Alright, guys, y'all really seemed to like the first chapter, so I tried my best to bust out another one. This one is a bit shorter but it felt weird to try to move onto the next day because then it would be far too long. Hope you guys enjoy it. I don't own Naruto btw
Chapter 2
Naruto stops in the middle of a clearing, otherwise known as training ground 7. He normally trained here in his previous life, so he figured it should be good enough a spot where no one would bother him. There was the fact that he's being followed closely, and sloppily might he add. He makes a few shadow clones and scatters them around the surrounding trees high in branches. He then pretends not to notice the person approaching "stealthily" until they decide to make their move. He forms a few more clones and begins practicing his taijutsu where they all come at him at once and he has to react. His movements are slow and sloppy due to his muscle memory being stripped from him when reverting back three years.
"You know about the pest in the woods, don't you? Someone exuding a lot of hatred, waiting for a good time to attack, it seems. I can sense their malice even from inside you. Be on your guard," Kurama warns and Naruto simply nods and grunt his understanding. He wonders who it could possibly be, however the list could surely fill a scroll with all the villagers who think he can and should be kicked around like some kind of pariah.
"I know you're out there. I'm not sure who you are or what you want, but I know you're in the woods watching me, and I also know exactly where you are," Naruto says loudly enough for them to hear, but not in his typical over the top kind of way. He hears someone curse from the direction he feels the unwanted audience member and they decide to make their move now. No use in waiting any longer if Naruto already knew they were there.
Soon Mizuki lands before Naruto with a smug little grin on his face, but his eyes held pure hatred. "Hey, Naruto. I heard you passed your genin exam," he starts plainly, and Naruto simply nods. His expression changes completely into an evil smirk and he reaches in his pouch for a kunai. "Perfect, then if I kill you now I can just say it was a training accident," he says and launches three kunai at Naruto, who quickly backflips behind his clones who carry kunai of their own. The clones deflect the projectiles and step aside so the original can walk through toward Mizuki.
"You really think it's gonna be that easy? I don't think you understand, despite knowing why you hate me. I house Kyuubi no Kitsune, the most powerful of the tailed beasts, and yet you think he will let me die at your hand? You're barely a chuunin and a poor excuse for a shinobi on top of that. No, I don't like to kill, but I will make an exception this time," he says calmly but with red slitted eyes and longer fangs. He remembers how to draw Kurama's chakra from before he opened the seal and does so now simply to scare the chuunin. His whisker marks are deeper and more pronounced and his hair loses its smooth edges as his body takes on a slightly more feral form. Despite his hatred and anger, Mizuki is terrified at the sight before him and is stopped dead in his tracks for a moment while he desperately gathers all his courage.
"I knew it! You are nothing but the fox. I'll rid this village of your sorry ass and I'll be a hero. I was going to have you steal the scroll of forbidden jutsu so I could sell it after I killed you, but you ruined my plan by passing your exam this time. No matter. This way I can just kill you and the whole village will celebrate today as Mizuki day. The day the village was finally free of the demon fox's influence!" He yells loudly, charging at Naruto. What he didn't account for were the five clones in the trees that rushed him while he was talking. The all too familiar Uzumaki Naruto Rendan (barrage) was quickly started. One clone lands a strong right hook on his chin, sending him stumbling backward. The other four surround him and kick him in the chin hard, which sends him flying. Naruto uses one of his clones to swing him around and launch him up in the air. As Mizuki soared up into the air from the barrage of clone attacks, the real Naruto was there to meet him in the sky. He did a front flip and brought his foot down with extra momentum on Mizuki's head, which sent him flying back down fast. He landed on the ground hard, hitting his head extra hard with a loud thud. Naruto spared no time in finishing it by throwing a few kunai, hitting him in the neck, wrists, and legs to pin him.
"You are so stupid. Everyone thinks I'm stupid, but you're really, really dumb. You thought Yondaime-sama, or Tou-san as I call him, messed up a sealing jutsu, and that I was the fox instead of me? And going on that assumption you thought you were enough to kill me? Assuming you were right and Kyuubi had complete control over my body, you really thought you were the one to end me? Get a grip, dumbass. Because you're an arrogant asshole, and you tried to kill me, This is your last day on earth big fella. Hope I made it a happy one for you," Naruto explains as he approaches the trapped chuunin. He bends down and produces another kunai, keeping eye contact with his victim.
"Go on, show us what a demon really looks like then! They'll hate you even more for this! They might even drive you out of the village!" He yells, trying desperately to get Naruto to reconsider ending his sorry excuse for a life. But Naruto just smirks and slits his throat slowly. He then sends a clone to Hokage tower to explain what all had happened. Once there however, Danzo planted seeds of doubt in Sandaime's mind about why he killed Mizuki, and they called for Yamanaka Inoichi to view his memories to prove what he claims. The clone dispels and the real Naruto lands on the floor, having leapt through the window to make an entrance. He's received all his clones memories so he quickly blocks off the memory of speaking with Kurama in order to not raise suspicion and fear among the elders.
Inoichi arrives shortly after being called for and the Hokage greets him. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Yamanaka-san. We have a situation that requires you to bring clarity. I need you to look through Naruto's memories for me. He says Mizuki, the academy teacher, tried to kill him and he killed him in self defense. Please take a look and tell us what you find," he says calmly, pipe never leaving his lips. Inoichi's face changes from calm to a look of horror and then he looks at Naruto with a glare. The Yamanaka clan had lost members during the attack of the Kyuubi and he never really trusted someone so young as Yondaime to seal such a beast. He, like many others, believed Naruto was the fox in human form. He agrees to search his mind, however, and walks over to the boy, placing his hand on his head.
Naruto is pulled into his mind-scape and Kurama looks at him with concern for their joint well-being. Kurama knew he would be reborn, but that it would take hundreds of years, and the kid was starting to grow on him. "If they see us talking in your memories, they'll never trust you. I just hope our little trick works or we might end up imprisoned for the rest of your life. Or worse, they may execute you for treason," he says, worry evident in his voice. Naruto simply nods in response, knowing their plan would either work or it wouldn't and they'd just have to stay calm and see how it plays out.
Inoichi's search shows him even the memories Naruto couldn't even remember. He watches the Yondaime and Kushina try valiantly to stop the fox and then ultimately both be pierced by his claws. He sees Naruto alone for his entire life, beaten by adults for no reason. He sees how Naruto never gave them the satisfaction of letting them see him cry, however he also sees all the times he broke down and bawled his eyes out when he got back to his tiny apartment. Inoichi then sees Mizuki threaten him and the rest of the interaction and stops the jutsu. "He is telling the truth, Sandaime-sama. Mizuki planned on using Naruto as a pawn in order to steal the scroll of forbidden jutsu and sell it to other villages after he killed Naruto. But Naruto foiled his plan by passing his genin exam this time, so Mizuki then tried to ambush and kill Naruto in order to make himself look like a hero. I… I also saw everything he's been through. Yondaime-sama had you promise you would take care of him before he died. Why would you allow him to be so alone, to be beaten, to be hated? He is a hero and his parents were heroes! Arrest me for questioning you if you want, but this is not right! You should have just told Yondaime-sama you wouldn't if this is how you planned to care for the boy," Inoichi's entire perspective of Naruto had changed, and now he is furious. He had learned the other half of the story he previously thought to know the whole of.
"Yamanaka-san, you should watch your tone. My wife was also lost in the attack of the Kyuubi. Minato was almost like a son to me, but that gives me no obligation to raise his child. I am old and tired, and have no time or energy to raise someone else's boy. I put laws in place to protect him," he says, letting out a ring of smoke from his mouth as he finishes.
"Your laws did nothing to protect him! He didn't know his parents. He didn't know why he was hated. He didn't even know why the adults were beating him! How can you call that care? When did you grow so cold and callous that a promise on someone's deathbed means nothing to you?" He asks, not really caring for an answer, but wanting to be heard.
"You are dismissed, Yamanaka-san. And do not speak of this to anyone. Is that clear?" Sandaime asks, looking at him with eyes that told a very clear message.
"Hai, I won't tell anyone of your lack of care or your resentment for the boy entrusted to you. I also won't mention your lack of responsibility or impartiality. Goodbye, Sandaime-sama," he says calmly and then he disappears in a small cloud of smoke.
"Is… is that true? You promised my father you would care for me and then left me to the wolves? And they call me the monster. If you're an example of what a hokage should be then I renounce my dream. I would never want to be anything like you, old man," Naruto says, and just like that he leaps out the window and goes back to his apartment.
Once there he breaks down just beyond his door, hitting his knees. With his hand over his eyes, he does his best to reign in the storm clouds pouring from his eyes. Moments later he is able to regain his composure and begin to make dinner. His dinner, of course, is instant ramen, because he has no money to buy anything else. He eats and later begins to read scrolls of chakra natures and abilities. It would take a while to learn how to use affinities to his advantage, but his mind could comprehend and realize how to correct any mistakes even if his body wasn't up to speed. It would only be a matter of time.
Kurama breaks the silence after a while, interrupting Naruto mid-scroll. "Kit, I'm sorry for the life you've had. I didn't choose this and I know you didn't either. But we'll make it better. We'll work together and I'll protect you with my life. We will defeat Madara and bring peace to the land. After that happens no one will feel the same about us tailed beasts, or the jinchuuriki forced to carry them," he says softly, his voice heavy and somber. "For now, though, you should get some sleep. You have a big day ahead of you and it's late. You'll need all your strength for when the real training begins," he continues, his voice now more full of life and energy. He knows how much Naruto enjoys training and is hoping the change of subject will help bring him back to better spirits.
"You're right. I should go to bed now so I can be ready to wait all afternoon for Kakashi-sensei to finally show up. Then he'll say something about 'getting lost on the road of life' or something along those lines," he laughs as he remembers those simple times with his sensei back when his team was whole. He then brushes his teeth and lays down to sleep, hoping no nightmares would visit him as they had just before the war.
Yeah, this one was a bit short, so maybe I should have put this in with chapter one, but I didn't want it to be too long. Well, here's chapter 2. I'll do my best to make chapter 3 a good length so y'all will have a bit more to read if you liked it. Please leave your feedback in the reviews.