Hello, this is my first fanfic. I will try to update as fast as I can get chapters written. I plan on this being a very long and in depth fic, so it may seem a little slow at times. If you have any thoughts or suggestions please message me, I'll try to look at my inbox daily.

Kurama speaking

Thoughts

"Spoken words"

"Sign Language"

The Fox and the Vulture

"Why are you doing this?" a voice cried out in the night, the question coming from a young boy with blonde hair, running from several older men. The boy was wearing an orange jumpsuit, clearly visible in the darkness, as well as a pair of blue goggles on the top of his head. On his feet were a pair of standard shinobi sandals. This child was Naruto Uzumaki, the nine-tails Jinchūriki. In addition to the blonde hair, he had startling blue eyes, beneath which a clever mind could be seen, and whisker marks on each cheek. He was four years old. The men chasing him were varied, but all wore a dark green flak jacket, a marking of rank in the village, and also a marking of skill. Which was why the young boy had yet to slip away.

Being hunted was nothing new to Naruto. From the time he took his first steps outside the orphanage when he was old enough to walk properly, it became a nightly exercise to be hunted down and beat by older men and women of the village. Over time he became excellent at being able to slip pursuers. He could run for hours without tiring, he was fast, and he was able to hide himself in places most wouldn't even think to look. Another benefit from this treatment was his natural resilience to pain, and a durability to damage that would make an iron statue envious. Most nights he wasn't caught. But tonight looked to be a different story. Not only were these pursuers shinobi rather than regular villagers, they were Chūnin. As good as he was, he didn't stand a chance.

A few hours later, a beaten and bloodied Naruto dragged himself into his shabby apartment, hungry, tired, but most of all feeling hopeless. I don't know why it's always me that has to go through this. He thought to himself. As he pulled himself into bed, he thought he saw a flicker of shadow outside his window. Must have been my imagination.

The next day was spent the usual way, trying to find a shopkeeper willing to sell him some groceries, avoiding the villagers, trying to dodge the rocks and trash that was thrown at him. As dusk began to settle, he heard a commotion coming from one of the playgrounds. He quickly ran over to investigate the sounds. "We don't like the way you look at us, with your cold eyes." one boy was saying as Naruto came in sight. "Yeah, do you think you're better than us just because you're the Hyuga heir?" another was shouting at a young girl who was curled up on the ground. The girl looked to be the same age as Naruto, with short black hair and fair white skin. "What are you doing to her, leave her alone!" shouted Naruto without thinking.

"Or what?" one of the boys asked as the three turned towards Naruto. "Or I'll make you stop." was the reply. The three boys laughed, advancing slowly, trying to surround the blonde haired boy. Without waiting for them to make the first strike, Naruto leaped forward, punching the first boy in the jaw. The boy dropped, and Naruto quickly turned to the second boy, leaping at him and catching him in the stomach, tackling him. Once they were both on the ground, he began to beat the boy, until a shoe caught him on the side of the head, a kick from the third boy catching Naruto unaware. It was a solid hit, and might have stunned most kids their age, but Naruto was used to taking hits from bigger and stronger opponents. He quickly recovered, lashing out at the boy who tried to kick him again. Catching his leg, Naruto threw him into a nearby tree, the impact knocking the wind out of the boy. The first boy, the leader of the group, got back up and realized they were outmatched, and called the other two to retreat, calling back "This isn't over," as they ran away.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked the young girl as he offered his hand to help her up. Before he could get the chance, a man appeared before him with pale, pupil less eyes "What have you done to lady Hinata, demon?" asked the man. "I didn't do anything, I was just trying to help!" Naruto tried to explain, but the man wasn't even trying to listen to the boy. "Just leave before I kill you." said the man, and Naruto started to leave, stopping only to look back at the girl. As their eyes met, they both had the same thought about the other. He/She looks so sad.

A few weeks had gone by without any more unusual incidents, until tonight. Naruto found himself backed into an alleyway by the three boys he had fought at the playground. Only this time, they had brought their older brothers. "This the kid?" one asked, drawing a kunai knife from his satchel. This was the leader's brother, and unlike the other two older siblings, this one was wearing a chūnin vest. "Yeah, that's the one, he attacked us out of nowhere as we were walking home, he was like a wild animal." the young boy replied. "That's bullshit!" Naruto shouted, backing away, but the older boy just laughed. Suddenly, before Naruto could even react, the man was in front of him, close enough to touch. "Bullshit or not, you still beat up my kid brother, and for that you have to pay." Naruto's stomach felt hot for some reason as the boy said this, and he felt something warm running down his stomach. Looking down he saw the handle of the kunai sticking out, the rest was buried inside of him. "Let's get out of here, before someone comes snooping." The chūnin said as they walked away. The last thing Naruto saw as he blacked out was a man dressed all in black, with what looked like a porcelain vulture mask on.

Naruto opened his eyes and immediately had to close them again as the bright sunlight blinded him. After they had adjusted, he sat up and looked around. He was on an empty grass training field, laying on the ground. He didn't know how he got here, and when he looked at his stomach he realized that someone had bound it with bandages. Sitting in front of him was a small box, and a note. He picked up the paper and read, In the box are two cups of milk, fried chicken liver, boiled eggs, and several oranges. Eat, it will help the weariness from the blood loss. Vulture. Naruto opened the box, and saw the note was telling the truth. Feeling weak, he trusted the note was accurate, and began eating the food, and drinking the milk, which was kept cool with ice inside the cups. As soon as he finished the last bite, there was a swirl of leaves, and the man from last night was standing before him. Naruto jumped to his feet, wary of the newcomer. The man reached into his belt pouch to grab something. Naruto jumped back, suddenly afraid, while the newcomer pulled out…

A book. Throwing the book at Naruto's feet, the man left. Naruto looked down and read the title of the book. Sign Language for Beginners. Below the title there was a note from the mysterious man. It said simply Memorize this by tomorrow.