Existence

A/N: This is my very 1st fan-fiction and a Naruto one at that so any helpful criticism and/or opinions are welcome. Be aware that I do not own Naruto or any of the characters that appear in this story except for the ones that I made up.

Italics thoughts

Scene change

"" Speech

Chapter 1: "Lifeline and Golden Eyes"

"They used to tell me when growing up 'Life is a tough road'. Today, on my deathbed I can say this: Life is pleasant and death is peaceful. It is the long path between the 2 that is often filled with uncertainties and undesired outcomes." -Unknown source.

It was raining that night as well. Cold and wet. The heavy raindrops continued to pummel the already soft and absorbent ground bellow. The aging autumn leaves rustled and danced to the whim of the mighty, howling winds. Thunder and lightning also played a role in this theatre directed by Mother Nature herself. Their deafening roars and frightening flashes threatened any living being to stay hidden.

And yet, despite all the chaos that was ever present on this night, a young boy walked through the forest. His movements were staggered and erratic, like the kind you'd see in a wounded animal before it dies. His bare feet could barely keep him steady on the mud-like surface beneath them. His clothes were drenched in a mixture of the raindrops and his own blood. Even his left arm was not in its proper place, rather it was held tightly in his right. Why did he bother to carry it still, when he knew that he could never reattach it back to where it belonged?

It was then that fatigue decided to catch up to him and the young boy of no more than 13 years of age tripped over his own exhausted feet and landing face-first into a mud puddle. The liquid struck the surface of his open wounds and this in turn sent stinging pain throughout his body. He grit his teeth to endure the pain, swallowed the saliva that gathered in his mouth hard, and forced himself to stand on his battered feet. Then hr continued on.

One might wonder why he never stopped to rest, even for a little while? Or where was he even going without any rest? Truth be told, he did not know either where he was going. All he knew was that if he stopped moving, even for a moment, it would mean his death. His wounds were a proof of that logic.

Unfortunately, fate was never a kind mistress to the poor lad. Due to his fatigue his focus had been out of whack and he soon found himself entangled in cold metal chains. They coiled themselves around his already damaged body. In a panic the boy struggled to set himself free by jerking in various directions but it was no use. The chains grip kept getting tighter and tighter until they eventually dragged the boy several feet into the air and hung him on a tree branch.

The situation looked bleak. The remaining blood began to rush to his brain causing him to begin losing consciousness. He tried once more to get free but to no avail, the chains maintained their iron grip. The boy let out a long, deep sight and embraced the growing darkness in his eyes. Had he stayed conscious a few moments longer he could have heard the sounds of alarms going off in the distance and people approaching fast towards him.

2 of Konohagakure's ANBU units arrived at the site where the trap was triggered to investigate the cause. They expected to see a spy caught in that trap like a rat, but instead what greeted their sight made even their stomachs turn. There, hanging on a tree branch was the body of a battered child. With his blood still flowing down the metal that clung to his skin the boy looked like a peace of meat that you see in a butcher shop.

One of the 2 came closer to check for any vital signs. To her surprise, she had indeed found some. "By the Heavens above! This child is still alive. Hey Ryo, get the medical-nins ready! Tell them to get ready to treat an emergency patient! " she ordered her partner. The male ANBU was rather hesitant and decided to voice his protests "But Midori, look at this kid, there's absolutely no identification on him. He could be a spy for the Otogakure for all we know. Besides he'll probably die soon anyway so let's just…" His little speech was interrupted by a slap across the back of his head. "Baka, I gave you an order and I expect it to be obeyed. Now haul that lazy ass of yours or I'll move it for you! Capish?" yelled a rather impatient Midori. Ryo, who was frightened for his dear life, decided it was best not to anger Midori further and in a flash he went on ahead to inform the medical-nins.

Midori in the meantime went over to the tangled up child. Using her short katana she quickly slashed at the chains and in an instant they no longer held the boy in their grasp. She then quickly grabbed him before he fell to the ground and held him in her arms. "Don't worry kiddo, everything will be all right," she assured the boy. And just as she was about to follow her partner she heard the boy's whisper, like an almost inaudible whisper. "Kaku…rine…"

Tsunade hated being woken up in the middle of the night, especially when she had a hangover from all the alcohol she had consumed beforehand. This was never a good combination. Tsunade plus hangover plus sleep deprivation (or in this case interruption) usually spelled death to anyone who rubbed her the wrong way. No one was safe when she was in that state.

She had received urgent requests for a "medical emergency" that only her wisdom could solve. Being the Hokage had its annoying side. She sighed "Man, that's the 11th time this week that I have been called to the hospital like this. Dumbass doctors, I'm surprised they don't call me every time there's a patient with a paper-cut." Shizune, who was accompanying her at the time decided to make her voice heard, "Now, now Tsunade-sama, nobody said that being the Hokage was a walk in the park. You're their leader so you have to give them hope and protect them." Knowing that her companion was probably right Tsunade just mumbled a "whatever" and they continued on.

Once they arrived at the hospital they were greeted by Dr. Tanaka, who requested the Hokage's presence. After introductions were made the doctor lead them to a small room. This room however reeked of blood and other chemicals, indicting that an operation occurred in it very recently. To make matters worse, the smell of blood was nauseating to Tsunade. She never did like the sight or the smell of blood, due to her own circumstances.

The doctor motioned for them to come closer to inspect the patient that was laid out on the hospital bed. As soon as they did they realised that the patient was but a child, a boy of a rather young age. He had albino white hair and his skin was just as pale. He was hooked to a respirator and several other wires to monitor his health. He honestly looked like the living dead. Just as soon as Tsunade was about to ask about his condition the doctor began to explain the situation. "The good news is that we have managed to reattach the boy's left arm which was found severed from his body and we have also managed to restore his breathing to an extent." "And, what are the bad news?" inquired Shizune. "There is a seal placed on the back of his neck, directly in line with his spinal cord. Somehow it is preventing his body from repairing itself. Further more our medical jutsu can't seem to repair the damage either. Not only that, the stab wounds that he has suffered indicate the trace of poison that is affecting both his physical body and his chakra highway. Whosoever wanted this child killed didn't want him to die quickly," explained the doctor.

Tsunade looked hard at the boy's face while the doctor was explaining the situation. She could not help but feel as though there was something familiar about this person, but she could not quite put her finger on it. It was then that she decided to inspect the so-called "seal" herself. She asked the doctor and Shizune to gently lift the boy to a sitting position. When she got a good look at the seal however Tsunade's face became a total blank. Regaining her composure she asked the doctor to leave the room and to make sure that no one heard the conversation that was about to take place between her and Shizune. The doctor wanted to protest but decided that it was in his best interest to listen to the Hokage and complied with her request.

Shizune looked at her sensei with questioning eyes, "Tsunade-sama would you like to share just what seems to be bothering you?" Tsunade didn't answer right away; she was still in shock as to what she has just seen with her own eyes. "Shizune, the situation is far worse than what the doctor seems to realize. That is the Zetsumei Sabaki Fuuin (Death's Verdict Seal). It is a dreadful thing. Not only does it prevent the body from healing at all there's also an even more dangerous consequence." "What is it?" asked a now concerned Shizune. Tsunade never showed worry unless it was something mortifying. "Shizune, if anyone tries to remove the seal without the aid of constant healing chakra, the bearer of the seal shall be intoxicated with an extremely vicious flesh eating substance. It will spread from his spine to the rest of his body and be literally eaten away from the inside out."

Shizune covered her mouth as soon as her brain digested this information. She felt as though she was going throw up everything she ate from this week. Luckily for her, she was able to regain her control. "Listen Shizune, go and tell the doctor to make sure that no one attempts to remove this seal. I will see to it personally to find a solution to this problem but right now, we need to keep this child alive. Is that clear?" Ssizune nodded and went on ahead to tell the instructions to the doctors. When she was gone Tsunade gave out another long sigh and thought for a moment, "That seal is only used by the Jonin of the Kumogakure (Hidden Cloud Village) and it is a forbidden skill at that. Why would anyone want to do this kind of harm to this boy?" She was about to leave the room as well to go and fid a remedy for this bad dilemma when she felt her left arm grabbed by something.

Startled, Tsunade immediately turned the gaze of her eyes to what grabbed her. To her surprise it was they boy's hand that held her arm so tightly. It was then that she noticed them, that pair of deep, gold-colour eyes. A child's eyes, innocent but with absolutely no traces of happiness in them, filled with sorrow. She was about to say something when the boy's voice beat her to it, "Please, please I beg of you, don't let them in here."

End of Chapter 1

A/N: well that's the end of chapter 1. I apologize if Tsunade and Shizune were OOC and the somewhat rushed job I did. I should also apologize for the rather boring and crappy medical diagnosis, but I'm not into medicine nor do I know any doctors to begin with. I promise that things will be better in chapter 2 and I will finally reveal the name of the mystery boy. Till then please R&R and thank you.