THE SHADOWS OVERHEAD

The Shadows Overhead

Chapter Four

/blab/= Naruto speaking to Kyuubi

blab= Kyuubi speaking to Naruto

Last time on 'The Shadows Overhead': (I need this so I can remember where I left off.)

"Now, now, Sasuke-kun, we all know that I won't tell you anything without a challenge." said the stranger. "Tomorrow at 2:00 PM, I will be holding a small tournament in the Forest of Death.

If I am given a challenging fight, I will reveal myself to you."

WHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOUWHOAREYOU???????????

Author's P.O.V.

"WHAT?! A tournament? Who do you think you are?! You think you can just waltz on into this village and ask for a tournament for us to fight in to find out who you are?!" exclaimed Sakura.

"Well now, who said anything about me asking for a fight. I was just stating that if anyone wanted to find out who I am, they could enter the Forest of Death tomorrow and try to challenge me. And once I am given a challenge, I will reveal who I am. Simple enough, right?" Sasuke shivered. The way that the stranger tilted his head was an eerie reminder of his former lover. Sasuke never found out what happened to him. One day he left on a mission and forgot tho tell Naruto. A week later - when he returned home - he was told that Naruto left three days earlier.

"Hmmmmmm... lets make a deal." said Sasuke. He never broke one of Sakura's rants, so everyone was paying attention by now.

"Answer my question, and I'll permit your tournament. Do you agree?"

"All right. What do ya wanna know, oh mighty Hokage?" drawled the stranger. He was really getting on Sasuke's nerves now.

"Have you met up with a man who calls himself Naruto?" By now, the entire village had surrounded the three ninjas. Sakura gasped. "Say anything, Sakura, and I'll have you babysitting Iruka's students." That was a living Hell for anyone other than Iruka.

"Yeah. I have. We met up a few years back. He was really depressed. He joined up with a band of rogue ninjas.He eventually committed sepuku. Poor soul. Something about being betrayed by the two people he trusted. Before hand, he told me to come here to look for the Hokage and a school teacher named Iruka. I found you, so now tell me, where is Iruka?"

A little boy yelled, "What is 'sepuku'? I've never heard of it." Sasuke and Sakura silently agreed.

"Geez, don't you know anything? Sepuku is ritual suicide." said Naruto. He was having fun. 'I wonder where Konahamaru is...' "Samurai always committed sepuku if they failed their lords in Feudal Japan. Ninjas do this only when they believe they have nothing to live for." A collective gasp was heard throughout their little audience. Naruto looked around. 'Wow. When did we get an audience?'

Sasuke's mind was in a turmoil. 'What? Naruto committed this sepuku thing? Why did he think that... wait a minute. 'The two people he trusted. I wasn't Hokage back then. How would Naruto've known I was Hokage. Unless he kept tabs on us. And I don't understand this 'betrayed' crap. I guess I'll just enter the contest tomorrow.'

"Very well. I will put hold a conference today to inform the Jounins af the tournament and -"

"No need, Hokage-sama. We've heard. So tell us, any limit to the amount of people you want to enter this contest?" spoke every Jounin.

"Yeah. Not every ninja here. Keep the weakest... oh, lets say ten, out of it. I don't want to waste my time on weaklings. Any other questions?" Naruto was getting bored. The Jounins spoke so slow, he almost fell asleep. "Now I have a question. Are the Jounins in the choir in church? I swear, they could put a volcano to sleep." The teenagers and younger children started to laugh. They personally thought the same, but as they were young, they couldn't speak up due to their parents were friends with the Jounins them and they would be grounded.

"Mommy! I found a pretty blue ball!" yelled (little kid) Naruto. "Huh? Mommy, who is the man in black?" ('Cause we are, the MEN IN BLACK!!! Ok, on with da fic.) Naruto winced. He hated little kids. He only put up with Konahamaru because they were friends.

Naruto looked down at the kid. 'Wow! What a feaky combination of genes!' Little Naruto had black hair with a pink streak and a hazel eye and a bright green eye. He had Lee's haircut. (You know, the one that looks like Mandark from Dexters' Lab? A bowl for hair? Yeah. That one.) He also had cuts and scrapes all over his body. Probably from training or falling down trees.

"Holy Hell. What is the matter with this kid? he looks like he came out of a butchers' shop and lived to tell the tale. Who are his parents? They really need to take better care of him." said Naruto.

"How dare you admonish me on how I raise my son, you bastard?! Like you know anything about raising kids!" yelled a fuming Sakura.

"No, I don't. It's common sense that's telling me this kid has seen better days after jumping off a cliff."

The kid looked up at Naruto, and his eyes widened. (WHAT DID HE SEE?!?!) He remembered that face from his mothers' pictures of Team Seven before they split up. It was the blond, Naruto. He sometimes heard the Hokage talking about him with his mom.

"Mommy! I know this man! Don't you remember him?! It's N-!!!" Elder Naruto (HA! Sounds like Elder Toguro from Yu-Yu-Hakusho!) had clamped his hand onto the Younger Naruto's mouth. He bent down low to his ear.

"Don't tell anyone who I am." whispered Elder Naruto. "I want them to find out on their own. If you don't tell, I'll... teach you a genjutsu, and a ninjutsu. Deal?" Younger Naruto's eyes lit up. He had been struggling to get his parents to teach him some techniques, but they refused every time.

"Deal. I pick which ones, though." Younger Naruto whispered back. Elder Naruto smiled. The kid reminded him of himself, back when he was naive. Ah, the good old days...

Stop reminiscing and pay attention. The village is staring at you.hissed Kyuubi.

/I noticed. Let them think for a bit. I don't care what they think anymore./ Indeed, they were thinking. Little Naruto was impossible to calm down, yet this stranger managed to do so on his first try. Sasuke spoke up.

"How did you do that?"

"Huh? Do what? I didn't do anything."

"Yes, you did. That child refuses to listen to anyone, yet he listens to you. How did you do that?"

"I ain't telling anything. That is my secret." Younger Naruto smirked. He liked this guy. He was funny, he was smart, and he made worthwhile deals. His parents tried to bribe him to eating anything but Ramen by telling him they would take him to get pizza. His first taste of pizza didn't go well.

Flashback

Younger Naruto's P.O.V.

"Mommy, what flavor is this?" I asked. The 'pizza' was blue with yellow gunk on it.

"Naruto, it's cheese and pepperoni. Now eat it."

I poked at the mystery stuff. I jumped back when a bubble I hadn't noticed exploded.

"Mommy, is it safe?" I sniffed at it. It smelled like a dead rat in the middle of a sewer plant that was overflowing in crap.

"Of course it is." I looked towards my mommy and daddy. They were talking to each other about their chuunin exams and this one attack a guy named Naruto used. I was confused. I was only two years old. I wouldn't be taking that exam for another ten years.

"Whatever." I mumbled. I grabbed a whole lot of the pizza in my hand and my parents looked at me. It would be the first thing other than Ramen that I'd had since I was seven months old. I took a bite.

(Oh my god! How could Ibe so cruel to a little two year old?! I am just plain mean!!! And proud of it!!!)

I gagged. What was this crap?! It tasted like... I DON'T KNOW WHAT!!! I started choking. A waitress came running over.

"OH NO! Did you take a bite of it?" I nodded. "Oh you poor thing! That wasn't your pizza. That was a trick pizza made for our boss!"

"What. Was in." I burped. "It?"

DON'T EAT ANYTHING!!!

"Well, there's rat droppings, mice, cockroaches, snake skin, flies, dragon flies, mosqitoes, hair, frogs, the tail of a monkey, toenail clippings, dirt, mud, sewer water, meat straight from the morgue, live hornets, spider egg sacks - fresh from the storage room - and copper bullets from a BB gun. (Oh my freaking god! I am so evil. I made up the pizza ingredients off the top of my head! Don't kill me on behalf of Younger Naruto!) OH! Also mold from bread." That explains the blue stuff. The toenail clippings also explains the ... WHAT DID SHE SAY?!?!?

"I am. Going to. GAG Kill you!" I yelled.

End Flashback

We still aren't finished paying her medical bills.

Authors' P.O.V.

"Smell ya tomorrow. Better get ready to lose." Elder Naruto said. "Hey. Don't forget our deal. Come by after the tournament." Naruto then walked towards the Forest of Death. Anyone that was paying attention to his shadow would have realized who he was, for his shadow dance across the ground the same way it had ten years ago.

SEVEN HOURS LATER

"You heard of the tournament tomorrow, correct?" spoke Sasuke.

"Of course I have. It is the only thing on the villagers mouths today. Why does it matter?"

"Just wondering. After all, you told me just last week that you haven't had any worth while fights since you faced Naruto ten years ago. You are going to enter, aren't you?"

"Naturally. I have to keep on the look out for a new opponent. Later."

The doors of the Hokage's office opened to reveal a twenty-three year old Gaara.

People, remember that the stranger is Naruto. He didn't plan on meeting anyone he knew from when he was young, so he's just throwing things out from nowhere. Me thinks his story is lame.

Naruto's cloak hides his Chakra signature, so it is impossible to tell who he is. :p

It seems that Younger Naruto and Elder Naruto have more in common than even I thought!

Remember, I said I would put up the OC info up this chapter? Turns out my grandma doesn't access to the Internet. I was like - O.o "WHAT THE BEEP?!?! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE?!" So yeah, I got busted. My little cousin Desaun is such a freaking cryaby! He started crying 'cuz I wouldn't give him icecream that was over a year old in a container. The ones where you shove food into them, cover them and stuff them into a fridge? Yeah, that thing. My brother smacked him this morning. I jumped out of bed, ran to the living room, and started clapping. Then I ran into my bed again, 'cuz my grandma came inside. Desaun was all "Mama, Niki was being mean!" Of course I - being the angel that I am - came out when I heard my name. I didn't get in trouble but Desaun and my brother did. My brother for smacking Desaun and Desaun for lying about me being mean.

TYPED IN SASSAFRASS, KENTUCKY!