There he was. Frozen in disbelief he raised a hand to own face and stared at his reflection. He twisted his head side to side to try and make sense of what he was seeing. Naruto could make out what baby fat had remained. The stupid orange jumpsuit with blue tinge to it.
"How the hell did I not get killed while wearing this?"
Of course, orange was is favorite color. But god of death be damned if he stood out like a campfire in the middle of the night. He took off the goggles and threw them on the floor. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His mind was racing, and panic flooded his eyes. His hands started to shake, and it took all of what he had to not have a panic attack. He calmed himself and walked out to his living room. He looked around for anything that had a date on it.
And there it was. He remembered the date. One so vividly that caused everything in Naruto's life on the path he was today.
"I'm supposed to steal the scroll today.'' He whispered to himself. He wondered where his forehead protector had been and why on earth, he was wearing those stupid goggles. So many thoughts raced through his head. Does he tell the hokage? With what evidence? He bawled his hands into a fist.
"Goddamn it!" He grabbed a cup and threw it against the wall. Not only was he alive again but at most he was a simple genin again. He punched the wall in frustration. He needed to calm down and think. "Think damn it, think." Why was he even stealing the scroll in the first place? Then he felt a small smirk come over his face. "I couldn't pass the test." Before he could do anything, he sat on the floor, closed his eyes and mediated. He had the knowledge of 6 years on his side but with the way his body was he could not put it to any use.
He had limited time on his side, but he had years to vastly improve. "Let's start with the tried but proven." Naruto stood up and made the traditional hand sign. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!." A huge plume of smoke filled his apartment. A clone filled every part of the room and he stood in disbelief. "I wanted one not 50 of you guys." They all looked at him and shrugged accordingly. "Nothing we can do about it boss, you summoned us." They muttered. Realization rushed over him. "Of course, I'm not 17 anymore. I do not have the control over my chakra I had. I am still just a kid after all. He nodded and dispelled all the clones. He froze before falling onto his knees clutching his head. An all too familiar feeling of 50 memories rushed into his head. "Really, this shit again? Goddamn!" He punched the carpet beneath his knees and screamed trying to block out the pain. The pain eventually subsided and after a while and he slowly stood up.
"Note to self, learn from your past self." Naruto had muttered to himself. He made his way to the couch and threw himself upon it, and he looked out the window. The sun was setting and the colors of orange and purple cast themselves upon the clouds.
What to do about tonight? He thought. I cannot go to the hokage and even if he did why on earth would he even believe me? Iruka only came because I stole the scroll, but, it was the only way he wasn't sentenced to death as a child as well. He gave testimony that mizuki tried to frame everything on Naruto and convinced him to try and steal the scroll so he could pass his test. He resigned himself further into his couch. He could only see one way this was going to work.
"I'm going to have to steal that stupid scroll, again aren't I?" Naruto annoyingly muttered,
Like his past life stealing the scroll was a absolute cakewalk. With the knowledge of 5 years of training and the clumsiness of a 12-year-old boy, Naruto was jumping from tree to tree going to the spot where fate would make its name known. He made his way to the spot and sat where he knows Iruka-sensi would find him. He sat down and dipped his head until he heard the familiar footsteps approach him.
"Hey you, Naruto!" Iruka yelled at him. The mid 20-year-old made his way over to the young child with his hands on his hips and a death glare.
Naruto could not help himself but to smile and run in for a hug which surprised the man. Taken aback the young man put space between him and the boy and shot a glance at the young boy. "Naruto, do you know how mu-." The sound of kunai whipped through the air and before Iruka could process the sounds, Naruto had pushed his sensi out of the way, whipped out a kunai and deflected every single one of them. Shock overcame the man before he looked in the direction of where the kunai came from.
There crouched on a tree was a young man with gray hair. "Impressive." The man said. "Now Naruto, give me that scroll." Before Naruto could say a word Iruka yelled at "Naruto! Never give him that scroll!."
Naruto looked back and forth at each man. He knew he could defeat Mizuki but the man would keep going at it. "Now, now, now Naruto. I will tell you the truth?" Iruka's eyes widened before screaming out "Idiot! Don't do that!" The man disregarded what Iruka said. "After an incident 12 years ago, a rul-." And before the man could finish his sentence, Naruto threw the scroll at Iruka and rushed forward to the man in the tress. Mizuki widened his eyes before his ninja instincts took ahold of him. Naruto wasn't even a genin but he showed knowledge only a ninja would know in a fight.
Naruto took the aggressor part of the fight and thrashed his kunai hoping to make this a quick fight. While true he had the knowledge of someone 5 years his senior, he was still a boy fighting against a man. Mizuki would parry each blow and force Naruto back using his superior strength.
Naruto pushed back making space in between him and the man he fought. "I know what's inside me, the monster inside this seal." With everything going on Iruka stood still holding the scroll in complete shock. His eyes widened as he intently listened to what transpired before him. "I know everything, and I know I will not lose to the likes of you. If you ever lay a hand on Iruka-sensi, I will kill you!" Naruto lifted his fingers into the hand sign before yelling "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" Smoke filled the area around before eventually dissipating.
There all around him stood hundred's and hundreds of copies of the young man. Mizuki looked around him in complete and utter disbelief. The man did not know what to do. His hands began to tremble before all the clones began to rush him. The man took a step back, feeblishly put his hand in front of his face and yelled a scream of fear. The fight took all of 5 seconds before the man was out. Iruka stood there clutching the scroll as hard as he could. This demon fox, no this boy, was a true ninja of the leaf. He didn't become overrun with fate. He rather use his life to defend someone who never gave him the time of day. Tears welled in his eyes; how could he ever treat someone like Naruto like he had? This boy did not kill his parents, yet everyone in the leaf acted like he was the demon fox reincarnated. No one accepted him, but yet he knew the meaning of human suffering. The man looked at Naruto again and smiled. Naruto looked at his sensei and smiled. "Iruka-sensei." Iruka couldn't help but smile back,
"Naruto Uzumaki of the Village hidden in the leaves." Iruka proudly said.
The man and the child slowly made their way back to the village. With what had transpired late in the night the sun had slowly start to rise again. Iruka stopped the future genin. "Naruto." He spoke softly. "How do you." "If I told you, you wouldn't even believe me." Naruto interrupted. Iruka resigned to himself and nodded. "Close your eyes Naruto." Naruto followed his sensei's request and Naruto knew what this moment was. He felt the familiar feeling of the cold touch of his forehead protector against his skin. Iruka finished tying the knot behind Naruto's head and walked in front of him. "
You can open them now." Iruka spoke. Naruto opened his eyes and smiled as he saw his reflection in the kunai Iruka held in front od him. "Congrats Naruto, you earned it." Tears formed in his eyes as he knew this was the moment, he was finally accepted by someone. He had been through it before but even then, it was still a fond memory between him and someone he had considered a father. The pair made their way through the forest before coming upon the village gates. Once the gates were in view, he could make out the familiar shape of someone he cared most about. The hokage stood at the gates waiting for the duo to return. Tears formed in the young boys eyes but he needed to hold his composure until after the spoke with the man.
Finally reaching the gate the old man spoke breaking the silence. "Naruto." He spoke in a serious tone. "Iruka, the scroll please." Iruka handed the scroll as fast as he can before looking at the man. "You are dismissed Iruka." "Yes Hokage-sama" before disappearing past the gates.
"Naruto." The man spoke again but before he could say another word Naruto interrupted him. "We have much to talk about don't we Hokage-jiji? The man took a deep puff of his cigar and nodded.
"Yes, we do now."
AN: Well its been a while since ive wrote anything that long. I used to write some fanfics back when I was a teen but they were never any good. Anyways I hope yall are enjoying the story so far. I plan it to be cannonish but ill be making it up as a go while taking insipiration from the main story. As always and comments, questions, concerns or tips. Drop the down. Have a good day yall.- Kuco