It has been more than seven years since the event that shook Konoha to its foundation. Many civilian lives have been lost, children have been left orphans, parents have lost their offsprings, and a lot were made homeless.
Even greater though has been the lose of shinobi military force. Almost half of them have died. But nothing compared to the heroic death of one Minato Namikaze, Konoha's Yellow Flash. He was killed stopping the demon fox from ruining all. Many have mourn his departure, many have cried and wept his lose. They hated the demon for takind their beloved Hokage from them. Some, even to this day.
But things did not concern a certain blond knucklehead. No, the only thing that entertained his little mind right now was how in Kami's name is he goind to get out of this one.
"You, damn brat, you're not gonna get away this time!"
In the later years, he would swear on his life that in this situation he was calm and composed, that he showed no fear looking in the eyes of the angry shopkeeper. But right now, he was kinda crapping his pants.
"Hey leave me alone, I didn't to anything!" well, that was credible.
"You, lying little monster, I saw you stealing my cake. Nothing but a liar and a cheat. Now give me back what is mine!" the shopkeepers threatened, closing dangerously on our hero.
'Well, stealing that cake wasn't one of my brightest idea, he could had just let buy the damn thing. Well, can't cry now over spilled ramen. All I have to do is improvise.' a mischievous grin that promised trouble appeared on his wisker face. "Catch!"
Without wasting another thought, our blond through the cake in the air and made for a swift escape. The shopkeeper, now focused on the flying and quickly falling cake, never seeing the string that was attached to his left leg, tripped and fell with his face buried the former cake.
There was laughter that rushed past him while he ran as fast as he could, not stopping until he reached the shop again, stole another cake and then just disappearing within the village.
Ayame was having a relatively normal day so far. She was working hard at her father's old ramen shop, preparing food for the day to day customers, cleaning dishes and just making a decent living. Things weren't bad, but she still wished that she could have a little more time for herself, but between working and taking care of her little brother she was left with almost no hours in the day.
"Ayame-nee, I'm home!" a cheerful voice rang brightly within the shop.
Ayame stop from her daily tasks and looked up to see a young seven year old boy with blond hair and just too much energy for one to handle.
She smiled happily at him, before she noticed that well known foxy grin that threatened to split his face. 'Oh no, he did somthing again' realization dawned on her. "Naruto-kun, what have you done this time?"
Now, he may be small, but he never did cower beneath the glares some people gave him, but listening to his big sister's sweet tone, that promised nothing but pain would make even a big man gulp.
"N-nothing, I swear! I just brought you a present." Naruto said bringing out something from behind his back. "Happy birthday, Ayame-nee!"
Had it not been for the beautiful cake that was resting in his hands, or that megawatt smile that was plastered on his face, she would have questioned him further. The only thing she felt right now was joy.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is the sweetest thing you've ever done." and Naruto could tell she truly was happy because now the hug that she gave him was starting to crush his bones. "Come on, let's close the shop for today and eat some of this."
Later that day, after they ate and cleaned, they were heading back to Naruto's apartment. There was laughter and happiness that could be felt radiating from around the duo, so much of it in fact that people started noticing. With some, it made their stomach clench.
..."Oh come on, tell me again how you met the Yondaime. Pleeease, you know he is just the best!" Of course he was the best, he stopped the unstoppable, he beat the Kyuubi. "I'm going to be just like him, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed with his fist raised and a look of fierce determination.
Ayame was just about to respond when a voice was heard from behind them. "Tsk, a monster like you is nothing but trash." Wait, when did they get into a closed off alley, and it was getting dark.
She could feel the fear that began to creep from within her, for now she could see that closing the only exit were 3 drunken men with broken empty glasses in their hand. 'This is not good.'
Naruto seemed to freeze, he knew those looks, those eyes full of hatred, but not all of them were directed at him. No, they weren't even acknowledging him now, they were looking at his 14 year old sister. "Leave us alone, we did nothing!" He had to do something, to protect Ayame.
The men merely chuckled darkly. "Nothing you say? You are a demon, you are always at fault." His eye now staring at the girl. "And you" he growled "you are the demon's whore. We'll show you what we do with monsters in Konoha."
Before anything else could be said, two of the men grabbed her and forced her on the ground, while the third punched and kicked little Naruto. After living him a bloody mess, the man turned around and approached her. "Now, to have some fun" he said with a meniacal grin.
It hurt. It hurt everywhere on his body. He couldn't stand up, he couldn't help his sister, he was useless.
"Pathetic"
He couldn't save his sister.
"Rise, human, don't embarrass me."
But he couldn't, he was not strong enough, he couldn't even move.
"I said, RISE and FIGHT!"
Then he felt it, a rush of power coursing through his body, like a river of molten rock burning everything in his path. He felt his body healing from the damage, he felt his muscles strong and his head clear, he had one objective, one mission, protect at any cost.
He rushed at them, took them by surprise, and with a clenched fist he smashed the face of the man closest to him, breaking his jaw and knocking him in to a wall. 'One down'. He gave them no time to react as he jumped on the back of another and bit dawn his neck pulling out a piece of flesh and leaving the man to bleed intensively. 'One left to go.'
But he did nothing as a loud bang was heard, and the man dropped to his knees and then on his face. There, about the fallen man, was his sister looking angry at a bent pan that she hold in her hand. "And stay down!" was all she said before she kicked him hard in the balls. "Useless hard headed dumb ass, you ruined my pot. How am I gonna cook now?"
Releasing an exhausted breath, young Naruto fell to the ground, closing his eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep with a smile on his face. 'You are safe now onee-chan...'
Ayame quickly came by his side, trying to wake him up, but to no avail, he was all ready knocked out from all that has happened that day. 'So, even he has a stop button.' the thought coming out along side a small smirk on her face. "Come on, big boy, let's go home."
Unbeknownst to them, a pair of eyes, hidden behind a mask was watching them from the shadows, and just as unintrusive as it came, so it has left. No trace left, no one to follow up.
Later, Hokage tower
Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, some came to know him as "The God of Shinobi", the strongest ninja of his time, and, well, some other's time. Some know him as "The Professor", the one who learned over a thousand jutsus, and can manipulate all five chakra natures. A hero o the first shinobi war, as well as the one leader that managed to win the second and third wars. The longest living Hokage, and someone to be feard. That man was looking with determination at the pile of papers that just so happens to be sitting on his desk.
After a fierce battle of wills, he put his head down in defeat. Looking out the window he could see that it was already night time. 'Another sleepless night, it seems. Kami, I'm getting too old...' but just as he looked back at the pile of papers, he noticed that it had somehow grown? His eyes wide with realization. 'They are multiplying.'
A knock on his door brought him out of his stupor. "Come in."
He knew that his secretary left, it was well past eleven already, so whoever it was, it had to be something urgent to speak with him at that hour.
In came an ANBU wearing standard secret operative attire and a mask resembling a dog's face with red and black markings around the eyes, sides and mouth.
"Hokage-sama, there's been an incident." the masked wearing shinobi stated with traces of worry hidden behind his word.
"Report!" Sarutobi listened silently as the man continued his recollection, but with every word spoken his stern expression softened and his age started showing behind those eyes that have seen too much.
"...and after I made sure that they arrived home safely I came here." After hearing all of that Hiruzen released a breath he never knew was holding.
He lighted up his pipe and took a few puffs. "It is I have feard. Even though what has happened was a long time ago, some people still have their hearts blacken by lose and hatred."
"What will happen now?"
After a long pause and the taste of ash piercing his tongue, the Hokage spoke. "I will have to talk with Naruto-kun. The secret behin his birth must be revealed to him."
"Is it the wisest course of action, Hokage-sama?" the ANBU questioned carefully with a tint of doubt.
"It is imperative that we proceed this way. Before anything worse comes to happen." 'Or before he hears it from more "unreliable" sources' it came as an afterthought to Sarutobi. "You are dismissed."
"Hai!" and just like that the man disappeared and Hiruzen was left alone with his own thoughts and worries for what it's to come.
Sparing a glance at his desk made blood freeze and his skin wither in horror. In the time that he was hearing the report from the ANBU, the papers somehow doubled in size and are now spilling on the floor.
"DAMN YOU TO HELL, YONDAIME, FOR DYING AND LEAVING ME WITH THIS MESS!"
Naruto's apartment
Since their surprise encounter, nothing worth to note has happened. Ayame safely carried little Naruto until they arrived home, at which point she carefully placed him on the bed and started to remove his clothes so she can tether to his wounds.
The thing that surprised her were the strange markings that were on his stomach. Even more surprising though, after a closer inspection, was the fact that he had no wounds, not even scratches. Sure, there was dried blood and some bruises, but nothing worse.
She then carried him to the bathroom, cleaned off the dirt and blood, and tucked him in his bed. Ayame stayed and watched him for some time, noticing the fact that he was sweating and turning in his sleep. 'He must have nightmares from all that happened, poor thing.'
She hopped on with him, and hugged Naruto tightly. 'Don't you worry, Naruto-kun, your big sister is here with you...' those were the thoughts that accompanied Ayame as she, too, drifted off to sleep.
Naruto's mindscape
drip, drip*
Naruto opened his eyes to see. He was on the ground, lying on his back with his arms spread. He could feel a thin layer of water beneath him, curiously though, he didn't feel wet.
"Where am I?" he clearly was somewhere he has never been before, judging by the fact that he would remember if he had ever been here, or by the fact that Konoha doesn't have a GIANT SEWER SYSTEM.
He picked himself up and started to look around. Except for the leaking pipes and the semi-fluded ground, there wasn't much of a sight. "Well, if I just stay here I get nowhere, duh." he said while lightly hitting his head with the back of his hand.
And so, choosing a random direction, he started walking.
drip, drip*
It must have been a while, because now he was getting impatient from all the walking and the never arriving. "Stupid sewer, so boring, and stupid whoever put me her! Oh, I'm gonna prank them so hard when I find them. Teach 'em to mess with the great Naruto Uzu..." he was about to went his frustration some more when the tunnel finally came to a stop and he entered a gigantic room.
The room truly was enormous, bigger than any building he has ever seen, bigger even than the Hokage Monument. And in that room there was only one thing, an equally impressive double door cage, and behind it, only darkness.
There was a feeling coming from behind the gates, an old and familiar feeling, but he just couldn't place it. So, as any bright human with half a brain, he got closer and looked inside the void. But sometimes, if you look hard enough, the void might just look back at you.
A great eye opened up inside the cage, that was now looking directly at the young blond. Taken by surprise, he took a few trembling steps back and fell flat on his ass. There was a "thing" in there, and that "thing" began to take shape and move closer to the gates. But Naruto's mind just couldn't process the calamity of the situation, as in front of him appeared a towering, impossibly big nine tailed demon fox.
"So, you finally came. I awaited your arrival, human. Now, be grateful for my presence, and bow before me, for I am the Kyuubi!"