2


Naruto grit his teeth as he leapt across the rooftops. His wet cheeks glistened slightly in the sunlight and his sobs went unheard. He'd had enough.

My own village… My own damn village… I've done nothing but live and protect it and they still suspect me of shit like this? Why!? What have I done!? My dad gave his life for this! My mom came here and her whole family was betrayed and still, she forgave them. I have been shunned my whole life and I still stayed loyal but now they want to send me to prison?

Naruto couldn't think of why they would be doing something like this. Tsunade – the freaking Hokage – saw Naruto as her own little brother/son. This was a well-known fact and yet she'd do something like this? Naruto wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Well… it didn't matter now. No matter how hard he tried, he could never stop loving this village. He'd give his life up for it even now. That's why that was exactly what Naruto decided to do.

Naruto mentally calculated that the seal should be holding strong for about ten more minutes. That's how much time he had to get someone else to sign the Toad Summoning Contract and then leave the village. But who to choose? Who was worthy enough for him to pass down the contract to? Who else wouldn't ever betray Konoha?

He smiled a little bit, as the perfect person popped into his mind. His own little pupil. One whose name itself says Konoha.

...

Naruto landed suddenly in Team Ebisu's training ground, effectively scaring the hell out of all of them.

"Boss!" Konohamaru yelled out in glee.

"Naruto-nii-san!" Moegi yelled out just as excitedly.

"Naruto-san!" Udon said a little more composed than his teammates.

"Hey, guys!" Naruto greeted them happily. "Sorry but I have very little time, so I can't train with you. But I do need Konohamaru to come with me immediately!" The three Genin looked confused for a moment but nodded anyway.

Naruto led Konohamaru into the woods and into a clearing where they finally stopped.

"What's going on, Boss?" Konohamaru asked nervously. He'd never seen Naruto like this before. Usually, his Boss was the very definition of cheerful but at the moment now… It was like there was a dark cloud of doom hanging over the blonde's head.

Naruto smeared some of his blood onto his palm and ran through hand seals faster than the human eyes could even perceive. He slammed it down and from a poof of smoke, a large scroll appeared. "Konohamaru," he spoke quietly. "I'm passing the Toad Summoning Contract onto you."

"Huh?" Konohamaru said. "W-Wait, Boss!"

"I can't wait, Ko. I was going to do this sooner or later. Might as well do it now, right?" Naruto said with a clearly strained smile.

"Naruto… Is everything okay?" Konohamaru asked in a tone that didn't belong to one as young as him.

"No, Konohamaru. Nothing is okay. But you have to do this quickly! We can't waste time," Naruto said, urging Konohamaru to sign the scroll.

"No! First, tell me what's going on!" Konohamaru shouted.

"Konohamaru!" Naruto shouted back. "Sign it! Then I'll tell you on the way to the gate. We only have six more minutes till the whole damn ANBU is upon us."

"Wha? Why is the ANBU after you!?" Konohamaru asked bewildered.

"Sign it, Ko," Naruto said simply.

The duo stared at each other for a while before Konohamaru finally gave in and signed it. The scroll disappeared in a poof once again as it closed. They ascended into the trees once again and made it to the town.

"Now tell me what's going on!" Konohamaru shouted angrily.

"I'm going to die," Naruto said and the little Genin nearly fell off the rooftop. Naruto quickly told Konohamaru the whole story and his future plans.

"WHAT THE FUCK!?" Konohamaru screamed. "You can't leave the village like this! You did nothing wrong! Let me talk to the Hokage!" he said and started to jump away but before he could even make it farther than a foot, a swift blow from Naruto to the back of his head knocked him out.

"Sorry, Ko," Naruto whispered as he laid out the little Genin on the street. Someone would find him eventually. "Make sure to become Hokage for me."

Naruto's speed increased as he entered Sage Mode and whizzed past the gate guards too fast to even see. He again ascended the trees and got on his way towards the forests of Fire country.

...

Naruto's leg slipped off the branch and he tumbled down.

"Ah, shit…" he said as he tried to get up. His muscles were on fire and his lungs felt like they were filled with needles. He had been running for more than 24 hours straight. And now, finally, he was at the place he needed to be.

The blond closed his eyes and entered his mindscape. "Yo," he said with a wave, imitating his sensei.

One huge red eye opened and stared directly at Naruto. "What do you want?" said the Kyuubi with a snarl.

"To make a deal," Naruto said. "You want freedom. I want to protect my village."

The Kyuubi stayed silent for a few seconds before fully turning his head to look at Naruto with both eyes. "I'm listening," he said.

"Promise me to never again attack Konoha unless you are provoked by them first," Naruto said in a confident tone no man who was walking towards his grave should have.

"What's in it for me?" The mass of chakra asked.

"I'll let you go."

The Kyuubi was silent for a few seconds once again before speaking. "You'll die."

"I know."