Prologue – Enter the Stranger

Uzumaki Naruto, begins to roll over in bed, between the quaintest world of wakefulness and slumber. This leisurely roll is rudely interrupted by a sudden realization:

Someone else is here!

In a flash he is on his feet, kunai in hand, adrenaline gushing – heart racing – ready for anything. He scans the room: That chair, it doesn't belong.

He threw the knife.

Immediately after leaving his hand, the knife acted like it was caught in a strong wind. It drifted ever so slightly off course, striking the wall about a foot from the chair's back.

"Impressive," the chair remarked flatly.

Naruto was less impressed – more freaked: What the-? How did he-? Huh?

He was near full scale panic when the man simply appeared in the chair, "Relax kid, if I was going to kill you, you'd already be dead."

Naruto realized the man was right; he had no idea how long he had been there. Given his apparent ability to redirect flying objects and become invisible, it was obvious he could have easily killed him and disposed of the evidence already. He took several deep breaths to calm himself.

"This chair is incredibly uncomfortable, mind if I stand up?" inquired the intruder. Naruto noted his peculiar accent for the first time, his voice free from emotion once again.

"Of course," (pant), "Don't be silly. I know how rough that chair can be."

"Thank you."

As the man stood, Naruto realized how peculiar his clothes were: a flowing robe of iridescent black fabric, cut large to obscure the form beneath. The hood of the robe lay on his back. Black gloves and black boots apparently made from the same fabric as the robe completed the eerie outfit. Never had he seen anything like that in Konoha... nor would he ever expect to. Naruto's scrutiny did not go undetected.

"Something wrong?" queried the man. Standing at his full height with his hands in front of his chest in a near perfect sphere, feet spread wide, and jet black hair, he was an intimidating sight to behold.

Naruto snapped his eyes to meet the man's gaze.

Mistake!

His eyes were black; For a moment, Naruto had the impression he was staring into oblivion.

Naruto swallowed hard, forcing the tsunami of nausea and dizziness down, "N-No no! Of course not. I was just admiring your clothes! I've never seen anything like them."

"Oh, yes." He broke his hand sphere, spread his arms and examined his own clothing, "They are from a place a great distance from here. I am not surprised they are alien to you." Naruto wondered how the man could continue to speak with so little feeling. The man walked to the door. "Well, I'm sure you have someplace you need to be... I will leave you to get ready."

Naruto rediscovered his nerve, "Wait! Why did you come here?"

The man kept walking, "I wanted to see if you were real."

What? Naruto is momentarily stupefied.

Click. The man shut the door behind him.

Naruto sprints to the door – flinging it open, "Wait! What did you mean by-" He stopped himself. The man was gone; no sense yelling at the stairs.

Naruto slowly closes the door while pondering his unexpected house guest: Who was he? What did he want? Why did he sneak into his room and watch him sleep? How long had he been there? Where did he get those weird clothes? Why did he wear them? And that voice... so odd with its total lack of emotion and foreign accent. In fact, everything about the man had been strange and mysterious...

Naruto shook his head, pushing the Stranger to the back of his mind. After all, the Stranger was correct; he had a date with the Hokage Monument to break up the monotony of his Academy classes...