Fox Among the Leaves.
Authors Note: Ok… Originally chapter one was to start out immediately after the scroll was stolen with our favorite blond in the middle of the woods not yet discovered. But as I have yet to locate a copy of the first episodes script... (curses dial up making loading it directly pretty much imposable...) I will be working with a bit of leeway by starting it a little earlier so I can fuck around with the timeline a bit. Please keep in mind exactly what Naruto IS in this story before telling me I am being OOC; He is Meant to get progressively out of character. Also keep in mind that unlike my other fic this will be drastically darker. A lot more blood will be shed, less mercy given, and the shear style of combat that our little kitsune will make use of will likely warrant the rating on it's own. In addition to that I there will be many other disturbing things, mentioned, drug abuse, rape, torture, and of course as we will be dealing with the akatsuki eventually, cannibalism to name a few... Anyway if your still reading then we might as well sit back and enjoy the show!
As a side note I would like to thank everyone for sticking with this. My computer died just before I was about to post my last chapter and I couldn't really get a replacement until recently. But Now I'm back in the Game! Expect the next chapter of my other fic to be up soon as well.
Disclaimer: I Wish I owned Naruto… but alas I do not.
First Blood
Blue eyes opened, not to the suns rays. Not to an alarm, or by a terrifying nightmare... for once in the later's case, but to an all to familiar sound.
Someone was picking at his lock again. It had happened a few times since he first got the apartment. The first time they got in and when they noticed he was awake, fled.
He didn't understand why they had shown up in the first place originally. He had nothing of value to steal. His furniture and appliances were scavenged, the Raman he kept stocked up was cheap, and what little he had of money could be found in most civilians money pouch. Something much more easily acquired.
The second time was much more informative. When the man entered, he had a knife. Not one of the kunai that the shinobi used, but an actual kitchen knife. One of the larger ones yes, but not the most effective weapon one could acquire in the village. Once more he was afraid when he noticed the blond was awake, but this time he didn't simply run. Instead he through his improvised weapon at him. With reflexes equaling a trained ninja the child raised his hand to block the attack. It was that that saved his life. Despite the would be assassin's lack of training the blade sank into the boys hand, lacking the force to bury itself to the hilt, but sufficient to completely penetrate. They had stood there for a moment in shock, before Naruto screamed.
The man ran again, and left the child alone. Naruto was in shock, he had a knife through his hand. It was Through his hand, He could see blood seeping from both sides, the pain immense. He reached up and took hold of the handle, tugging, then stopped as another bout of agony shot through him. This couldn't be happening! He could not have his hand stabbed through like this it, hurt so much! Shaking with shock he tried to pull at it again, this time more coming away, though it still hurt beyond anything he had felt before to his memory. Sucking frantic breaths in and out he pulled it the rest of the way out blood poring out of the open wound. He dropped the blade and grasped his disabled limb. It hurt! It was worse then how it felt with the knife inside. But it was fading. His small body continued to shake. There was so much blood around him. He wondered for a moment in his shock clouded mind if he would die and that set a new flow of panic though him. He started towards his room, trying to run but his feet wouldn't except the commands from his brain, but the pain was fading... Another thought, if it pain was fading maybe he was dieing! He didn't want to die! He was only five years old! He got to his room, and grabbed his shirt, intending to rap it around his hand like he had seen other people who were hurt wrapped up. When he pulled his hand away he swiftly rapped it up. It didn't hurt anymore, and he couldn't tell if that was good or bad.
He sat there. Shaking, and cradling his hand as the shock slowly reseeded. Still looking at his cloth covered limb. Why didn't it hurt? He needed to know. What if it was broken or something? He slowly unraveled it and what he saw shocked him to the core. Blood covered skin. Blood covered, unblemished tan skin. He flexed it, and it clenched with out any problem. He traced a finger down where the knife had stuck through... it was fine. He shook again, Shaking his head "This is a dream. Some weird dream... when I wake up it will all be over..."
But it wasn't.
That was a year ago. So he sat and waited. Watched as the lock finally came free, and the handle turned... only for the door to not budge. There was a dead bolt holding it in place. Four deadbolts in fact, along side a few chains, and a chair propped up against the door. So he stood, waiting with the very knife that cut him open all those years ago in his grip. 'Not this time.'
It wasn't the man. He knew that, the man himself had left the village, years ago, or died... he never knew which. All he knew is that he was gone.
The door tried to open two more times, then who ever was on the other side left. But Naruto didn't relax. No, he wouldn't relax for a long time... he hadn't in a long time.
When the morning came he made his way over to his window, and undid it's lock. "Time to head to the academy... Fun." he smirked slightly. It was kinda fun. He had entered early, thanks to the old man. A fact he was grateful for. The teachers hated him, but that was no issue. They weren't as bad as most of the villagers, and one or two were actually somewhat kind to him The other children disliked him, or mocked him, but it was still an improvement. People paid attention to him there, and not the kind that displayed his inhuman abillaty to recover from any wound.
That was a secret he had kept well to himself. He had being ambushed a few times outside, sometimes he was cut, more often he was beaten. One time he took a blade to the chest... he never found out what happened to that man, but his face would always be etched in his mind. Still no one of real importance knew of his power. Some of his tormentors spoke of it, but most dismissed it as roomer.
He grinned as he raced through the streets. Ignoring the cold looks of hate and fear of those he passed by. He was used to them. "Hum, maybe I'll play a little joke on the old man today." he smirked. Glancing at the hokage monument, nah, he did that last weak. Maybe sneak into a clans sleeping quarters and steal there unmentionables? Once more over done... though always a classic. Ok that was plan B then. Switch the gender signs on some public washrooms? Hum, hadn't done that in a while... still not as good as the underwear raid. Sneak into the old mans office and lay a few traps? Nope, that didn't work last time he had tried it... gah, he couldn't have pranked everybody could he? Let's see, the dog guys? Nope, stink bombs. Flower people? No seeded there garden with weeds. The fat clan? No, he shrunk there cloths in the wash... he shuttered slightly at the memory of the after effects of that event and mentally scribbled down a never to repeat sign on it. Bug guys? Nope called an exterminator and sent him over to there house. The lazy pineapple heads? Exercise video unmissable added to there collection... ANBU? Nope he painted there HQ pink two days ago. Crap that was pretty much everyone.
He dropped down into an alleyway to think. Most would consider such a out of the way place to be a moronic place to hide when there were people out there trying to kill you... then again most people only had a few people out to kill them, not an entire village out for there blood. Most of the time he was beaten or assaulted it was in plain view of the public. One of the reasons he had gotten so good at hiding, and roof hopping. The alleys tended to make those that did attack a little bolder, but it also happened much less often. In his opinion the pros out weighed the cons.
A sound. His head shot up and he tensed. It was him. The one who had stabbed him in the chest. "You." he whispered, backing away as the man approached.
"Demon." the man said with a cool conviction. "I've found you... Kyuubi." he grinned, and drew a blade. "You remember this? I cut you with this long ago... But you lived. More then that you healed in seconds. On that day I knew for a fact I had to kill you." he was walking slowly towards the boy, at a determined pace.
"W-what? Why! Why do you want to kill me? Why do you all want me dead!" the blond shouted out as he backed into the wall. He was learning shinobi tricks, yes, but he was still barely six, and the man in front of him was easily three times his size.
"You killed them... my family, my friends... all gone. Even my daughter. At first... I debating coming after you. I needed to know you weren't just locked away in some child. I wouldn't let myself sink to your level." the unnamed man spat. "But you are Kyuubi. No child could heal like that... no human one, Youkai!" he snarled. "Luckily. I found a counter to your trick." he titled the blade to the side, and presented the odd seals and kanji written on it. "Normally used by monks on papers. This ward will burn you alive from the inside out. Just like you burnt them all alive." he snarled and ran at Naruto stabbing at him.
(Thump)
The boys heart raced. This man was going to kill him!
(Thump)
He didn't want to die!
(Thump)
The man lunged at him knife poised to strike
(Thump)
He was only a child! Even if he wasn't human!
(Thump)
"Die Demon!" the deranged man cried, eyes bloodshot with hate and anger from so many years focused into this one second.
A meaty thud of flesh parted by blade.
The knife clattered to the ground, falling clean from the boys side, in the mans falling grasp.
Naruto's eyes widened in horror. It was reflex to bring his hand out when threatened... he never realized why.
Until now.
His hand had dug into the mans torso. Each finger penetrating fully into his chest, a faint haze of red surrounding the limb.
Blue eyes looked up into bloodshot ones. The life slowly fading from them as the anger grew still. His mouth moved. "Demon..." he spat. One last time.
The body collapsed onto the academy student forcing the clawed hand from the would be assassin's torso as flesh and bone parted like water under raging Yoki.
"Why..." Naruto mumbled. Looking down at his bloodstained hand. At each fingernail, extended and pointed, thicker then human nails ever grew. Until the haze died away and it returned to normal.
He lay there panting slightly for a moment, before pushing the corps off of him. The man's entire front was covered in blood. And so was he.
He in a seeming daze pulled himself up, and onto a roof. And started back towards home.
He arrived with out incident, there were a few moments when he sensed someone at the edge of his vision, but they hadn't stopped him. When he arrived he slipped the deadbolts back in place, shed his cloths and took a shower. He had his own shower. A luxury in this type of housing. He figured it out a year or so ago. If everyone hated him they wouldn't want him near them ether. It was for that reason he was actually better off then most in some regards. He felt he should laugh at the irony, but couldn't. He tunned the knob and water pored down on him. It was cold, icy cold, but it washed away the blood. He looked at his hand. The nails had retracted, but still kept there edge, He knew somehow that at any moment they would become hard as iron and sharper then a sword. He idly traced one along the wall. It made an odd sound but didn't cut. His other hand the same. Why was that? Only one had being his weapon. Only one had stolen a life.
Stolen a life... murder.
He had killed a man.
Worse.
He enjoyed it.
He started laughing. He could feel it now, before the shock had set in but now he could feel it. Every moment of his blow, of killing the one who would kill him, it ran singing trough him. He had struck back as last after all theses years...
struck back.
Vengeance.
Killed his friends.
Killed his family.
The man had lost it all in Kyuubi's attack. He had called him the Kyuubi. Called him a demon.
Was he a demon?
He looked at his hand, running the edge of his nails... No claws. Fingernails could not cut though flesh and bone like that. Humans didn't have claws. Demons did. He in his semi-loused walked over to his mirror and looked into it. Looked into his eyes. They were round, not the slits demons were said to bare. But were they? As he peered closer he noticed they seemed... oval, not round but not silted. They looked round at first glance but as you looked closer you could see it. His ears tapered. This morning they were round. They still were but now they pointed slightly, once again hinting but not proving. His teeth, sharp, K9's longer then most, but still human. So far it was odd but acceptable. But there were still marks that damned him. The ones most viable. Each cheek, had three dark lines. At first, one would dismiss them as scars, but they were the same texture as skin. They didn't indent, they didn't puff out. And he never scared anyway. They could be tattoos except they darkened with age, not lightened. The color was odd, at first, just darker skin, then brownish, finally almost black, hinting at red. And they were bigger then before.
He traced them as he had fang and ear. He was becoming something.
Demon?
Kitsune?
Kyuubi?
He wasn't like them. He had seen others, the ones with white eyes. The ones who were like dogs, the ones with eyes as crimson as blood... the blood he split.
Thats where this all came from. He was a killer. He had taken flesh, blood, bone, and life of a man.
He was a killer. Above all else that was stained upon his soul for eternity. Did he have a soul? Did demons have souls?
He wasn't human. That much couldn't be denied. But was he a demon? Maybe something in between?
Half demon?
Hanyou?
No, half demons were as such at birth, and didn't change. He was becoming like a demon slowly. Maybe he was a demon in human form? Some could do that right? Maybe he had done that out of instinct... he felt the pull of what else he had done out of it. He forced himself to steady. Demon instincts are strong. He could have changed into a human out of it. If that was true could he change back? And if so back into what? Could he become human like again? Should he?
His eyes were sharper... he could make out every fleck of blue along his eyes as he looked into his mirror. He could hear better to. Sent, touch, even taste... he was stronger like this. They couldn't hurt him as easily like this.
They feared him like this.
He didn't like there fear, but he needed it. If he was a demon among them then he had to stop them from hurting him again...
But why was he here?
Kyuubi.
He was born on the day the fox stuck. They had to be connected. Maybe they had shielded him from Kyuubi and that is why it struck?
No. That made no sense. If they protected him from Kyuubi then why not from each other? Why attack there prize... Unless
Unless Kyuubi had struck because he was here. But then why not offer him up to the beast rather then invoke it's wrath?
That didn't make sense unless it would strike ether way. Thats not how demons worked. They took what they wanted and only what they wanted. Killing stuff for the hell of it was a human thing. Unless of course blood was what said demon was after...
Why would Kyuubi want him?
Kitsune.
Kitsune could shape shift. It was one of there defining powers. Was he kitsune?
If so then did the Kyuubi come to rescue him rather then destroy him?
This was so confusing. The hokage was nice to him, but the people hated and feared him. And why would Kohona steal a kitsune anyway? Why would they hold a kit here?
Power.
The shinobi nations were at an eternal cold war. They had just ended a active one with stone, losing a lot of there forces. That was one of the first lessons he had learned from the academy. Maybe he was to be a weapon? A demon was powerful... and deadly. A village with one on there side would have a huge edge.
He was a demon then, meant to be a weapon of Kohona... but there were problems there to. The hokage didn't treat him like a weapon. Didn't speed his training, or teach him how to tap his powers. And the villagers openly attacked him. Did this mean he was a failure in some way? No... he wasn't the failure. His powers where there, just known. Maybe the project? Maybe the fourth wanted a weapon but the third didn't?
The third wanted to give him a chance? Let him live as humans do? Maybe the seal kept him as a human. That could explain things. Most seals were temporary anyway.
His must be finally failing. He was retaking his normal form. But what to do then? Should he hate the village for taking him from his people? Or thank them for leaving him among them despite the risk? Men had come to kill him and yet... the image of the hokage smiling at him, of an old man and his daughter giving him a bowl of noodles from there newly opened shop, of the assistant librarian sneaking him a scroll and showing him how to read it.
No some hated him, but some liked him. He had to be on guard. But he wouldn't abandon them ether. Who's to say the demons would take him in anyway?
The fourth wanted a weapon? Alright, he'd be a weapon. He looked at his hand, the one he had taken a life with. But not Kohona's. He'd be the weapon of those precious to him. Those that excepted him. So he'd stay. He wasn't human, he wasn't of this village. But he'd stand among them.
A fox among the leaves...
And that was chapter one. I hope you liked it.
The next will be up in a while... It'll be ether in the academy or at the graduation of it. Buy the way I am considering shifting the 'genres'. The rest of this story will be for the most part like this. There will be high points, there will be low, there will be blood, and there will (eventually) be love. If you think I should, feel free to advise... Be aware that I have Not the slightest clue how Private messaging works, so I can't really respond in kind on that front.