Many thanks to the beta mistress Erin, who's job it is to yell scream and bitch until I'm done.
Disclaimer: I haven't been able to afford Naruto yet. Maybe before I
die…but it's highly
doubtful. Sue me and all you'll get is my
highlighter…sorry.
Volume I: Childhood
Chapter Two: Routines Are Set, Arrangements Made
By: Ammes
Sandaime sat calmly behind his desk, several scrolls spread out before him. "Please send in the next Genin group."
He watched as three children and their teacher entered, ready to receive their missions. "Your first mission is to go to locate the source of noise that's disturbing one of our non-shinobi residents. After that there's some garden weeding and dog-walking to be done. Three missions should be enough today. You're dismissed."
The three students left before groaning. "These are SO stupid!" A young girl complained.
By the time they arrived at the Uzumaki home, they had complained for fifteen minutes. The Genin ran inside, anxious to get the first lame mission over. The teacher that followed smiled a bit at their enthusiasm, following them inside leisurely. His reverie was broken by a loud scream from one of his female students. He approached cautiously. "What's the matter?"
The young Genin hurried out of the way. "Blood...so much blood..." One of them managed to whisper to him.
The teacher was suspicious as he entered, but then realized the woman on the ground was dead quickly and that the source of noise was a blonde haired newborn who's screams represented the last of the life in this household.
"Hokage-sama! Hokage-sama!" A young ninja ran inside the Hokage's chambers with a bundle wrapped in a baby blue blanket in his arms. "The neighbours that called us for that mission...we found the source of the noise."
Sandaime looked up. "Well?"
The man uncovered the infant's head, a small tuft of blonde hair peaked through.
"Uzumaki...and Sierra?"
The ninja sighed. "She passed away...possibly some time ago...it appeared though that she hadn't been attacked...probably a complication with the birth."
Sandaime sighed. It was days like these he hated, when he had to deal with different issues, each so important that they couldn't be ignored. A headache made it's appearance as he squinted at the sleeping bundle.
"There's more...he..." The ninja cut himself off and uncovered the rest of the infant. A seal was clearly visible on the baby's abdomen, the black lines forming a sun-like pattern.
"The kyuubi..." Sandaime said wisely and stood up. "Take the child to the hospital for now. Arrangements will have to be made for him, and the other orphan we found. I have a meeting with the council; we will be discussing these matters."
The ninja bowed and took the infant to the hospital after glaring at the innocent thing. How easy it would be to drop this thing right now...let it die for what it did.
Sandaime sighed. It truly was a long day.
The town was in an uproar. News had quickly spread that the child found that morning in the Uzumaki home contained the demon that had just killed the kin of many villagers. Sandaime could barely contain the headache that had made its appearance awhile ago and just kept getting worse. He had gone to the home with a doctor, to make sure that Konoha's security wasn't lax. In fact, Sierra had bled out and died from the birth, leaving three characters with her blood which spelled 'na' 'ru' 'to'. Little Uzumaki Naruto, as Sandaime supposed she was naming him, had no idea what was in store for him in the future.
He stepped out onto a platform to face the rioting crowd. "Please settle down."
"Get rid of the demon!"
"Let us kill him!"
"Yeah, kill him!" The villagers chorused predictably.
Sandaime raised a hand to quiet them. "He is not to be harmed. He will live in this village like any other child. However, he is not to know that the kyuubi is sealed within him, nor are you to tell any of your own children! This ends with this generation. Those who go against mine and the council's decree will face serious penalty."
"He'll kill us! Our children! How can you let that monster live!" A woman shouted.
"Because the child is not the monster." Sandaime responded wisely. "His name is Uzumaki Naruto. Child of Yondaime!"
The letter that was sent in response to the Hokage's news surprised him. We don't want the demon. He read. 'If you want to deal with him, you deal with it. However if you use him to attack us, you'll be sorry. He's now your problem, not ours. Should you try to send him home to the Sand Country, he will be annihilated upon entry. It is our opinion that he should be disposed of, however if you're willing to handle a demon, then consider it just our piece of advice. Thank you for contacting us promptly about the matter.' Sandaime sighed.
Their problem indeed. Oh well...what's one more demon child?
The shinobi gathered at the main building for the briefing. Rumours had spread that it was about the demon children that plagued the village. The shinobi filed and stood before the platform.
Sandaime emerged and began his speech. "Our village is blessed. We have always taken care of our residents, that is how a village operates. We have a new resident as well as one that belongs here who is in dire need of care. The council and I are searching for volunteers to look after one or both children."
There wasn't a sound from any of the shinobi.
"I don't want to turn this into a mission." Sandaime advised.
No one stepped forward.
Sandaime's head hurt. Yes, it was a long lifetime. "It will be assigned as a mission then. That is all. Dismissed!"
And with a flurry of wind, the shinobi disappeared.
The apartment was quiet. Very quiet. Three years had passed since he had been born. His eyes looked around the room, catching the mattress that made up his bed, the box of crayons in the corner, along with some paper, a few scrolls, an empty ramen packet and his pajamas. The little boy's arms tightened over the stuffed animal in his arms. The caregiver would come soon...he hated him.
There's a soft knock at the door and the blonde child jumps a bit. The door opens anyway and a man dressed in black and seeming very intimidating to Naruto's small form stood in the doorway. He came in and set a bag down, never missing his chance to glare at the three year old. Naruto felt the shiver make it's way down his spine.
Somehow he knew this man hated him.
The glare deepened as the man took out some food and cut it up before putting it on the floor, akin to feeding a troublesome pet. Naruto moved to approach and the man's glare intensified. "Stay back!"
The child startled and cowered. The man smirked with satisfaction. "You just stay back...don't ever come near me!"
The boy whimpered.
"Just shut up!" The man's glare was back as he put some milk in a small refrigerator and washed dishes.
While his back was turned on the food, Naruto crawled over quietly to eat. When the man turned around again he was startled. "Get away from there demon child, I'm still here!"
Naruto looked up at him innocently, munching on an apple piece.
The man shuddered. "Don't look at me either!"
Naruto's eyes went back to the floor and the man made a show to avoid him as he turned and left, slamming the door shut behind him, ready to go demand a new job. Fox feeder sucked, and the kid could probably kill him...it wasn't worth the risk.
This man was the twenty-first to give up. Naruto would have known that if he knew how to count.
These demon kids have tempers and bloodlust. You can see it in their eyes. Kurenai could remember the advice from her teacher as she walked to the room where Gaara was kept. Bloodlust...
Swallowing nervously, Kurenai opened the door slowly and saw a sight that surprised her to no end. The cutest little child was curled up to a teddy bear in bed, napping. His red hair was the only thing distinctive about him. Kurenai couldn't suppress the smile as she entered with some food for Gaara and made preparations quietly.
While washing the dishes, Gaara had appeared at her side and was watching her. When she reached for a towel, she jumped when she saw the toddler beside her. "Hello Gaara." She gave him a weak smile.
Gaara looked up at her somewhat curiously. He'd never been able to sneak up on a caretaker before, granted she was new, but still...he watched her perplexed.
Kurenai smiles a bit more and pats him on the head gently. "There's some food at the table for you."
Gaara felt the smile appear on his face awkwardly and he went to eat. Perhaps Kurenai wasn't so bad, since she hadn't seemed upset with him like most were.
If only he knew what he'd done...
Gaara liked his sand. His sand was his friend. He could play all kinds of games with it and when it got too cold he could burrow in it and be warm. The sand also listened to him. He was getting better and better and making the sand cover things without physically moving it.
After Kurenai there were three more caretakers before the fool showed up. When the fool arrived, Gaara was napping. The fool had smiled and figured everything was to plan. He slowly approached Gaara, readying a kunai before standing above him. Gaara, who was actually awake, ignored the man, since no one ever really did anything with him before or after Kurenai.
The man tried to stab him and the sand protected him. Gaara snapped his eyes open and glared at the man. His anger took over and he made the sand wrap around the man.
The fool panicked, screaming and to make him quiet, Gaara sqeezed the sand. However, he squeezed too hard...the screams stopped but the blood came.
Gaara liked the blood...it was red.
Red was Gaara's favourite colour.
The boredom was too much sometimes. The blonde child rocked back and forth in place as he hugged his stuffed fox to his chest. Someone had brought that to him one day, seeming to think it was funny, although Naruto didn't know why.
He looked to the corner where his pet ghost lived and struck up conversation, listening to the ghost's wild tales of haunting people for revenge. Naruto smiled as he listened and hummed a little bit. Revenge huh? Maybe someday...someday he'd get revenge on all those people who looked at him mean. "Can you go haunt people for me?" He asked childishly.
Unfortunately the ghost chose then to disappear, citing previous engagement as the reason.
And Naruto was left alone.
TO BE CONTINUED