-thump, Ba-thump, Ba-thump!
The door creaking open, the hinges whining in protest. Their nine year long dormancy disturbed, and the child had noticed sooner, he would have noticed the caved in area behind the shed. From an explosion, where a battle had taken place.
BA-THUMP! BA-THUMP! Ba-THUMP!
Screaming, he launched forward, and entered the wooden shack. He stepped on a burnt tatami mats, and blankets. He stood there, in the darkness, getting a flare out from his satchel. He held up to illuminate the area and looked at the wall nearest to him. Along the wall was kunai, but not normal kunai, three-pronged kunai!
Naruto sank to his knees, looking across from him, in the rubble. A photograph, a woman with long red hair, not as pregnant. She was kissing a man with blonde hair, his eyes closed, but he didn't need to open them. The boy's breathing hitched, his fists clenched around the flare. He nearly broke it, but barely stopped himself with the little piece of rationality remaining in his head. He saw the burned coat on the floor, the burned coat of The Fourth Hokage, Kanji and all. He felt his lip quivering first, and then he screamed. He screamed, and screamed, and damned the world around him as he felt heat rising from him.
A red glow emanated from the cabin, illuminating the inside of it. He found himself with the familiar burning feeling, but this time it was deeper. He walked over to the picture, grabbing it, and holding it. He felt hot tears spill from his eyes, and slumped down, taking a seat.
"It's not true, it's a dream, it's not true, it's a dream…" He repeated, rocking himself back and forth.
He sobbed, holding the picture, and looked at the Fourth Hokage along with his mother kissing. He should have been happy, hell, excited by this revelation. He was The Legendary Fourth Hokage's son after all! Yet, his young mind knew the implications of this, and he lowered his head sobbing. It meant for all of his life, for all of his brief existence, it was lie after constant lie. Even The Hokage knew it, that old bastard couldn't have not known!
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Naruto screamed over, and over again.
He slammed the back of his fist against the wooden boards of what was left of the shack. He held the picture tightly against his chest, and he rocked. Rattling himself, his eyes stung as he looked at the picture. The boy held it close to his chest, sobbing, and looked up through the collapsed hole of the cabin, into the sky.
Biting his lip, he calmed himself slowly, taking deep breaths.
"Okay, you win, but that means one thing! You killed my parents, you bastard! I want answers, and I want them now!" He went and grabbed a kunai from the wall, pointing it at his throat. "You hear, Furball!"
"Hehe, as ill-tempered as your belated mother, Uzumaki Naruto. Yet, I sense your will isn't unbroken, perhaps you'll be strong Jinchuuriki. My vessel, I was your mother's burden before you, and your father did indeed defeat me in battle, but I wasn't killed. I can never be killed, I'll always keep coming back. You kill yourself here, it may be years, decades, but I'll eventually reform…and kill everyone that you care for. Teuchi, Ayame, and that Uchiha brat you've grown to see as a rival." The Nine Tails spoke with a calm voice.
Naruto slowly pulled the kunai away from his neck, "So, what happens now?"
"Now Uzumaki, in secret, you can train to be your father's son. You can take his surname if you like, but not in public, not yet. You want vengeance, then let them herald your name, let them see you as the strong warrior you can become. Brat, as long as I'm here with you, I might as well make you able to withstand being hunted…and make no mistake you will hunted no different from me. After all, your father had his enemies as I have mine…"
"What if I just…want to leave?" Naruto inquired, still looking up at the sky.
"That is an option, a foolish one, but an option. Brat, like it or not this is your lot in life, you either surrender, or you move forward." The Nine Tailed Voice stated to him.
Naruto gripped the kunai and took a deep breath.
"What do you choose?"
